Finding apartments that take 4 cats?

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 10:04:52 -0700, Anonymous Poster wrote:

My wife and I are in a real bind. I lost my job and thus we have to sell
our house.

Yeesh, you can't refinance?

We need to find an apartment, but are having a really difficult
time finding an apartment that doesn't have a 2 cat limit. The funny thing
is, many of them will allow 2 giant dogs. 2 elephants. Just 2 of anything.
So 4 little kitties is EXACTLY the same as 2 big dogs. Very frustrating. I
don't mind paying fees, even though our cats are well behaved and we're
very hygienic about vacuuming and cleaning up after them. We just flat
can't find any place that isn't in the ghetto that allows more than 2
cats? Any ideas on how to deal with this?

Kaeli's right, actually - they won't look for it - but there's more to
note, and I'll tell you why - it's a bit of insight I got from the
managers here where my wife and I live.

Now mind you, was able to check your headers and determine you're up in
San Jose. I'm down in Garden Grove, so as far as what I say, YMMV - a
lot of this varies between cities and depends on the mood of the
management at any given moment. Also noted that you're using the same
usenet client as I do. Good show there. =^^=

As a general rule, one of the ideas to running an apartment complex is
"occupancy". Yes, you have no equity when you rent because it's not
yours, but the point is that they want people living there because the
higher the occupancy, the more money the owner gets.

One key to occupancy is not being draconian with your tenants - rather,
working with them and overlooking seemingly trivial stuff as long as said
trivial stuff does not get in the way and cause a major problem.

Now, as mentioned, the 2 cats problem is something of an issue for people
who have more than their fair share of cats. It's seemingly arbitrary,
but you get too many and crap happens. But on the other hand, one of our
neighbors maintains eight cats indoors, and is the sort who will go around
our neighborhood and make food drops for the local strays, and trap fix
and release in the meantime.

And she doesn't have a problem with management because management doesn't
have a problem with her - the occasional noise aside, and the occasional
litterbox odor as well, she makes it a point to keep her cat kennels and
cat boxes obsessively clean, and many of the cats are pseudo-patients of
hers that she's trying to domesticate a bit. She has a modicum of
success. But I digress.

The point is that - at least, around here - a property manager can use it
as a card if they really don't like you or if you're causing problems on
their property, but generally speaking they won't come into your apartment
for the sole purpose of counting your cats and making sure you're not over
the limit, maintenance won't report you for having four cats unless
they're causing an unbearable stench, and if management finds out what's
going on, like I suggested above, they'll probably overlook it if you've
been a good tenant otherwise and they aren't causing problems. But, I
wouldn't recommend moving them in until you've settled down in your new
apartment and made sure that there are no maintenance issues. You will
probably look forward to having to kennel them with friends for a short
while.

Anonymous in case apartment complex managers Google.

I don't think they have that kind of time. =^^=

--
Dennis Carr - | I may be out of my mind,
http://www.dennis.furtopia.org | But I have more fun that way.
------------------------------------+-------------------------------

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 10:04:52 -0700, Anonymous Poster wrote:

My wife and I are in a real bind. I lost my job and thus we have to sell
our house.

Yeesh, you can't refinance?

We need to find an apartment, but are having a really difficult
time finding an apartment that doesn't have a 2 cat limit. The funny thing
is, many of them will allow 2 giant dogs. 2 elephants. Just 2 of anything.
So 4 little kitties is EXACTLY the same as 2 big dogs. Very frustrating. I
don't mind paying fees, even though our cats are well behaved and we're
very hygienic about vacuuming and cleaning up after them. We just flat
can't find any place that isn't in the ghetto that allows more than 2
cats? Any ideas on how to deal with this?

Kaeli's right, actually - they won't look for it - but there's more to
note, and I'll tell you why - it's a bit of insight I got from the
managers here where my wife and I live.

Now mind you, was able to check your headers and determine you're up in
San Jose. I'm down in Garden Grove, so as far as what I say, YMMV - a
lot of this varies between cities and depends on the mood of the
management at any given moment. Also noted that you're using the same
usenet client as I do. Good show there. =^^=

As a general rule, one of the ideas to running an apartment complex is
"occupancy". Yes, you have no equity when you rent because it's not
yours, but the point is that they want people living there because the
higher the occupancy, the more money the owner gets.

