Why Pet Owners Have Trouble Finding the Best Apartments in Dallas

Why Pet Owners Have Trouble Finding the Best Apartments in Dallas

Searching through the 3000 rental properties in Dallas can make it challenge for you to find the best apartment for you and your pet.

Dallas was voted “Best managed large city in Texas” by Texas Business Magazine, and is considered a “Global City”, meaning that the city is significant enough to effect global economy. Because of its relative economic stability, educational opportunities, business frontiers, variety of cultural and social scenes, relatively low cost of living, and its good management, thousands of implants move to the Dallas Metroplex every year. Currently, the Metroplex boasts over 6,000,000 in population. Just the city of Dallas alone (not the entire Metroplex) has almost 1.3 million occupants. Of those occupants, 52% of them rent instead of owning a house. Also, 356,326 of those households have either a dog or a cat. The number of pet owners jumps up to 1,753,922 if you consider the entire Dallas Metroplex.

With such a large number of renters in Dallas seeking adequate apartment homes, and such a large percentage of them being pet owners, the challenge often arises to find the best apartments in Dallas that are pet-friendly. But why is this such a challenge? There are several factors that can create a road block for pet owners. Understanding the road blocks will help you to overcome them:

1. Most apartment communities in Dallas are covered by insurance policies that restrict what kind of pets they are allowed to accept. Almost all insurance companies ban breeds of dogs that are classified as “aggressive” and are prohibited due to the increased risk of liability. These breeds often include but are not limited to: Doberman Pinchers, German Shepherds, Chows, Rottweilers, Pitt Bulls, etc. Even if the Manager of an apartment complex loves one of these breeds and would not mind allowing them on the property, her hands are tied by these restrictions and she or he must abide by them.

2. Dallas apartments also fall under the guidelines of Fair Housing Laws, which state that they cannot show preference or prejudice towards one person over another. Therefore, if the property makes it their policy to enforce certain rules, such as only 2 pets are allowed per unit, or the pet must be 20 pounds or under, then they cannot make an exception in ONE case and let you slip by when they turned everyone else down. Perhaps you have 3 pets, but they only are Chihuahuas that weigh 3 pounds each. If the property let you keep your 3 pets, then they would have to let everyone with 3 pets become approved from that moment on, or else it could be viewed as partiality.

3. The apartments in Dallas are also naturally concerned about maintaining their property. This can also present challenges to pet owners. Perhaps due to problems in the past with owners not picking up after their dogs, or complaints from other tenants that dogs left unsupervised were barking all day and disturbing the peace, or perhaps because they frequently encountered issues with cats shredding carpet or ruining the carpet by urination, they have decided not to allow any pets at all, under any circumstances. Then again, many properties realize that this would prevent them from being able to rent to hundreds of thousands of pet owners in the city. So, they may decide to allow pets, but require certain protections, such as pet deposits in case of damage, and limitations to the number of pets allowed, and enforce certain rules about picking up after your pet. For pet owners who cannot afford pricey pet deposits, or even monthly “pet rent” that some properties have begun to charge, this can present a road block.

4. Rental properties are also under the jurisdiction of any city laws that prohibit certain pets within city limits. For instance, in Dallas, any pet that is classified as a “farm animal” would be prohibited. This would include pot bellied pigs, which have become popular in many other areas. Even certain snakes and reptiles are prohibited. Each city within the Dallas Metroplex has its own laws, and the apartments within each city must uphold the requirements for those city limits.

Because of these challenges mentioned above, it can be difficult for pet owners to find the best apartments in Dallas. Perhaps they own one of the breeds that most properties consider “aggressive”. Or maybe they have more than 2 pets. Or perhaps their budget limits how much they can afford for a pet deposit. Where are these pet owners to turn in any of these situations?

Your best bet is to visit a website such as http://www.BestApartmentsDFW.com and obtain a free list of all the best apartments in Dallas that will work with your unique situation.