Do you have a nosy landlord? You are so obsessed with pets, and you don’t want to care if it is allowed for you as a tenant? Are you pondering the best way not to get caught with a pet by your landlord? Hence, this article will serve as a guide on how to hide your pet cat, dog, hamster etc from your nosy landlord.
As we should know, a landlord is the one who owns a house, dictates the amount of rent to be paid, determines who should rent, and likewise dictates whether you should have a pet or not.
How to hide a pet from your landlord
It gets to some extent of pet lovers not easily letting go of their pets because they are already obsessed with pets. Now imagine this type of person renting an apartment where they are not allowed to use pets; it will be quite a mess.
According to research carried out by the Insurance Information Institute (III), 85 million families in the US (67%) own a pet.
The issue of the attachment of pet owners with their pets will make them do anything to the extent of even sneaking in pets in the apartment where they reside, even if the existing rules banned the act. Most people will go for cats because they are not the noisy type and add to the fact that they are easy to hide.
For the likes of tenants who opt for dogs in rented apartments, the only choice they have is to get up very early in the morning to hide their pets. You will have to wait till it is dark to bring your dog back inside.
The following are the crafty ways to hide your pets from your landlord, whose reaction towards your neighbour with pets is annoying.
How to hide a pet from your landlord
Nevertheless, there are genius and crafty ways that you can become a pet expert, hence tackling your annoying landlord from sending you out. They are;
Get rid of all pet-related stuff
Several landlords do have this routine of making surprise inspection activities, which will make you as a tenant get freaked out.
However, please do not panic and always makes sure it becomes a habit for you to clean up stuff like toys that your pets are done playing with and also hiding these toys somewhere in the cupboard or stairs is not a brilliant idea because the landlord may decide to inspect the nooks and crannies of your hinges and wall, then leading to you been busted.
Take your pet stuff to your friends or family’s place if necessary. Another safer place is the boot of your car or a pet storage bin that is stylish and durable.
Try and disguise your pets
This type of activity might seem like an effortless task but then when you disguise your pets. You might ask this question “how do I hide pets like mice or lizards”? Well, for small pets like this, you have to place them in their pen and hide them in the store’s dark cupboard during inspection time.
You can also camouflage your pet and make sure that they don’t make noise that can be heard; hence hide them in a soundproof basket but do well to ensure that they can breathe.
If you are the type that already has a carrier bag in possession, make use of it by hiding your pet inside there, and a foldable carrier bag is recommended because it is easy to keep.
Do a thorough cleaning routine
At the onset of the notice of another day of thorough inspection, endeavour to clean your house; if not, you will be exposed. Like dogs and cats, some of these pets do have their distinct odour, which is quite easy to perceive.
You also can’t tell if your landlord is the type that is allergic to their odors, so this will even speed up their reaction to notice swiftly. Get a vacuum cleaner for removing things like odor. It would help if you also got your house vacuumed, including curtains, couches, carpets, or rugs. Mask the pet smell with a portable air purifier to do the trick well.
Be careful not to be caught or spotted with your pets: you know the times that you could consider going for an evening walk. This might seem lame, but it is usually common, hear the news of some of these pet owners getting caught. Keep your blinders close at all times too.
Never do things that will prompt your impromptu landlord visitation: if it is for you to get necessary things done, do it without hesitation. Make an effort to have a meeting at a nearby office or restaurant.
Pretend like you have no interest in pets
Whenever you find yourself conversing with your landlord, make sure you do not get to the extent of talking about pets, because once your landlord figures out that you have a pet’s personality, then it becomes a problem.
Engage your friend into pet-sitting your beloved pets when inspection calls: if you have a friend that can be considerate enough to do so, please go ahead with it. At least for a few days. You can get your friend a bottle of wine afterwards for the kind help they rendered. This will help you in avoiding unnecessary issues with your landlord.
Filter words when talking with neighbors, too
Your neighbors don’t need to know that you own a pet except if they can be considerate enough even after knowing. This is because most of us already have found ourselves in a no-pet apartment, so be very careful and let it just be a normal conversation between you guys.
What happens if you don’t tell your landlord about your pet?
What happens if you finally get exposed? Want to know the type of consequences you’re going to be faced with? It will be quite reprimanding if you’re caught and add to the fact that you have been told it is a no-pet apartment. What happens when your landlord finds out will displease you, now? Let’s find out what happens.
There will be pet fines
since you were caught violating the rules, you should be ready to face the consequences by paying a fine of which could be a huge amount as requested by your landlord; however, If you get lucky enough, get a landlord that understands.
You may be faced with eviction from the property:
Sneaking and hiding a pet can be quite daunting to the pet owner in a no-pet apartment. Imagine your landlord going thus far as suing you to pay a huge amount for the lease period.
This is what you get when you trespass a no-pet slated rule apartment. In some cases, it becomes very difficult for some people to rent later due to the record they have created.
You might be left with no choice of losing your pet: for some landlords, the option they could give you once they later caught you violating the apartment already laid down rule is to let go of your pet. It is only if you do wish not to vacate that apartment at that very moment that you can risk losing your pet.
Maintenance routine you can carry out as pet owners for your hidden pet?
Please get rid of faecal matters from your pet (cat or dog) using a litter box and ensure that you have trained your dog on using their litter box correctly. Keep a clear area for your pets to bask without being noticed Grab new zippypaws toys for your dog to keep it busy even while you are at work.
Cultivate a catnip herb to make your cat sleep easily so that it does not get noticed during the inspection or become a burden.
Can my landlord evict me for having a dog?
Now the answer to this solely depends on the lease contract! If at all there was a “no-pet” strict law while you are about to rent the apartment, then the landlord is left with the right whether to evict you or not. If your dog happens to cause damage, your landlord may sue, and you will be left with paying up.
Some landlords might only restrict a particular type of breed alone. However, it would help if you remembered that it is more likely for your landlord to evict you and your dog because it must have caused a lot of damage and trouble.
Also read: Can you sleep in a freshly painted room
Can a landlord legally say no to pets?
There is a law guiding pet ownership, and this states that ” landlords have every right to prohibit pet’s of any kind on their leased premises and also have the right to allow some pets.” This is the reason why you may see some of these landlords allowing dogs but not cats unless they’re in a smaller amount or number.
In addition, it depends on what rule has been set in that particular locale. some areas or loactions, landlords are allowed to prohibit “no children” in rented family apartments.
In some cases whereby the individual would be needing or rely on their trained dogs to assist them in their day-to-day activities or emotional support such as depression or anxiety, could add to the reason why it is illegal for the landlord to refuse tenancy for such a person, and this is one of the exceptions.
Conclusion:
Both tenants and homeowners (landlords) have no right to insist on the type of pet allowed; criteria must be followed or strictly adhered to. It is then important for tenants to review the law of their city or county.
Finally, if you want to hide your pet from your landlord well, you must be ready to take risks by sneaking your pet into an already prohibited apartment.