One key to occupancy is not being draconian with your tenants - rather,
working with them and overlooking seemingly trivial stuff as long as said
trivial stuff does not get in the way and cause a major problem.

Now, as mentioned, the 2 cats problem is something of an issue for people
who have more than their fair share of cats. It's seemingly arbitrary,
but you get too many and crap happens. But on the other hand, one of our
neighbors maintains eight cats indoors, and is the sort who will go around
our neighborhood and make food drops for the local strays, and trap fix
and release in the meantime.

And she doesn't have a problem with management because management doesn't
have a problem with her - the occasional noise aside, and the occasional
litterbox odor as well, she makes it a point to keep her cat kennels and
cat boxes obsessively clean, and many of the cats are pseudo-patients of
hers that she's trying to domesticate a bit. She has a modicum of
success. But I digress.

The point is that - at least, around here - a property manager can use it
as a card if they really don't like you or if you're causing problems on
their property, but generally speaking they won't come into your apartment
for the sole purpose of counting your cats and making sure you're not over
the limit, maintenance won't report you for having four cats unless
they're causing an unbearable stench, and if management finds out what's
going on, like I suggested above, they'll probably overlook it if you've
been a good tenant otherwise and they aren't causing problems. But, I
wouldn't recommend moving them in until you've settled down in your new
apartment and made sure that there are no maintenance issues. You will
probably look forward to having to kennel them with friends for a short
while.

Anonymous in case apartment complex managers Google.

I don't think they have that kind of time. =^^=

--
Dennis Carr - | I may be out of my mind,
http://www.dennis.furtopia.org | But I have more fun that way.
------------------------------------+-------------------------------

We had this exact same problem a few months ago (house to apartment, 4 cats in
a 2 cat town). I was really starting to panic, too. I knew it would be harder
to find something, but, I swear, the way some people reacted, you'd think I
said I had four anacondas. In fact, they may have preferred that.

Do keep calling around. Even places you never considered before. In every
community, there has got to be a REALLY pet friendly complex. I didn't know
this until I had made the 40th call and stumbled across ours. This place is
like a zoo (in a good way), and I never would have known about it--even from
asking around.

The key to our success was their desperation. It was November, which is a
really low point for new rentals. They went out of their way to get us in
here. You don't have the season thing working for you (although I would advise
you to rent something before school is out), but there are other kinds of
desperation. If it is an option, I would look for a place that is slightly
more expensive than the apartment is worth. These tend to be less desirable
"investments" for the average apartment hunter, and hence, probably unoccupied.

Ours is kind of a midrange place. Low rent landlords have been burned by so
much that they will rarely give you a chance (the exception being low end
complexes--which are scary). High end places are paranoid about having their
fine carpets shredded (and whatever else they imagine a cat can do).

Explain your desperation to the leasing agent. If they won't budge, talk to
the owner/ manager. In the cases where they were willing to compromise for us
(only 3), a sympathetic (or agressive/desperate?) agent went to bat for us with
the manager. But it's very hard to tell during the intiial conversation if the
rules are truly written in stone or if the agent just isn't very imaginative.

Do try the Humane Society, vets, rescue groups, etc. If they have a list, it
will at least weed out the places that don't allow pets at all. This was of no
help to us, though--99% of these places had the 2 pet rule.

Offer every concession you can think of: an extra large deposit, taking an
apartment with older carpeting... Expect to pay a lot more for anyplace that's
willing to work with you. Most will want a pretty hefty pet deposit plus
monthly pet rent.

Some less than rational things I considered in my desperation: bribery, fake
references, mobile homes (this was remedied quickly when we took a drive though
the "parks". The number of Confederate flags used as window dressings was far
too disturbing).

You very well may have to end up lying about the number of cats you have. I
realize now that I could have done that, but at the time I feared being thrown
out on the street. My cats are so skittish that no one could count them if
they wanted to. If maintenance came in unannounced (which they would only do
in an emergency), they'd be lucky to find one cat. Just make sure there are
plenty of really good hiding places, and any self-respecting cat will take care
of the rest himself. If you have those perverse dog-like felines that love
strangers and don't have sense enough to hide, then this option is definitely
not for you.

