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O.K., we are putting our house here in Houston on the market next week and need to start nailing down our relocation plans. Our hope is to spend a month or so house hunting up there over the summer and be settled in by the time school starts in the fall. We've settled on the Kearsarge school district in the Upper Valley/Lake Sunapee region.
How realistic is it to think we can find temporary housing (either vacation rental, summer sublet, or corporate relo) somewhere in that area with 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 2 cats? I know if I was a landlord, I'd be a bit scared off! I've seen some pet friendly places on craigslist and on the vacation rental sites, but 2 dogs and 2 cats may be asking a bit much. Just curious if anyone has any insight or experience with this kind of situation.
Thanks!
O.K., we are putting our house here in Houston on the market next week and need to start nailing down our relocation plans. Our hope is to spend a month or so house hunting up there over the summer and be settled in by the time school starts in the fall. We've settled on the Kearsarge school district in the Upper Valley/Lake Sunapee region.
How realistic is it to think we can find temporary housing (either vacation rental, summer sublet, or corporate relo) somewhere in that area with 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 2 cats? I know if I was a landlord, I'd be a bit scared off! I've seen some pet friendly places on craigslist and on the vacation rental sites, but 2 dogs and 2 cats may be asking a bit much. Just curious if anyone has any insight or experience with this kind of situation.
Thanks!
I found it nearly impossible to find a place that would let me rent with my one 8 pound dog. Not a single apt complex where i lived allowed a dog (Keene) it took us months to find a guy who would and I had to put down a $500 non-refundable pet deposit. I've seen several other posts from people who found NH to be very pet unfriendly also when it came to renting so good luck with all ur furry pets thats gonna be a tough find I think
Roots, it really is tough to find a suitable rental with pets, but it can be done. Can you get a referral or recommendation from anyone who's seen/worked with your dogs? Even a letter from the vet about their great temperment or how you have been a responsible dog owner for however many years, might go far in swaying a property owner to at least considering renting to you. I'm not local to the area that you're searching, or I would offer to contact some property owners on your behalf. Let us know how it goes though, ok?
"Attorney Ed Van Dorn presented the case to the jury and after a 4 day trial in the New Hampshire Federal District Court the jury awarded Carol $2,100,000 as compensation for all her losses."
The landlord was found guilty of allowing dogs.
An extreme case? Yes it is. But this is a case in New Hampshire. Now you can understand why most landlords do not wish to take pets.
Who is ultimately responsible for a dog bite in a rented apartment/home? The owner or the landlord?
For such a short time a kennel may be your best bet.
I agree that renting with 2 dogs will be nearly impossible. I have always had problems finding rentals in the Upper Valley that allow dogs. If you find one, it will not be anywhere as nice as the places that don't allow pets (especially dogs) and you will pay more money to boot. You will need to rent a house, not an apartment. That is what I wound up doing before I bought my own place.
Wow - knew it would be tough, but didn't really realize how tough. Understandable though. Owners have an investment to protect.
Definitely was thinking a house and not an apartment. My pets would probably be fine, but I don't think I could be couped up with my kids in such close quarters!
Looks like my best options are to either look for a long term rental in the school district we want (Kearsarge) or bite the bullet and work with a relocation agent and buy straight away.
Val, thanks for the advice on getting references for my pets. Hadn't thought of that. We live on a small farm and these country critters don't mingle much. But I'll bet I can get the neighbors and/or the vet to vouch for their awesome temperments!
yes, the comments seem right on. We moved here from Houston in 2000. Lots of stories, posts, articles over the years about no one renting to pet owners.
Maybe you could find some sort of camping situation. Lots of campgrounds here and many of them have all summer long semi-perm residents. A summer semi-roughing it in a campground, park , would probably leave your family with memories to last a lifetime!
I agree with Pauloman...camping sounds like it may be a viable alternative. You can even rent an RV to park at a campground. I would not recommend buying right away. You need to understand what a winter in NH entails and base your home purchase on that experience, as well as others you will encounter the first year. I knew some folks that bought a house at the top of a steep driveway that not only cost a fortune to plow, but they had to park at the bottom and hike up a good many days over the winter. Get the lay of the land before you buy.
Its hard but not impossible. If you are dependable and have good references and you find a landlord who is an animal person - its possible. We have been looking for a *very* long time and just found a place to rent that will take our 2 dogs -a German Shepherd and a Boston Terrier. We were worried as many listings we found said no dogs - and specifically said no dogs that are on the insurance company's prohibited dog list. Our Shepherd is extremely smart and gentle (she's actually a big baby - afraid of our terrier) - I don't understand why that breed is on the list. We know we were fortunate to find what we did after a lot of searching.
We found our house through the homeowner's ad via Craigslist. We got great reviews from our references and even offered a pet deposit but our Realtor told us that its illegal in the state of New Hampshire for a landlord to charge a pet deposit. They can tack extra money onto the rent each month but apparently can't charge a pet fee. I wanted to reassure you from my own experience - there are houses out there - it just takes diligence and the right situation. I hope you find something for your family - from one pet lover to another - Good luck!
Thanks everyone for your encouragement and suggestions.
I thought it might be too early to start looking, but guess the sooner I start the better! I know it's a long shot, but worth a try anyway to see if I can find someone willing to rent to us for a year while we get our bearings in the area and figure out where to plant roots.
Kenneling isn't an option. Both dogs are rescues and, for them, a kennel would be like going back to jail. Just don't have the heart to do that to them. Think the cats would likely be more than a little psychotic from the experience too. They are farm cats and have never been cooped up (other than the barn overnight to keep them safe!)
Camping does sound like a fun option! We have actually been considering it. Dogs would be easy, cats on the other hand..... Wonder if an RV place would rent to someone with pets? I'm sure they'd have the same concerns as a landlord.
Ugh... will keep you all posted on what we figure out. And again, thank you! If the people of NH are as friendly and helpful as the people on this forum, I'm sure we're gonna love it there!
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