No Pets Include Fish Tank? (apartments, lease, tenant, renters insurance)

[youthcom]

When listings specify "No Pets" does that usually include a fish tanks? For landlords that allow aquariums what gallon limit do you impose? Will you make exception if a renter buys insurance, has an acrylic tank, or is on the ground/1st floor? I'm wondering how difficult it may be to find a place in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with a 40 gallon freshwater aquarium.

[ChicagoMeO]

Your lease might have a limit on how heavy it is.. ask the landlord.

[momtothree]

We have always had 150 gallons plus tanks and never had an issue with renting. Never had to get extra insurance nor were we denied because of the fish. But this was in the South in three different states. Not sure if it's different in Chicago area.

[STT Resident]

Nothing addresses it on the state level, it's purely at the landlord's discretion - ask.

[Lacerta]

We don't include fish as pets, but we do include fish under a different section of our lease as a "high damage potential" item. My requirement is if a tenant has a fish tank larger than 20 gallons, they must carry renters insurance and have a rider specifically to cover the fish tank. I classify it the same as if a tenant has a waterbed (rare these days, but still happens on occasion).

We don't manage apartments, and most of our houses are single level, so I've never run into a problem with weight. A 40 gallon probably wouldn't be a weight issue, since that's about 400ish pounds, which is less than some people, and definitely less than some other types of furniture. A 150 gallon that momtothree mentioned would be much more of a weight issue, since that is more in the 1000+ pounds range. One like that would probably be ok if you spread the weight crosswise across multiple floor joists, but probably not if you went lengthwise between joists. I probably wouldn't allow a 150 gallon tank. I consider a 50 gallon tank to be very large.

[momtothree]

Originally Posted by Lacerta

We don't include fish as pets, but we do include fish under a different section of our lease as a "high damage potential" item. My requirement is if a tenant has a fish tank larger than 20 gallons, they must carry renters insurance and have a rider specifically to cover the fish tank. I classify it the same as if a tenant has a waterbed (rare these days, but still happens on occasion).

We don't manage apartments, and most of our houses are single level, so I've never run into a problem with weight. A 40 gallon probably wouldn't be a weight issue, since that's about 400ish pounds, which is less than some people, and definitely less than some other types of furniture. A 150 gallon that momtothree mentioned would be much more of a weight issue, since that is more in the 1000+ pounds range. One like that would probably be ok if you spread the weight crosswise across multiple floor joists, but probably not if you went lengthwise between joists. I probably wouldn't allow a 150 gallon tank. I consider a 50 gallon tank to be very large.

I think the key difference is that in the houses I have rented, we are always on concrete slab and don't have floor joists. If I knew the houses had floor joists or on the second floor with joists, I would/have passed on the rental. As we have a few large tanks. (4 right now)

[Lacerta]

Originally Posted by momtothree

I think the key difference is that in the houses I have rented, we are always on concrete slab and don't have floor joists. If I knew the houses had floor joists or on the second floor with joists, I would/have passed on the rental. As we have a few large tanks. (4 right now)

Ah, yes, on a slab, I'd be more likely to allow it. We don't have a lot of slab floors here.

[Brian_M]

Wouldn't matter for me, most aquariums fall under the lease:

8. LIQUID FILLED FURNISHINGS: No liquid filled furniture, receptacle containing more than ten gallons of liquid is permitted without prior written consent and meeting the requirements of the OWNER. RESIDENT also agrees to carry insurance deemed appropriate by OWNER to cover possible losses that may be caused by such items.

http://www.dca.ga.gov/housing/specia...mpleLEASE.pdf\


Straight out of the GA Dept of Community Affairs (which includes housing). So no, wouldn't allow... house also isn't on slab, so there are other considerations.

[azurabug]

It's at the landlord's discretion. Our rental is owned by a large corporation and they're pretty strict when it comes to rules. I asked about our fish tank when viewing the place and they said it was fine. Our fish tank is only a small 10 gallon hexagon tank on a customized stand though so not very heavy or risky. Most landlords I've talked to when looking didn't have an issue as long as it was under 20-30 gallons.

Definitely something to ask about / mention though. Don't just assume.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Way back when, I never asked about my 30 gallon tank, and nobody ever balked. I don't remember it ever being in a lease, though it would ask about waterbeds, but not say anything else about liquid filled things other than a waterbed.

I just ran into this in my new apartment here, though. The lease says you can only have a fish tank that weighs 10 pounds or less LOL! That would be 1 gallon, basically. I guess I could get a betta. They do allow dogs and cats 25 pounds or less, though. I thought that was weird, but there's no room for anything more than a betta anyway, so I didn't care. But, that was the first time I saw anything specific about fish tanks.

I wouldn't have cared if a tenant had a fish tank, but interestingly enough, not one tenant in 8 years in a 25 unit bldg ever did besides me, other than just a single betta bowl.