Good luck--I really do feel your pain.

We had this exact same problem a few months ago (house to apartment, 4 cats in
a 2 cat town). I was really starting to panic, too. I knew it would be harder
to find something, but, I swear, the way some people reacted, you'd think I
said I had four anacondas. In fact, they may have preferred that.

Do keep calling around. Even places you never considered before. In every
community, there has got to be a REALLY pet friendly complex. I didn't know
this until I had made the 40th call and stumbled across ours. This place is
like a zoo (in a good way), and I never would have known about it--even from
asking around.

The key to our success was their desperation. It was November, which is a
really low point for new rentals. They went out of their way to get us in
here. You don't have the season thing working for you (although I would advise
you to rent something before school is out), but there are other kinds of
desperation. If it is an option, I would look for a place that is slightly
more expensive than the apartment is worth. These tend to be less desirable
"investments" for the average apartment hunter, and hence, probably unoccupied.

Ours is kind of a midrange place. Low rent landlords have been burned by so
much that they will rarely give you a chance (the exception being low end
complexes--which are scary). High end places are paranoid about having their
fine carpets shredded (and whatever else they imagine a cat can do).

Explain your desperation to the leasing agent. If they won't budge, talk to
the owner/ manager. In the cases where they were willing to compromise for us
(only 3), a sympathetic (or agressive/desperate?) agent went to bat for us with
the manager. But it's very hard to tell during the intiial conversation if the
rules are truly written in stone or if the agent just isn't very imaginative.

Do try the Humane Society, vets, rescue groups, etc. If they have a list, it
will at least weed out the places that don't allow pets at all. This was of no
help to us, though--99% of these places had the 2 pet rule.

Offer every concession you can think of: an extra large deposit, taking an
apartment with older carpeting... Expect to pay a lot more for anyplace that's
willing to work with you. Most will want a pretty hefty pet deposit plus
monthly pet rent.

Some less than rational things I considered in my desperation: bribery, fake
references, mobile homes (this was remedied quickly when we took a drive though
the "parks". The number of Confederate flags used as window dressings was far
too disturbing).

You very well may have to end up lying about the number of cats you have. I
realize now that I could have done that, but at the time I feared being thrown
out on the street. My cats are so skittish that no one could count them if
they wanted to. If maintenance came in unannounced (which they would only do
in an emergency), they'd be lucky to find one cat. Just make sure there are
plenty of really good hiding places, and any self-respecting cat will take care
of the rest himself. If you have those perverse dog-like felines that love
strangers and don't have sense enough to hide, then this option is definitely
not for you.

Good luck--I really do feel your pain.

(Scruffy892) wrote in message ...
We had this exact same problem a few months ago (house to apartment, 4 cats in
a 2 cat town). I was really starting to panic, too. I knew it would be harder
to find something, but, I swear, the way some people reacted, you'd think I
said I had four anacondas. In fact, they may have preferred that.

Do keep calling around. Even places you never considered before. In every
community, there has got to be a REALLY pet friendly complex. I didn't know
this until I had made the 40th call and stumbled across ours. This place is
like a zoo (in a good way), and I never would have known about it--even from
asking around.

The key to our success was their desperation. It was November, which is a
really low point for new rentals. They went out of their way to get us in
here. You don't have the season thing working for you (although I would advise
you to rent something before school is out), but there are other kinds of
desperation. If it is an option, I would look for a place that is slightly
more expensive than the apartment is worth. These tend to be less desirable
"investments" for the average apartment hunter, and hence, probably unoccupied.

Ours is kind of a midrange place. Low rent landlords have been burned by so
much that they will rarely give you a chance (the exception being low end
complexes--which are scary). High end places are paranoid about having their
fine carpets shredded (and whatever else they imagine a cat can do).

Explain your desperation to the leasing agent. If they won't budge, talk to
the owner/ manager. In the cases where they were willing to compromise for us
(only 3), a sympathetic (or agressive/desperate?) agent went to bat for us with
the manager. But it's very hard to tell during the intiial conversation if the
rules are truly written in stone or if the agent just isn't very imaginative.

