My apartment lease says pets are negotiable but now my landlord is saying no... HELP! (tenant, negotiation)
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Okay, soooo I just moved into my first apartment around the area of Horseheads, NY. I have never met my landlord but the real estate agent has told me how nice he is and when I had asked about a pet she said to wait until I am completely moved in and then to ask him. In my lease it says "pets are negotiable with a non refundable pet deposit". I just texted my landlord today about getting a pet and what the requirements would be. He then responded "Pets I don't allow in that unit. Sorry." To which I replied that it is in my lease saying I can have one and that the real estate agent told me I could as well- as it's in the lease. He responded "I would not be allowing pets at this time in that unit. Sorry."
MIND YOU.. The tenant above me has a dog and the tenant next to me has at least 1 cat, maybe 2. They are in the same unit I am in and my lease says I can have them so isn't that illegal for him to tell me no pets? What if I get one and don't tell him, what would happen?
I feel that I am allowed a pet because my lease that we both signed and agreed to says so.
Can somebody please help me!
Okay, soooo I just moved into my first apartment around the area of Horseheads, NY. I have never met my landlord but the real estate agent has told me how nice he is and when I had asked about a pet she said to wait until I am completely moved in and then to ask him. In my lease it says "pets are negotiable with a non refundable pet deposit". I just texted my landlord today about getting a pet and what the requirements would be. He then responded "Pets I don't allow in that unit. Sorry." To which I replied that it is in my lease saying I can have one and that the real estate agent told me I could as well- as it's in the lease. He responded "I would not be allowing pets at this time in that unit. Sorry."
MIND YOU.. The tenant above me has a dog and the tenant next to me has at least 1 cat, maybe 2. They are in the same unit I am in and my lease says I can have them so isn't that illegal for him to tell me no pets? What if I get one and don't tell him, what would happen?
I feel that I am allowed a pet because my lease that we both signed and agreed to says so.
Can somebody please help me!
According to you, your lease does NOT say they are allowed; it says they are "negotiable."
It means he can arbitrarily decide if he will allow you to have one or not. This time he decided not to, apparently. Unfortunately for you, in this "negotiation," he has all the power because he owns the building.
Don't face fines and evictions over a pet. Just wait till you move somewhere they are specifically allowed.
Your lease does not say you can have a pet. It states you can negotiate acceptance of a pet with the landlord. The landlord has said no. If you get a pet without his permission, expect to be evicted.
Just to ram home the point, ditto! It's "negotiable" and your LL doesn't want to negotiate. What the other tenants have in the way of pets isn't your business. The LL may simply have decided that there are enough pets on the property already. You should have told the agent to specifically find out how the LL felt about pets in that unit before you signed the lease.
also, "unit" means your apartment, not the building. It's possible there is new carpeting or flooring so the landlord doesn't want to risk damage. Or he's trying to transition to a no pets policy and not allowing new renters to have pets even if existing renters are grandfathered in. In any case, as others have pointed out, your lease does not say pets are allowed, and the landlord has now denied your request.
While I agree with all the others, it wouldn't hurt to ask the landlord if its possible to change her/his mind and under what conditions would s/he be agreeable....
This is a hard lesson to learn but sounds like you learned that negotiable does not mean allowed. Odds are they have newer carpet in some units and don't allow pets in those units.
Horrible advice from the person who told you to ask after you move in.
Technically, the lease doesn't say pet's aren't allowed, does it?
So if OP got a pet, what part of the lease would OP be breaking that would result in eviction?
I don't think OP could be evicted truthfully... The lease doesn't say no pets. However, OP did kind of shoot themselves in the foot if they were going to go that route. Should have got the pet THEN told the LL. Now that she's been told No via text, the LL could have proof she knew she wasn't allowed to have one.
All that aside, I don't think (even if you - OP - hadn't texted the LL) it's a very good idea to get on the LL's bad side right after moving in. If it was that important, you should have asked to have it wrote in the lease.
Also, the LL may not allow pets in that unit for reasons such as allergies. A unit is just that. One piece of a whole. So you live in one unit and your neighbors live in their own units. Perhaps he wants a pet-free unit available in the event someone asks for one at some point.
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