How likely is it that I can change a no-pet rule in my condo building?

A friend of mine needed a place to live and offered a condo owner a 1,000.00 pet deposit. She was desperate. They took it and allowed pets after having a no pet rule.

@chyna Did she have a pet previously and it was the only place she could find or something? What sort of area was it in?

Talk to your neighbors and find out if they would like to change the policy as well. The more voices for change the more likely the owner is to change the policy.

No success stories to offer when it comes to apartment buildings, but I’ve witnessed a few in the hotel business who changed their pet policy. Is the apartment complex full? If not, this may open a door to marketing opportunities, especially if the competition offers the same benefit. Then again, the owner might feel that they have a niche in the market by being the only complex that prohibits pets.

Yes, she had a pet already and had a job transfer and could not find a place that would accept pets. It is in a very populated town and I personally looked around during a divorce for an apartment that allowed pets and could only find a couple of places. They specified the pet had to be under 30 lbs. Mine weighed about 60 lbs.

@tinyfaery Should I just ask those in this building or try and get support from the other buildings that all allow pets?

@Pied_Pfeffer It’s been full since I moved here, no indication anyone is moving out any time soon either as far as I know.

@chyna Her situation and dire business probably is what pushed them to accept it. That sucks yours didn’t fit the limit. :(

I’m going to let you in on a secret, but don’t use this in one of my apartment buildings.
If you can get your doctor to write you a prescription for a companion animal they can not discriminate against the pet. They CAN require you to get renters insurance to cover any liability, but they can’t refuse a companion animal. Remember to refer to your dog as a companion animal and not a pet.
If they want to know what your disability is that requires a companion animal, just say “That’s personal.” It really is none of their business, but you can get the prescription for something as simple as minor depression.
Remember, this is an industry secret. Don’t tell anyone.

@Judi I read about that on a site I had Googled up. Seems a little iffy though; I’ll definately have to look into it however!

It is based on the Americans with disabilities act and considered a reasonable accommodation.

As far as I know I don’t have depression or anything though. D:

@Syger Or do you???? Really, just about everyone can be seen as depressed or anxious at one time or another.

@MyNewtBoobs I could probably get diagnosed with it if I tried .but I’d rather not be diagnosed unless I really have it and need to be though. Wouldn’t that also hinder me later in life of potential employment opportunities and jack up my insurance rates? D:

@Syger Employment? No. Employers don’t get your medical records before they get to hire you. Maybe if you’re trying to become a pilot or something… But just because you have accommodations for a disability doesn’t mean you’re on disability. Nor does it mean it’s permanent – another jelly currently has disability status with her college because she had major surgery, but that doesn’t mean anyone else can find out about it or that it will be an issue for the rest of her life. But HIPAA prevents employers from finding out your medical records. Insurance, I don’t know – possibly. It’s something to check out. And it really depends on how much you want a pet, and how desperately you want to save on insurance.

You could possibly get the prescription for anxiety. If you are on good terms with your doctor they could write it for a rash! The disability is none of the landlords business. That’s between you and your doctor.

1. A diagnosis will go on your permanent medical record and be evaluated for both health insurance and life insurance for the rest of your life, it may affect rates in the future.

2. Are you renting or are you a condominium owner? Is the Home Owner’s Association just for your building or all of them? Is it a landlord’s rule or a HOA covenant? All of that needs to be known to tell you what you can do.

If you can talk to the owners of the units, perhaps they will support a change in the rules.

I am not sure if the ADA applies to condominium covenants. If you’re renting from an owner,

@zenvelo What “permanent medical record”? There’s no storage facility somewhere with the complete medical records of everyone. Each doctor and insurance company has their own file, and it’s against the law to lie to the insurance companies, but there’s no “permanent medical record”.

Condo’s are usually run by an HOA and they vote on the rules. My friends bought a very expensive condo where they could live out their lives, which allowed pets. After a couple of years, the HOA changed the rule and they had to give up their beloved dog.

@MyNewtBoobs Medical records are going electronic. Insurance companies can request them. Once an insurance company has a claim with a diagnosis, the insurance company will keep that record and share it in an insurance data base.

@zenvelo And I’ve had experience with electronic medical records – but again, it’s not a central database, it’s software that each individual company/practice uses to build their own files. And it’s quite the long and slow process.

Buy the building….

Go to the next condo association meeting, and bring it up with the president. Make a good case. A slide show presentation with facts, pictures, and charts makes it look more like you really want a pet. Money helps too.

If it is an HOA rule, talk to board members and have it discussed at the next meeting, possibly voted on. I think you will have to be willing to have rules like limit one, less than 40 pounds, etc. If it is just the owner of your unit, that would be a different thing, just talk to him.

If I lived in a pet free condo, I would not be happy at all if it changed into pet friendly, especially dogs. Cats kept in an apartment would be fine.

Learn to love the sound of dogs barking, because if you can get one, your neighbors can also get them and I guarantee there will be barking. Most dogs small enough for apartments aren’t going to scare anyone away anyway, and if you think a barking will get your neighbors attention…well, when was the last time you actually paid attention to a car alarm going off?....