[riveree]

Originally Posted by tbayle

I live in Vero Beach and have a 4/4 bath gorgeous new home for rent and have no problem with someone owning a dog. I have a weimaraner and she has had three litters of puppies out here. I know pits can be sweet, but I also know lots of people think differently... do I need to be concerned about my HO insurance when renting? Will they drop me if I rent to someone with a big dog??? Personally, as long as my wood floors arent' getting scratched up or things getting ruined, I dont' care what my renters have!

It depends entirely on your homeowner insurance provider - they all make up their own rules.

Some of them won't allow you or your renters to have any and all of the following dogs in your home:

pit bull
any bull breed (bull terrier, bullmastiff, staffordshire terrier, etc.)
rottweiler
shar pei
dalmation

This is by no means an exhaustive list - it goes on and on. It starts to look ridiculous when you see dalmations on there, doesn't it? But a lot of insurers won't insure you if you own a dalmation (mine won't).

You can see how difficult the insurers have made it for dog owners. Look at the trouble the OP is having in finding a simple rental. These insurers should be ashamed of themselves .

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by tbayle

I live in Vero Beach and have a 4/4 bath gorgeous new home for rent and have no problem with someone owning a dog. I have a weimaraner and she has had three litters of puppies out here. I know pits can be sweet, but I also know lots of people think differently... do I need to be concerned about my HO insurance when renting? Will they drop me if I rent to someone with a big dog??? Personally, as long as my wood floors arent' getting scratched up or things getting ruined, I dont' care what my renters have!

As someone said, it is usually the condos HOA that prohibit pets. In the development where I now live, under the HOA rules you cannot have pets in the condos, but you can in the single family homes and villas. The only restrictions are you cannot have more than two. I have seen others where you can have cats, and dogs under a certain weight.

Renting from a private owner is dependent on the owners preferences. If they have animals themselves, they generally will allow you to have pets if the HOA allows it. My sister-in-law rents her home in season. She did allow the renters to have a dog, but when the renters left she claimed the whole house smelled of dog. I didn't smell a thing and have never owned a dog in my life. I have cats. I told her to get rid of the rugs and put tile down instead if she was so concerned with "smells" and/or stains. It's a lot easier to keep clean anyway whether you have pets, or even children!

I have experienced this myself just with my two cats and also trying to rent that condo with the pets restrictions. You just have to keep looking.

[Kathleen1971]

Definately go with a private owner. I am getting my house ready to rent in the next year and I will have no problems renting my house out to pet owners and I have been in your situation before. One of my dogs is a pit/chow/cattle dog mix and is the sweetest monster you would ever meet.

Anyway, we pet owners need to stick together I suppose. Good luck to you and your pets!

[GMorin]

I to will be moving to Florida with my husband and our two pit bulls in the spring of 2010. I would like any help anyone can give me. We want to live somewhere in south florida, east or west coast, anywhere where our dogs are welcomed. A rental house would be the perfect answer so the dogs would have a yard. Thanks

[riveree]

Originally Posted by GMorin

I to will be moving to Florida with my husband and our two pit bulls in the spring of 2010. I would like any help anyone can give me. We want to live somewhere in south florida, east or west coast, anywhere where our dogs are welcomed. A rental house would be the perfect answer so the dogs would have a yard. Thanks

Be sure you do not move to Miami-Dade. Miami-Dade was allowed to grandfather in a pit bull ban, so you cannot live there with pit bulls. The rest of Florida is under anti-discrimination legislation, so there are no other city bans, *BUT* that does not mean you won't encounter HOA bans and other types of skirting the legislature. Read through this thread carefully and I'd also suggest doing a word-search on "pit bulls" on this forum and also checking out the DOGS forum on City-Data to find out even more info. Good luck to you and your doggies .

[Retiredcoach]

Originally Posted by Kathleen1971

Definately go with a private owner. I am getting my house ready to rent in the next year and I will have no problems renting my house out to pet owners and I have been in your situation before. One of my dogs is a pit/chow/cattle dog mix and is the sweetest monster you would ever meet.

Anyway, we pet owners need to stick together I suppose. Good luck to you and your pets!

Are you aware that if you knowingly rent a property to a tenant who owns a dangerous breed animal, as the landlord, you could be on the hook for any/all damages inflicted? If in the most uncertain of circumstances that the renter's dog seriously maims or even kills a person that the landlord can be prosecuted criminally?

