To see the rest of our Housing Guide stories click here.
Meet Casper, a Sugar Bee Ball Python, one of the many unconventional pets in Moscow.
As college students, we can find ourselves missing our pet companions back at home. This may be a reason why we adopt a pet.
Though most pets are thought to be cats and dogs, we forget about others that steal our hearts. Reptiles, rodents, fish, birds and all sorts of animals can be our best friends — it’s not just limited to the furry ones.
Having a pet as a college student brings all sorts of new challenges to our lives.
It is our first time on our own figuring out how to be adults. Financing, grocery shopping, housing and creating healthy connections are all challenges we face, which are essential to our growth.
As we go through this transition, our pets can go through transitions too. As students, we will go through many dorms, apartments and rentals. The places we live affect our pets tremendously, as does giving adequate affection and a safe space.
One of the biggest questions is how to find adequate housing for ourselves and our unconventional pets. On leases, unconventional pets may not be listed in their pet policy which can make finding apartments complicated.
Finding a home for both ourselves and our pets can look a lot different than finding a space for ourselves.
Here are some tips for finding apartments with unconventional pets:
Double checking:
Make sure to call the rental agency and ask about their pet policy. There is nothing wrong with double checking and asking questions while apartment hunting. Don’t limit living options to one agency, call and check with multiple in the area. Most likely, some will get back and some may not. Make sure to have multiple agencies that allow pets to compare.
Respect:
There will be times where apartments don’t meet your personal requirements and don’t allow specific pets. Sometimes the answer is no, and that is OK. Respect the apartment’s policies but also respect your own requirements for living. Don’t give up on finding an apartment that will allow your pet — it is that important.
Communication:
Because specific pets aren’t always in pet policies on the lease, communication between tenants and landlords is important. Always ask and make sure that it is OK and negotiate a way that works for both people.
Casper is one of many unconventional pets in Moscow. Most of the time when finding apartments to live in, he isn’t under the pet policies for rental agencies. Leases usually cover cats and dogs but forget to include other pets people can bring with them.
Just because one agency doesn’t support specific animals doesn’t mean they all don’t. Finding a safe space for us and our pets is an essential requirement when apartment hunting.
Emily Pearce can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce