Pet-friendly rentals?

[Donna]

A friend of mine is looking for a place to rent, but she has a medium-sized dog. As you would imagine, most landlords frown upon having animals (especially not-so-small ones) in their units.

A while ago, I recall seeing a car with an advertisement on the door about "Pets OK" or something like that. However, after vigorous Google searches, I can't find a webpage for that service in Hawaii.

Does anyone know of a good resource for finding affordable pet-friendly rentals in the town area? 1 bedroom or studios are fine.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

[AbsolutChaos]

If you hear of anything, please let me know too!

Other than the occasional pet-friendly posting on Craig's List (www.honolulu.craigslist.com), I'm pretty discouraged.

Thanks...

[Donna]

I will definitely let you know if I hear of anything...

When we were deciding whether to rent or buy, the difficulty in finding a pet-friendly rental was enough to push us into the crazy real estate market. So, we bought near the top of the market... but at least we got to keep our beloved doggie. After all, he is family.

[scrivener]

Donna, have you tried calling the Hawaiian Humane Society? Someone told me they have a listing of pet-friendly apartments. At least, I think someone did.

[LikaNui]

Donna, have you tried calling the Hawaiian Humane Society? Someone told me they have a listing of pet-friendly apartments. At least, I think someone did.

http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/programs/petshousing/index.asp

:)

[glossyp]

Donna, have you tried calling the Hawaiian Humane Society? Someone told me they have a listing of pet-friendly apartments. At least, I think someone did.

You can find their current listings here: HHS pet-friendly rentals (http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/programs/petshousing/default2.asp)

[AbsolutChaos]

They DO have a list, but it isn't very large. I don't know if people just don't think to post of their available pet-friendly rentals with the Humane Society or what, but there isn't a lot posted most of the time.

However, here's a link to their online pet search and list of pet-friendly buildings:
http://www.hawaiianhumane.org/programs/petshousing/index.asp

Also, it's probably a good idea to directly search the boards at the Humane Society. I don't know how often they update their online search to include new available apartments.

[glossyp]

Wow! Three postings at exactly the same time with same info - that might be a record of some sort!

[speedtek]

There is a lady that runs a biz called PETS OK. she makes daily listings of places for rent that are pet friendly. I think she charges $20 a month. She either emails you or you can pick up a list daily at a Post Office Box business off Ward ave. she advertises in the newspaper.

[Tiabla]

I'm not sure if you've already tried this, but some friends of mine were able to find a rental that allowed pets by offering the landlord a pet deposit and extra rent. They had to find a rental in less than a month as their old house started to collapse around them (termites) and the landlord took that opportunity to evict them and bulldoze the house!

They have a cat and a small dog, and they had a lot of trouble finding a pet-friendly rental. My friends started offering a $500 pet deposit plus $100 extra per month per animal, and all of a sudden the "no pet" landlords were more than happy to show their properties. They ended up with a nice place and, more importantly, they didn't have to split up their family. I understand that not everyone is able to do this with the rents being astronomical already, but my friends really saw a change of attitude when they offered the extra cash.

[Glen Miyashiro]

I'm not sure if you've already tried this, but some friends of mine were able to find a rental that allowed pets by offering the landlord a pet deposit and extra rent. [...] I understand that not everyone is able to do this with the rents being astronomical already, but my friends really saw a change of attitude when they offered the extra cash.That's an interesting point. I know that the landlords I know personally object to pets because of (1) the smell, especially when it gets into the carpets, and (2) the noise. After you move out, the noise will of course go away, but the smell can last forever. Sometimes steam-cleaning the carpets isn't enough; you gotta full-out replace 'em.

Oh, and sometimes fleas. But if you're a responsible pet owner your pet shouldn't have fleas in the first place.

[Donna]

Thanks for the information, everyone! I'm sure my friend will find the input very helpful. Thanks for the link to the Humane Society rental search page. What a great service!

Tiabla: Another great idea... although I don't know if my friend has the extra cash to sweeten the deal for potential landlords. As you mentioned, rents are out of control. I did a quick search on the humane society page and couldn't believe my eyes! :eek:

Glen Miyashiro: Honestly, even though I am a pet owner, I can sympathize with landlords. Pets, if not managed well, can certainly wreak havoc on a house. In this market, landlords can afford to be choosy and get top dollar to boot. Which is another reason why we ended up buying even though I'm sure we paid more than we should have for this property.

Again, a big mahalo to everyone for your help!