Finding a Dog Friendly Rental Apartment in New York City

Finding a dog friendly apartment in New York City can be a challenge. Landlords, property managers, and condominium and coop boards often put a number of obstacles in your way. Apart from outright bans on dogs, the most common roadblocks are restrictions based on your dog’s weight and breed.

To complicate matters, according to Douglas Elliman Associate Real Estate Broker Richard Balzano, the current market in the Big Apple is extremely competitive. Having a pet could end up being an issue that could cost you an apartment.

Bans might seem arbitrary and unfair to dog-owners like us, but it helps to put yourself in the landlord’s or the board’s shoes. There might be any number of legitimate reasons why they have pet restrictions.

Despite these complications, there are a number of things you can do to make your search for a pet friendly apartment easier.

Give Yourself Plenty of Time

If you think it’s going to take a month to find an apartment, double that when looking for dog friendly options! Balzano confirms that: everything about finding a dog friendly apartment is likely to be more time-consuming.

You may also face steps you hadn’t considered. For example, to satisfy a condo or coop board, you may have to put together a pet resume, get letters of recommendation, and then meet – with your pooch by your side – members of the board for an interview. All of that takes time. (Read this article from the New York Times regarding interviews.)

Do Some Real Footwork

Turn off that computer and hit the streets to gather intel. Check out, in person, the neighborhoods you’re interested in. Take walks around the area with your dog and look for buildings that have lots of canines walking in and out. Once you’ve identified these areas, go to local dog parks and quiz folks you meet there to find out how they found their apartments. If your dog fits the dreaded “restricted breed” category or exceeds weight limits, look for people walking that breed or similarly sized dogs and chat them up. Call local rescue organizations, humane societies, and animal care and control groups to see if they have any advice about pet friendly buildings.

Visit a real estate office in the neighborhood you’re interested in, and find a knowledgeable, pet friendly real estate professional. Balzano says a good agent can make the process much, much easier. (To learn more about The Balzano Team, click here.)

Nothing beats talking to real people to get good, solid information!

Log On

Once you’ve pounded the pavement, log back onto your computer and pour through all the resources you can find online. All of the major real estate websites and companies will have advice on how to find pet friendly homes. When you search online, use the terms “pet friendly” or “dog friendly” or “dog friendly rental apartment.” Check out the websites of local rescue organizations, humane societies, and animal care and control groups to see what resources they might have. Research local laws. You might be surprised at what you will find. For example, New York City has something called “The Pet Law.” Without getting into too much legal jargon, it is a law that heavily favors tenants with animals. (I’ll put up a post about this law soon.)

Be Realistic

My fourth piece of advice runs counter to everything you’ve been taught about tackling challenges! Our parents always told us there were no obstacles we couldn’t overcome, right? I’m going to recommend, very strongly, the opposite. You should follow the path of least resistance and avoid fighting time-consuming, losing battles. If a building’s board has a “No Pets” policy, take it at its word.

Odds are you could run into considerable trouble trying to get a 75-pound Weimaraner accepted if management says “No Pets Over 25 Pounds.”

This isn’t to say it’s impossible to challenge these rules. One day I saw a Doberman Pinscher – a “forbidden breed” - in my building. I was amazed that this beautiful, though admittedly intimidating-looking dog was living there. I asked the owner how he’d gotten her in. It turns out a resume, an obedience class diploma, letters of reference, and an in-person interview did the trick.

Alternatively, look for independent landlords. It can often be easier to deal with an independent landlord than with a management company or a building’s board.

Your best bet, however, is to look for buildings that have liberal pet policies. Balzano estimates that roughly half of all rental buildings in the city allow pets. That means you have a pretty good base to start with. You are going to want to live in a place that welcomes your pet, no?

Be Prepared

Be prepared to advocate on behalf of you and your pet. As mentioned above, sometimes things like pet resumes, letters of reference, documentation from vets, and obedience class “diplomas” will be required by landlords. Start thinking about gathering up such documents when you start your search. If the landlord or board wants to meet your dog, make sure he’s well-groomed and well-behaved. There are even coaches out there who can help prep your dog for his interview. Also, promote yourself! Make sure your new landlord knows that you are a responsible pet parent. Let her know that you share her concerns about pet safety and cleanliness and that you’re willing to go the extra step to calm any concerns she might have.

Tell the Truth

My last piece of advice is to be honest!

Do not lie about owning a pet. If you get caught it invariably leads to problems down the line, including possible eviction!

Do things properly from the get-go and you’ll find you and your pet the perfect dog friendly apartment.