Dog friendliness (Boston, Brookline: apartments, rentals, condo)

[jamesia]

Considering a move to Boston with my old Great Dane ...

Are Boston landlords in general dog friendly? What's your general impression of Boston: dog friendly, or not?

Thank you

[AbrasaxEos]

I wouldn't say that they are in general dog-friendly. I think that it is mostly due to the large population of students, who tend not to be the most responsible pet owners. A lot of landlords would just rather not deal with the added headache of an undergrad's pet destroying the apartment (seeing that an undergrad can do enough damage by themself). This is not to say that there are no apartments which are dog-friendly, because there are. Your only snag might be the size of a Great Dane. A number of those apartments that do allow dogs have a weight/size limit on the dog, as well a breed restrictions. I know that a Great Dane has a great disposition and would not fall under a breed restriction, but I have seen a large number of dog friendly places that do restrict to under 30 lbs or something. I have a friend with two large labs, who had a hard time finding a place, and when she finally did, it was very expensive and she didn't have a choice but to take it because it was the only one she found that allowed two 80 lb + dogs.

So, in the end I wouldn't totally rule it out, but for a large breed you may find that your options are really limited.

[jamesia]

Ok, thanks AbrasaxEos ... she does have the Canine Good Citizen training & she's been certified as a therapy dog (visiting hospitals, nursing homes, etc). Hopefully that will make a difference somehow.

[charolastra00]

Originally Posted by jamesia

Ok, thanks AbrasaxEos ... she does have the Canine Good Citizen training & she's been certified as a therapy dog (visiting hospitals, nursing homes, etc). Hopefully that will make a difference somehow.

Your best bet is going to go through a private landlord versus corporate management. Corporates don't tend to make many exceptions. Jamaica Plain is probably the most dog friendly neighborhood, even for larger dogs.

Good luck! Great Danes are such sweet dogs.

[kmann-sherborn]

I love Great Danes, how fortunate you are. Many rentals are listed as not allowing pets or only allowing small dogs but some will be flexible. We have clients who moved here recently with two dogs and fortunately their landlord also has a dog and was impressed with how well trained their dogs were. You will have much better luck with an individual landlord than a complex with a management firm that has less flexibility. I'd recommend sharing information about your dog, his age, training, therapy certification, etc up front and see what they say. Best of luck!

[Cantabridgienne]

It can be tough, because MA rental laws don't allow a landlord to collect any deposit beyond the standard security deposit--"pet fees" aren't allowed by law.

I would try to go the small landlord route as opposed to a building that is managed by an independent company, which will likely have a blanket weigh policy.

[GraceT]

I have mixed feelings about the dog-friendliness of Boston. I have a larger dog myself and did find some difficulty when I was looking for rentals, as a lot of options shriveled up immediately. However, I did end up fine and after a year bought a condo. Dog walking: city in the summer=super crowded. Winter was doggie paradise along the Charles River. Few legal dog parks in Boston proper, and my dog didn't like them anyway. Once you get outside of the city, things get better, more space to roam with clean(ish) grass underfoot. Living in Boston with a dog, you do have to be careful as there are some dirtier parts of town that will have broken beer bottles and my dog has definitely gotten cuts on the bottom of his pads from just walking around outside. Overall, Boston is more small dog friendly, but big dogs do get attention on the street! Great if you can afford to live in nicer parts of Boston/near parks, and don't mind crowds. Personally, NYC was dog-friendlier believe it or not.

[fsualumizzy]

I am rocking the same boat my friend. It is very hard to find a pet friendly place in Boston. I am looking for a Pet friendly place in the Brookline area myself that doesn't cost an Arm and a Leg. So IMHO Boston may care about dogs just as long as they are not in their apartment/home. Also have you seen what these apartments look like they are atrocious, the college kids literally make a pigsty out of them, I wouldn't want a college kid and a dog in my apartment either, if it already looks this bad just with kids in them who are clearly irresponsible that they can't take care of the apartment that they live in. This is what ruins it for the rest of the dog owners.

[KWPN]

Charlestown near the Navy Yard seems to be quite dog-friendly.

[Maroon197]

Everyone I know who has a dog (which is actually very few people) had an extremely hard time finding an apartment. And when they did, there was usually a major issue with the apartment that would have otherwise made them turn the apartment down. That said, judging from the ridiculous amount of yellow spots all over the snow banks and sidewalks in the winter, it's clear some people make it work.