Renting With Restricted Breeds

When I first became a pit bull mom, I didn't have to consider things like whether or not my homeowner's insurance would cover my dog or if I'd be able to rent a home in the future.  At the time I was living with a man I thought I was going to marry. He was kind of a jerk (though I didn't see it at the time) and his favorite pastime was breaking rules whenever he could. He thrived on doing the exact opposite of what was expected of him,  and he owned the house, so if he said he didn't care about the insurance, who was I to argue?

We already had a black lab mix named Brutus, and we volunteered with a rescue, so we always had a foster dog or two running around. Jezebel started out as a foster, but she became a permanent family member when I couldn't let her go.

Chuck and my girls, shortly after he was adopted.

About a year later we adopted Chuck, a rottie from the Loudoun County Animal Shelter.  Chuck had some special needs.  He was about a year old when I saw him on their website.  He had been horribly abused and needed a dog savvy family to help him overcome his past.  I wanted to meet him so I could spread the word about him and hopefully help him find a home.  After the boyfriend and I met him, the shelter staff asked us if we'd consider adopting him.  They had introduced him to about a dozen families, but those families were not suitable for one reason or another.  When we were asked to take him, we did the only thing we could do.  We filled out the paperwork and went through the adoption process.

Fast forward a couple of years and things were not going well between me and the boyfriend. It became clear that my young daughters and I could no longer live in his home. I told him of my intention to move and gave him the choice between keeping Chuck or Brutus. We both knew he couldn't handle both dogs by himself.  He was a workaholic and I doubted he really had the time to take care of just one, but there was no way I could take all three.  Though he didn't believe I would actually follow through with leaving, he chose Brutus.

Jezebel laying on my bed in our rental.

I knew I'd have my work cut out for me trying to find a rental home that would allow my dogs, but I was determined to try. I did my research and couldn't find an apartment that didn't have breed restrictions. I was not willing to leave them behind, so I started thinking outside the box.  I found another single mom on Craigslist who was looking to split the rent on a single family home. We introduced the kids, they met the dogs, we contacted a realtor, and we set out to find our house.

When I filled out the rental application for that house I did something I now tell everyone never to do. Where it asked for the breeds I simply said "pound puppies".  It wasn't entirely untrue, but wasn't completely truthful either.

Before I turned in the application I made sure to secure renters insurance. That was an obstacle I kind of expected.  I started out with Allstate. They had provided my car insurance for years. When I called them to inquire about renters insurance I was told they would not cover my dogs, and to let them know when I got rid of them so they could provide my quote. Needless to say, I dropped all of my business with them.  I obtained a policy through State Farm.

We moved into the rental house and things were great for a while.  Then they weren't. My roommate was kind of loony and I knew six months in that I'd be moving again once the lease was up.

About two months before it was time to move, I contacted the realtor and told him I'd be looking for another rental. As a single mom with a low-ish income, I was pretty limited in my choices of rental properties. We toured a bunch, and when it became clear that I was probably not going to be successful, the realtor asked me if I'd ever consider buying a house.  My first reaction was to laugh, because hello...my credit was pretty low, I was self employed as the co-owner of a pet care company, and the cost of living was really high.  But, he was persistent and said I should at least try, so I did.

It turns out there are programs out there for people like me. Programs that help with down payments and closing costs.  There was also the First Time Home Buyer's tax credit of $8000 to consider.  I got preapproved for a home loan, which was a pretty low number, and we went shopping.

After looking at a bunch of properties that were beyond my ability to rehab we found one that was a foreclosure.  The price actually came in at about $10k less than what I was approved for. We immediately jumped at the chance to put a contract on it. There was a little bit of a snag though.  Four other buyers wanted that property.

I remembered my mother telling me once that when my aunt was trying to sell her house, a young couple who offered a very low price wrote a letter.  They explained that they knew their offer was low, but they hoped my aunt and uncle would consider it.  Unfortunately for them, my aunt and uncle couldn't accept their offer, but I thought...I'm a pretty decent writer, maybe I should try that. It couldn't hurt.

So in about 15 minutes I wrote a letter to the bank. I don't remember the words exactly, but I remember keeping it optimistic.  I told them about my girls, and that if I could buy that house they wouldn't have to change schools.  They could each have their own bedroom instead of having to share. I threw in a couple of other things and prayed it would help.

The next morning the bank called my realtor and told him they accepted my offer!  I was ecstatic! My family was happy for me, and my girls were so happy we could keep the dogs.  When the search for a rental was looking grim, and before the idea of buying a home was brought up, my well meaning family gently suggested that I find new homes for the dogs.  Honestly, my dogs were not in any danger if that had to happen.  Both were adopted and the adoption contracts specified that if I couldn't keep them for any reason they were to be returned to them. Still, they were my family, and I wasn't willing to let two asshole people come between me, my girls, and our animals.

One of the few pictures I have of them together.

The home buying process was pretty hellacious. Not many realtors at the time were experienced with dealing with banks as sellers.  It took a long time, but finally we were victorious!  With my dad's help I closed on my house and my girls, my animals, and I moved in. No one would ever be able to tell me who could and could not live in my home.  That was almost seven years ago and we're still here. I love my little townhouse and the safety it provides us.

Of course during this whole ordeal I worried.  I didn't know for sure that I would be able to pull it off either time. I know how people in the same situation as me feel. Lots of folks who have never been in this position are quick to judge others who don't think they can keep their pets due to breed restrictions.  The biggest mistake is not giving themselves enough time to find a place to go. No one likes to think about the eventuality that they may have to say goodbye to their loving dogs.  Too many people faced with the possibility choose not to think about it rather than take action. By the time they face reality, they are left with the choices of either rehoming their dogs or surrendering them to the shelter.

There are some things you can do if you are in a situation where you have to move with "restricted breeds":

• Give yourself plenty of time to find a place to go. It can take months to find housing that meets your needs.
• Contact a realtor. Most apartment complexes have breed restrictions. A realtor can help you find a property owned by a private landlord who may make considerations on a case by case basis.
• DO NOT LIE ABOUT THE BREED OF YOUR DOG.  This can result in your being evicted once you move in when the landlord finds out. It can also make things harder for people in the future, as landlords will be sure to address that issue right off the bat and refuse to budge on that stipulation. It worked for me, but I was lucky. I might not have been.
• Obedience and crate train your dog. A well behaved dog can sell himself. Crate training can give peace of mind to potential landlords that your dog will be contained, and not destructive or able to escape, when you are not home. 
• Make a "resume" binder for your dog.  Include training certificates, CGC or TDI certificates, letters of recommendation from your trainer, veterinarian, former landlord, pet sitters, and friends.  Include pictures of your dog interacting positively with people of all ages, and, if you can, other dogs and animals.
• Ask the potential landlord to meet your dog prior to making a decision. As stated above, a well behaved dog can sell himself.
• If you can, offer to pay a good faith pet deposit over and above any that are required. This one might be hard to pull off if you are low on funds, but if you can, make the offer.
• Show proof of renter's insurance or an insurance quote to the potential landlord. Once the lease is signed, have a certificate of insurance sent to them. Show them that you are doing everything you can to protect them from liability should the unthinkable happen.  This way no one can ever say the landlord was not diligent in vetting you and your dog prior to letting you move in.

I hope that sharing my story helps others like me. I'm not just someone spouting off steps that sound good, I have actually been faced with, and overcome, the obstacles that come with moving with restricted breeds. I'm not someone who could throw money at my problem to grease the wheels. I had to work hard both times.  It CAN be done. You have to want it bad enough.  Determination is your ally.  Use it and you can overcome challenges that seem unbeatable.