Virtually all apartments should allow small, cage/tank-dwelling pets (eg. hamsters, fish, small reptiles, etc.) amirite?

Aquariums are a no no usually because of the potential water damage that can be caused by a leak or a break. From a landlord perspective, an aquarium is a bigger risk than cats/dogs. Anything that goes into terrariums though you have a point. They won't cause any damage at all.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Aquariums leak and cause mold, so I get not wanting those. Snakes and rodents are escape artists, and I don't want your hamster eating my wires, or your snake in my apartment, ever, so I get not wanting those, either.

by Physical_Ambition 4 days ago

But geckos just sorta sit there smiling and eating crickets.. so I'm with OP there

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Lizards are ok, but you had better keep track of your live crickets!

by Physical_Ambition 4 days ago

I fed mine mealworms mainly for that very reason.. crickets were a treat and would all get dumped in at once haha.. every now and then there was a smart one that would last a few hours by hiding/evading.. but for the most part it was just an absolute feeding frenzy the second they got out of the container and in the tank. RIP Gerry and geckie. Yall were awesome pets

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Yeah but if crickets get out in an apartment building???? Aaaaaaaaaaah

by Anonymous 4 days ago

A snake could never get into your apartment though. If they ever escape, they go straight to a heat source or a cramped corner. Not possible for them to leave their apartment and into yours. Same intrusion risk as them owning a cat or dog.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

We all know Snakes are infamous for sneaking around unseen and getting to places they aren't supposed to be, I think it's completely possible a Snake could get into your apartment

by joey09 4 days ago

Yep, all it needs to do is get up into the drop down ceiling, where the pipes are, and if there's a pipe running between units, then the snake could get access.

by gzieme 4 days ago

So not zero

by No_Owl_5301 4 days ago

My dog did run straight into someone else's apartment once, so… 😂

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I have a bearded dragon who is harmless and not an escape artist in a tank that is 4•2•2. Pretty dang big tank. And a bearded dragon would be not allowed due to the size of tank I keep him in?

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Snek escapes and bites the neighbor next door through their toilet when they sit to take their morning poo. Bit straight in the butt. Death by snek bite to butt. Someone's adorable lil frog escapes. Toddler picks it up. Cue up the Dark Souls, "YOU DIED" screen. Bam. Poison frog. I think we should limit to non-poisonous, non-venomous, not able to grow large enough to eat a toddler. We don't need Anaconda X: Terror in the Townhome.

by Oshanahan 4 days ago

Okay most people don't own venomous snakes and if they do they can afford to live not in an apartment.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Same with poisonous frogs. They don't exist in captivity.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I can guarantee my dumb little noodlebrain of a ball python isn't gonna bite someone to death on their butt. He's not venomous and not smart enough to escape his enclosure, let alone get into a toilet in someone else's living space.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Poison frogs are poisonous bc of their diets in the wild. In captivity, they aren't poisonous. Lighting for frogs etc can be a fire hazard though.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Truly an intellectual and snarky reply except you need those two things for your apartment to function, you do not need a lizard or fish

by vestakoepp 4 days ago

A freak accident is not going to be covered by a landlord. Anything beyond admissible wear and tear also isn't. If there is, however, a quiet agreement that pet owners are somehow on average more irresponsible than families with children, I'll hear it.

by blockblair 4 days ago

Yeah I know we're talking about "objective" property damage. Some property damage cannot "objectively" be avoided, such as the existence of beds, stoves, and children. Other types of property damage can be avoided such as having aquariums and hamsters on your property Landlords will choose to avoid avoidable property damage whenever possible

by vestakoepp 4 days ago

The difference is that a stove and a bed are generally considered necessities for living, a pet is not. Of course there are risks of damage associated with most things but as a landlord/building owner you want to minimize that risk as much as possible and saying not pets is an easy way to do that

by Anonymous 4 days ago

I know why people want to prevent the chance of anything whatsoever, meaning having the best option always, aka "some sort of single dude who's never home in my property anyway" but it doesn't mean I should agree with how hard it is to rent with pets

by blockblair 4 days ago

I understand why apartments are weary of cats or dogs, as they can easily cause long lasting damage to an apartment. But a fish? A gecko? What are they going to do? Potentially significantly more damage than a dog or cat could ever. My apartment allows cats and dogs but not fish tanks. Why you may ask? Well, imagine what would happen if your 100gal fish tank suddenly shattered. I've seen it happen with my dads tiger oscars. The entire floor had to be replaced. If this happened in an upper-floor apartment, that would be a huge insurance and liability claim the LL would have to go through.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

it doesnt even need to be as significant as 100 gallons. i spilled a 20 oz iced coffee on my apartment carpet and it still took almost an hour to get it all out.

by Overall-Sun 4 days ago

100 gallons is a lot bigger than most people have when renting.

by blockblair 4 days ago

Any amount of spilt water can cause damage, especially if it sits for hours because you are not home.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

Why is it assumed that the landlord would have to pay for water damage from a fish tank, though?

by blockblair 4 days ago

Why is it assumed that the tenant would be responsible if the damage occurred in other apartments than their own? What if the floor was unlevel? Or sagged over time and caused the tank to tip? To avoid that entire back-and-forth, most leases don't allow fishtanks.

