I will be relocating to Colorado Springs in May 2014 from Maine, with 3 dogs, will I be able to find a house to rent?? (Denver: rentals)

[pattytis27]

I will be moving out to Colorado Springs in May 2014 with my 3 Boxers and will have to rent a house for a year or so before I am ready to buy. I am worried that I won't be able to find a decent house having 3 dogs. I will be looking to rent between $1000-$1400 a month range with a good fenced yard. I will also be looking for a job as an RN when I get there, does anyone know what job outlook for a RN in a skilled nursing facility or Med Surg? Will they rent a house to someone before they have secured a job if say I could pay 3 months in advance including deposit? Thank you.

[Mike from back east]

Start with padmapper.com to see what's available in the way of rentals. Beware of scammers on craigslist, read and heed their warnings.

Three dogs might be a stretch with many landlords.

Four major hospitals here, always "some" hiring going on.

[lurtsman]

Med Surg? Yes, you can find a job here. We have four hospitals, none of which are the "don't go there" kind.

You mentioned house with fenced yard, price range, and 3 large dogs. Now the question becomes what kind of house does it need to be. If it simply must be a house with a good fenced yard, and a 2 bed/1bath is okay, you will certainly find a landlord willing to make it happen. You may need to deal with a smaller personal landlord rather than a management company that will flat out refuse dogs. Given that you are asking for THREE large dogs, the smaller landlords would probably want to meet you and the dogs in person.

Without a job, yes they will probably expect the security deposit (extra large for the risk of the dogs, since he or she can't tell how well behaved they are) and a couple months upfront if you don't have a job. They will also only want to sign a shorter lease. However, I'd mention that you are an RN because if they know the job market they will know you should be able to find employment here quite reasonably.

I'd suggest that you get your resume in order, have it reviewed, and then apply to the hospitals in the area. My wife applied to seven job vacancies before we made a trip out here, she got four interviews and three offers. The only place not to offer a job was an interview where she thanked them and left in the first few minutes because the hospital didn't meet her standards. (It wasn't in the Springs) If you contact the hospitals, interview, and have a job lined up, you'll find getting the housing to be significantly easier because your only challenge for a landlord is having three large dogs. If you only have one special circumstance, they will be more understanding. You'll just need to meet the one that loves dogs. They will be a small minority, they will want a bigger deposit, and they will want a higher rent than normal.

Ditto to what mike said about craigslist. Do not put ANY money down anywhere when you have not walked THROUGH the house. Not driven by, but walked through. Never, ever, put money down without being inside of the house first.

[Ashley.Fabulous]

I am relocating from Texas and worked with a GREAT realtor! My husband and I have 3 dogs and he found us rentals that allowed up to 4 dogs! Also, he noted to us that when the weight limit on the pet policy is high, the landlords are more likely to allow more pets. We just signed on a house that said it only allowed 2 pets, but the weight limit was 200lbs per pet and the landlord approved our 3 dogs almost instantaneously! So, it is definitely possible!
I would definitely get in touch with the realtor we worked with. We did most of our communication online until my husband went out to Denver for work and took a trip out to Colorado Springs to look at a HUGE list of houses we had saved for Scott. He took my husband to every single one all in one day! He was extremely helpful!
[ mod edit ]