Do try the Humane Society, vets, rescue groups, etc. If they have a list, it
will at least weed out the places that don't allow pets at all. This was of no
help to us, though--99% of these places had the 2 pet rule.

Offer every concession you can think of: an extra large deposit, taking an
apartment with older carpeting... Expect to pay a lot more for anyplace that's
willing to work with you. Most will want a pretty hefty pet deposit plus
monthly pet rent.

Some less than rational things I considered in my desperation: bribery, fake
references, mobile homes (this was remedied quickly when we took a drive though
the "parks". The number of Confederate flags used as window dressings was far
too disturbing).

You very well may have to end up lying about the number of cats you have. I
realize now that I could have done that, but at the time I feared being thrown
out on the street. My cats are so skittish that no one could count them if
they wanted to. If maintenance came in unannounced (which they would only do
in an emergency), they'd be lucky to find one cat. Just make sure there are
plenty of really good hiding places, and any self-respecting cat will take care
of the rest himself. If you have those perverse dog-like felines that love
strangers and don't have sense enough to hide, then this option is definitely
not for you.

Good luck--I really do feel your pain.

I think those are good ideas, but IME if the complex is owned by a
large company, like the OP said is common where he lives, the leasing
agents are loathe to ignore company policies. Still, that doesn't
mean it can't happen.

One suggestion I might make is to look to rent someone's condo instead
of an apartment. In some areas condos will often rent for an amount
pretty comperable to what you pay for a similar apartment. This
largely depends on how popular condos are where you live. In some
areas with high land prices they are desirable and easy to sell, in
areas where land prices are relatively low they are often not easily
sold once you buy them and it's not to hard to find owners who are a
little desperate to rent them out because they have bought a house or
have moved to another city. Individual owners are usually more
flexible than corporate landlords, but with respect to your situation
you would have to be sure you wouldn't be in violation of the condo
rules. That might be as big a problem as finding an apartment that
would take four cats. And of course there are downsides as well as
upsides to renting from an individual owner. At least it opens up
another area of possibilities.

Kudos to you for taking your responsibilities to the kitties seriously
in a difficult situation.

(Scruffy892) wrote in message ...
We had this exact same problem a few months ago (house to apartment, 4 cats in
a 2 cat town). I was really starting to panic, too. I knew it would be harder
to find something, but, I swear, the way some people reacted, you'd think I
said I had four anacondas. In fact, they may have preferred that.

Do keep calling around. Even places you never considered before. In every
community, there has got to be a REALLY pet friendly complex. I didn't know
this until I had made the 40th call and stumbled across ours. This place is
like a zoo (in a good way), and I never would have known about it--even from
asking around.

The key to our success was their desperation. It was November, which is a
really low point for new rentals. They went out of their way to get us in
here. You don't have the season thing working for you (although I would advise
you to rent something before school is out), but there are other kinds of
desperation. If it is an option, I would look for a place that is slightly
more expensive than the apartment is worth. These tend to be less desirable
"investments" for the average apartment hunter, and hence, probably unoccupied.

Ours is kind of a midrange place. Low rent landlords have been burned by so
much that they will rarely give you a chance (the exception being low end
complexes--which are scary). High end places are paranoid about having their
fine carpets shredded (and whatever else they imagine a cat can do).

Explain your desperation to the leasing agent. If they won't budge, talk to
the owner/ manager. In the cases where they were willing to compromise for us
(only 3), a sympathetic (or agressive/desperate?) agent went to bat for us with
the manager. But it's very hard to tell during the intiial conversation if the
rules are truly written in stone or if the agent just isn't very imaginative.

Do try the Humane Society, vets, rescue groups, etc. If they have a list, it
will at least weed out the places that don't allow pets at all. This was of no
help to us, though--99% of these places had the 2 pet rule.

Offer every concession you can think of: an extra large deposit, taking an
apartment with older carpeting... Expect to pay a lot more for anyplace that's
willing to work with you. Most will want a pretty hefty pet deposit plus
monthly pet rent.

Some less than rational things I considered in my desperation: bribery, fake
references, mobile homes (this was remedied quickly when we took a drive though
the "parks". The number of Confederate flags used as window dressings was far
too disturbing).

