Renting with pets in Durham

Finding a rental house that takes pets is one of the harder parts of a search, and the terminology around it is genuinely confusing. Here is how it usually works.

Why some homes take pets and some do not

Usually it is about the flooring and the yard rather than an opinion about animals. A house with original hardwood that has one refinish left in it is a different risk from a house with luxury vinyl plank. A house with no fence is a different proposition for a dog than one with a six-foot privacy fence.

For homes we manage, the pet policy is stated on each listing, and it does not change depending on how the conversation is going.

Pet fee versus pet deposit versus pet rent

These are three different things and they are often used interchangeably, which does not help anyone.

A pet fee is usually non-refundable and paid once. A pet deposit is refundable, subject to damage, and returned like a security deposit. Pet rent is a recurring monthly amount.

Ask which one you are being quoted, and get it in writing in the lease. For pet-friendly homes we manage it is a non-refundable fee plus monthly pet rent, and the listing says so.

Breed and weight restrictions

These often come from the property's insurer rather than from the landlord or manager directly. That does not make them less real, but it does mean "it is the insurance" is usually a true answer rather than a brush-off. We do not apply a weight limit on the pet-friendly homes we manage.

Assistance animals are treated differently from pets

This is the part worth knowing precisely.

Under federal fair housing law, an assistance animal — broadly, a service animal or a support animal needed because of a disability — is not treated as a pet. It is generally handled as a request for a reasonable accommodation. Where fair housing law requires a reasonable accommodation, an assistance animal is treated differently from a pet, even if the property's general policy does not allow pets. Pet fees, pet rent and breed or weight restrictions are generally not applied to an approved assistance animal.

A housing provider may, in some circumstances, request information supporting a disability-related need where that need is not readily apparent. Requests for detailed medical records are a different matter, and no certification or registration scheme is recognized as establishing that an animal is an assistance animal.

How any individual request is handled depends on the facts, and this article is general information rather than legal advice. For homes we manage, requests are evaluated in accordance with applicable fair housing requirements — put the request in writing and we will take it from there.

Making a strong application with a pet

Offer information before it is asked for: the animal's age, weight, whether it is spayed or neutered, and how long you have had it. A reference from a previous landlord that mentions the pet specifically is worth more than any of it.

You can see which homes currently accept pets on our pet-friendly rentals in Durham page, and the rental criteria set out what else an application needs.