Although pet friendly rentals do exist, finding them can often be a little bit difficult. Pets pose all kinds of problems for landlords, problems that they would rather not have to deal with all things considered. Responsible pet owners clean up their pet hair and any “accidents” without too much trouble, but when the pets are allowed to leave a mess, they can be a real hassle for the landlord. Renting a pet friendly rental means risking having to replace the carpet, do various repairs on some of the furnishings, and in general have an increased maintenance costs.

Sometimes, however, if you allow the landlord to meet you and your pet, you can make it much easier to find pet friendly rentals. I used to have a pet friendly apartment rental problem because I have a big dog. Landlords always assume that a big dog will mean big trouble, but this is not always the case. My dog is exceptionally well-behaved and, even though he is a Great Dane, he causes very little damage to houses he lives in. Once I started having all of my prospective landlords meet my dog Duke ahead of time, it was much easier for me to find a pet friendly rental. For the past several years, in fact, I have had no trouble at all finding pet friendly apartment rentals anywhere I go.

Pet friendly vacation rentals are another thing altogether. Usually the only places where you can really find pet friendly rentals are when you are renting vacation cottages from families that also own a pet. You can find cottages for rent by dog owners all over the country. These people are generally more sympathetic to the difficulty of finding pet friendly rentals, and are willing to make accommodations for you. A pet deposit – a special consideration to take care of any damage the pet does – is customary. This deposit, however, is usually no more than a few hundred dollars. As long as the pet does no damage, you will get it all back.

Of course, if you have a smaller pet, finding pet friendly rentals is much easier. People with snakes, for example, have almost no trouble at all. Most places don't mind if you have snakes, goldfish, or other small and easily managed pet. They make very little mess, do not usually escape, and are unlikely to

cause any property damage.