You very well may have to end up lying about the number of cats you have. I
realize now that I could have done that, but at the time I feared being thrown
out on the street. My cats are so skittish that no one could count them if
they wanted to. If maintenance came in unannounced (which they would only do
in an emergency), they'd be lucky to find one cat. Just make sure there are
plenty of really good hiding places, and any self-respecting cat will take care
of the rest himself. If you have those perverse dog-like felines that love
strangers and don't have sense enough to hide, then this option is definitely
not for you.

Good luck--I really do feel your pain.

I think those are good ideas, but IME if the complex is owned by a
large company, like the OP said is common where he lives, the leasing
agents are loathe to ignore company policies. Still, that doesn't
mean it can't happen.

One suggestion I might make is to look to rent someone's condo instead
of an apartment. In some areas condos will often rent for an amount
pretty comperable to what you pay for a similar apartment. This
largely depends on how popular condos are where you live. In some
areas with high land prices they are desirable and easy to sell, in
areas where land prices are relatively low they are often not easily
sold once you buy them and it's not to hard to find owners who are a
little desperate to rent them out because they have bought a house or
have moved to another city. Individual owners are usually more
flexible than corporate landlords, but with respect to your situation
you would have to be sure you wouldn't be in violation of the condo
rules. That might be as big a problem as finding an apartment that
would take four cats. And of course there are downsides as well as
upsides to renting from an individual owner. At least it opens up
another area of possibilities.

Kudos to you for taking your responsibilities to the kitties seriously
in a difficult situation.

How using an apartment locator service and let them know what your needs
are? They may be able to find a complex that accepts multiple felines.

--
Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs!
www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek

Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

How using an apartment locator service and let them know what your needs
are? They may be able to find a complex that accepts multiple felines.

--
Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs!
www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek

Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com

My wife and I are in a real bind. I lost my job and thus we have to sell
our house. We need to find an apartment, but are having a really difficult
time finding an apartment that doesn't have a 2 cat limit. The funny thing
is, many of them will allow 2 giant dogs. 2 elephants. Just 2 of anything.
So 4 little kitties is EXACTLY the same as 2 big dogs. Very frustrating. I
don't mind paying fees, even though our cats are well behaved and we're
very hygienic about vacuuming and cleaning up after them. We just flat
can't find any place that isn't in the ghetto that allows more than 2
cats? Any ideas on how to deal with this?

Anonymous in case apartment complex managers Google.

The apartment locator is a good idea. You might also want to try a realtor.
We just bought a new build and sold our current house. So we needed a
temporary place. We currently have 4 'babies' as well. They deal with this
situation all the time, even in your area I'm sure. They'll also help with
the lease contract too. Our real estate agent came over and is allergic to
cats. He didn't know we had any for the first 30 minutes he was in our
house. Until one came out an made her presence known. But a lot of realor
have property they personally lease too. So if you contacted one you might
luck into someone that understands you plight all to well and have a vacancy
to rent.

JJ

My wife and I are in a real bind. I lost my job and thus we have to sell
our house. We need to find an apartment, but are having a really difficult
time finding an apartment that doesn't have a 2 cat limit. The funny thing
is, many of them will allow 2 giant dogs. 2 elephants. Just 2 of anything.
So 4 little kitties is EXACTLY the same as 2 big dogs. Very frustrating. I
don't mind paying fees, even though our cats are well behaved and we're
very hygienic about vacuuming and cleaning up after them. We just flat
can't find any place that isn't in the ghetto that allows more than 2
cats? Any ideas on how to deal with this?

Anonymous in case apartment complex managers Google.

The apartment locator is a good idea. You might also want to try a realtor.
We just bought a new build and sold our current house. So we needed a
temporary place. We currently have 4 'babies' as well. They deal with this
situation all the time, even in your area I'm sure. They'll also help with
the lease contract too. Our real estate agent came over and is allergic to
cats. He didn't know we had any for the first 30 minutes he was in our
house. Until one came out an made her presence known. But a lot of realor
have property they personally lease too. So if you contacted one you might
luck into someone that understands you plight all to well and have a vacancy
to rent.

JJ