Few of us are attorneys on this board, but I would explore all of the legal ramifications before I would ever rent any of my properties to the person claiming to own the "sweetest and gentlest dangerous breed dog". Sorry, but what is being advised to the OP is to "seek and find" the most ignorant and ill-advised landlord out there..... someone who will rent to anyone (drug dealer, sex offender, prostitute, parolee, etc.). Then again, I don't think I would want to rent a property from a guy who has no standards or means to provide my family and me with safe housing, even with my dangerous breed dog to protect me.b

[Mt.SNOW]

Best wishes I hope you find something, I have 2 collies and hope once we move we can find a home with a back yrd for all of us.

[wacahootaman]

I once rented a trailer to a guy with a big male pit bull.

It was on 8 acres out in the country and had a fenced yard so I figured it was OK as the guy seemed squared away and his dog didnt seem that aggressive.

Well the dog got lose and killed 4 of my neighbors calfs during calfing season. I paid the neighbor, the renter paid me. He got rid of the dog later on his own accord when he finally realized it was too much to handle.

Yep, I know some people say their pit bulls are docile. But some of those docile pit bulls end up killing people.

I got off lucky paying off the rancher for his calfs.

I never have rented to anyone with pit bulls since.

[Fyrecat]

I am an animal lover, worked as Director of Adoptions at a major metro animal shelter in NY.
I think firstly, it's difficult in many places to find someone to rent to you if you have animals, period. If you have a Pit Bull, or an 'aggressive' breed, you have that much more of an obstacle.
That said, there are ways around it. If you are a good, responsible tenant, you can speak with landlords, ( you will do better renting a house or 1 family, I've found, unless you're in a 'pet friendly' building)
What I advised folks who adopted dogs (and cats from me to do)

1) Call a local animal rescure or vet. Ask to post that you're looking for a place with your pet to live. Animal lovers are more likely to know. We found a place that way-we spoke to several folks at an animal rescue we voluteered at)

2) Speak with a real estate, and let them know what you need. Ask them to meet you and your dog.

I think Pitties, and other breeds get a totally undeserved reputation. It's not the dog, it's the owner. So long as people here the urban legends that go along with these dogs, there will be issues. Of course, having the dogs associated with gang bangers, drug dealers, urban poor with big attitudes doesn't help the dogs rep. Pits are actually great family dogs-look at the original 'Our Gang/Little Rascals' tv show. Petey was a Pit, with all those children.

It's ironic. There is a whole family of people with alot of kids across the street from me, and I sure wouldn't rent to them if I were an owner. But yet, they don't take animals!!!!! Unreal!!!!!!!

by the way....usually it's the small, protective toy breed dogs who are more likely to be a problem than the larger breeds. My neighbor has a sweet looking toy poodle that would take someones hand off if you tried to pet it and it didn't feel like it.

All dogs need educated, responsible and loving owners.

Maybe if landlords could meet us with our pets and see what good 'pet parents' we were, things would be different.

[Kathleen1971]

Originally Posted by Retiredcoach

Are you aware that if you knowingly rent a property to a tenant who owns a dangerous breed animal, as the landlord, you could be on the hook for any/all damages inflicted? If in the most uncertain of circumstances that the renter's dog seriously maims or even kills a person that the landlord can be prosecuted criminally?

Few of us are attorneys on this board, but I would explore all of the legal ramifications before I would ever rent any of my properties to the person claiming to own the "sweetest and gentlest dangerous breed dog". Sorry, but what is being advised to the OP is to "seek and find" the most ignorant and ill-advised landlord out there..... someone who will rent to anyone (drug dealer, sex offender, prostitute, parolee, etc.). Then again, I don't think I would want to rent a property from a guy who has no standards or means to provide my family and me with safe housing, even with my dangerous breed dog to protect me.b

I am perfectly aware of the ramifications should my renters dog maims or kills someone as I am also aware that for me at least there is a huge difference between renting to someone with a particular breed of dog vs a pedophile or some such. It's a chance I may be willing to take depending on the circumstance and the animal and it's owner. No chance at all would be taken with a pervert. My house, my choice and if God forbid something bad did happen it would be my fault and my butt in a sling. I may not be an attorney ( brother is) but I am not an idiot either. Just a dog lover who may bend the rules a bit to help someone else out if I think it will work out.