Your pet is your beloved friend, which makes them a major consideration when you need to make a life-changing decision, such as moving to a new apartment. Although many apartments allow pets, some have breed restrictions. If an apartment complex rejects your rental application because your dog belongs to a restricted breed, you shouldn’t give up hope. Follow this guide to better understand apartment breed restrictions and how you can get around them.
What are apartment dog breed restrictions?
Apartment dog breed restrictions refer to rules that many apartment buildings or complexes impose to prohibit certain breeds of dogs for various reasons. In general, such restrictions apply to dogs regarded as unsuitable for apartment living, such as large, uncontrollable, dangerous, or noisy dogs. Some apartments also impose restrictions based on size, weight, age, and exercise needs.
Property owners have the freedom to choose which specific dog breeds they want to ban. As such, a restricted breed list may include any dog, from Great Danes to Chihuahuas. Nonetheless, service and emotional support dogs are exempt from apartment breed restrictions, even if they belong to one of the banned breeds. This is because the Americans with Disabilities Act protects them.
Why do apartments impose dog breed restrictions?
Apartments may restrict certain breeds of dogs for a few different reasons, the most important of which is safety. Prohibited breeds are dogs that the general public regards as dangerous. They’re larger than other dogs, making them more likely to cause significant injury if they attack someone.
Additionally, apartments may ban dogs based on their tendency for destructive behavior, such as digging, scratching, clawing, and chewing. Larger breeds can cause more substantial damage, but smaller dogs are also prone to exhibiting destructive behavior. Property owners impose breed dog restrictions because they want to avoid liability and possible property damage, one of the reasons pet fees exist in the first place.
Another reason why apartments have a restricted breed list is because of insurance issues. The insurance company that provides coverage for an apartment is obligated to compensate for the costs and liability damages resulting from injuries that occurred on the property. To minimize their risk, many insurers only offer insurance to apartments that have imposed breed restrictions. Unfortunately, such rules make it increasingly challenging to find apartments that allow dogs of certain breeds.
Which dog breeds are typically restricted?
When looking for suitable apartments, it’s essential to find out if the property owner regards your four-legged companion as a restricted breed. Keep in mind that apartments may also prohibit dogs mixed with restricted breeds. Breed restrictions can vary greatly from one apartment to another, but a restricted breed list often includes the following:
- American Bulldogs
- American Pit Bull Terriers
- Boxers
- Staffordshire Terriers
- Rottweilers
- Akitas
- German Shepherds
- Doberman Pinschers
- Mastiffs
- Malamutes
- Great Danes
- Cane Corso
- Chow Chows
- Huskies
- Wolf Hybrids
What to do if your dog is a restricted breed
Although you regard your dog as part of your family and won’t leave them behind, some apartment buildings or complexes may not welcome your pet if it belongs to a restricted breed. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get past a breed restriction, especially if your animal companion is well-behaved. Here are some useful tips that can help you overcome apartment breed restrictions:
- Don’t hide your dog: Although it may seem like an easy solution, trying to hide your dog from the property manager or landlord can lead to negative consequences. If your landlord discovers your pet, they have the legal right to terminate your lease and even file a lawsuit against you for intentionally violating the agreement. So, you shouldn’t try to lie about your dog because you’ll put yourself at risk of legal trouble.
- Create a pet resume: You may have invested a substantial amount of time and effort to ensure your dog behaves properly. Even if you’re sure your pet won’t cause any problems, your landlord may have doubts. To make a convincing case, create a list of details showing why your dog won’t pose a threat to people and property. Some of the things you can put on a pet resume include training certificates, vet records, and photos. You may also want to bring your dog in for an interview so that the landlord can see their behavior and personality firsthand.
- Provide references: Since you love your pet, you may be a bit biased when assessing its temperament. Nonetheless, your landlord also wants to know what other people think about your dog. This is why you need to get references from people who can attest to your pet’s good attributes. The best references are professionals who have interacted with your animal friend on a semi-regular basis, such as trainers, vets, groomers, and dog walkers. These people regularly interact with dogs, so they’re more adept at evaluating aggressiveness.
- Buy pet liability insurance: As mentioned earlier, insurance issues are one of the main reasons behind the prohibition of certain dog breeds. Therefore, you may be able to alleviate your landlord’s concerns by getting a renter’s insurance policy that includes pet liability coverage. Many landlords require all of their renters to have insurance, regardless of whether or not they have pets. If this is the case, all you need to do is purchase a policy that covers pets. If you already have renter’s insurance, just print out your policy and highlight the section about pets.
Frequently asked questions about restricted dog breeds
Here are a few frequently asked questions related to dog breed restrictions in apartments:
Most property managers use your pet records to verify their breed. Some property managers may require a veterinary review or DNA test to identify a dog’s breed.
Different property managers may have varying classifications of large dogs. On average, many property managers set a limit of between 20-50 pounds.
Most property managers consider small dogs to be less than 20 pounds. Some property managers may only allow renters with small dogs to rent, usually because they’re less capable of expensive damages. Smaller dogs are also less likely to cause severe damage if they injure another renter.
The American Disabilities Act (ADA) does not restrict dogs based on the breed as long as it has the proper service animal training. This means that property managers cannot impose breed restrictions on service animals. It also means they can’t limit service animals based on size or weight.
Final thoughts
Renting with a dog that belongs to a restricted breed is by no means an easy task. However, you can increase your chances of success if you have a strong pet resume, great references, and pet liability insurance.
If you want to find out which apartments in your relocation destination have more relaxed breed restrictions, use Zumper’s pet filter to begin your search.
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