by Anonymous 4 days ago

What do you mean? What kind of non-contractual renting experience do you have? Most written contracts specify damages not pertaining to wear and tear are to be covered by tenants wtf 😂 especially damage from pets. Whether or not the landlord is willing to enforce it or bear the idea that it may happen is completely different. Man, law does work differently in the UK, doesn't it.

by blockblair 4 days ago

Most written contracts specify damages not pertaining to wear and tear are to be covered by tenants Does a floor sagging over time not constitute wear and tear in the UK?

by Anonymous 4 days ago

The contract may say the tenant pays for the damage. The LL can even sue the tenant forr damages. Non of that matters if that tenant simply does not have the funds. Most tenants can not afford a $1000 unexpected fine, much less $20k in damages. At the end of the day, the LL sets the rules on pets. They own the unit. Some LL accept pets, and some dont. If you can not find one that does accept pet or dont like their rules, you can always buy your own place.

by aufderharkane 4 days ago

Because they own the property

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Even a 10 or 20 gallon tank somehow spilling and then the water sitting can cause permanent damage that can only be fixed by replacing the damaged areas. Mold is also a very real concern in a lot of the US if the water just sits. That has its own nasty cleanup and can cause health problems for people in multiple units if the water happens to flow and also damage the area below the apartment. Little Timmy drawing on the walls is frustrating but very easily fixable

by East-Art 3 days ago

In Ontario no pet clauses are illegal.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

This is true but if you're honest up front that you have animals they find other reasons to not rent to you.

by Bethanysenger 3 days ago

You are right, but they can ban tanks. You can have a fish, just not the tank. Do with that information what you will. ETA: they can't just ban all tanks, like they don't have much of a leg to stand on over a 5 gallon with a beta. But still, it's not quite as black and white as

by Waelchimike 3 days ago

Now I also don't think that's the right way to go about it either lol

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Right, some people have genuine trauma around certain animals and should be able to live somewhere they feel comfortable.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

There's dogs outside too

by Anonymous 3 days ago

There are lots of things outside that I don't want in my house.

by kendall61 3 days ago

It's because most of those things can get loose and then run around the complex, usually easily because of shoddy upkeep. You'd be surprised how small of a hole some furry creatures can get through. Mainly tho it's not the animals, it's the (potential) idiot owners.

by elmer13 3 days ago

Show me an escaped fish running around your apartment building.

by camden25 3 days ago

water damage from tanks. terrestrial reptiles seem pretty safe though

by vito13 3 days ago

Unfortunately there has been many cases of snakes and lizards escaping their tanks.

by osvaldo90 3 days ago

What harm would a bearded dragon cause if it got out? If you live in a warmer part of North America you can probably just find a smaller lizard chilling outside your place not harming anyone. In fact, they eat insects we consider pests.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Probably no harm at all, but it's much easier to just have a blanket, no pet, section than it is to go through the entire animal kingdom to allow or disallow certain animals.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Pet turtles disagree. For things that are absolutely not built to scale literally anything vertically, they sure are good at it.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

My Tegu and pet anaconda are coming with me.

by Oshanahan 3 days ago

With them, it's more of the damage a giant water tank breaking could do.

by alexanerowe 3 days ago

In a comparable vein, my local university actually had an invasive turtle (and bunny) problem from students releasing their former pets before graduating.

by Frosty-Eye9567 3 days ago

My father loves to tell a story about a rope fish that did exactly that and freaked my granma out so bad she ran from the store.

by Shoddy-Project 3 days ago

But then what damage will that do other than a bit of smell when the poor thing dies in a wall? Just ban any animal that's dangerous (like venomous reptiles) or might chew on wires. A cornsnake can't do a damn thing to anyone or anything if it gets out, except maybe help with a pest problem.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I mean, np about bad renters in general, but what animal are we talking about because this is about small non cat/dog pets. Ferret? xD

by blockblair 3 days ago

Hamster

by Anonymous 3 days ago

My parents had some rentals when I was growing up. I have seen some absolutely disgusting things left behind by cats and dogs where either they weren't cared for properly, or they made so many messes that the entire floor had to be replaced, including the baseboards and trim. The smell is a whole separate issue that takes specialized cleaning products to take care of.

by East-Art 3 days ago

I would hate to be the landlord having to referee whether a fish tank smells bad. It would be so much easier just to turn away the fishtank people. source: in the 2000s, I was a tenant with a fishtank

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I work in property management. You won't believe the mess and smell a gecko can have on a room.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I don't with in property management. I didn't have a dog in this animal fight. But all pets stink. Including reptiles, rodents and birds. The smell permeates the room and settles on the carpet and paint. Plus, relying on the nose of the loving pet owner to detect the stink is a mistake. Invite ten people who don't own pets over and ask whether they think there are animals in the apartment. 9 on then will say yes. The other is a paid shill of the dental industry. I have loved many pets. They damage the place they live. Bad owners make it worse, but good owners still have pets that cause damage. The owner of the property has the right to say no pets. Or charge more if they want.

by CheckNo 3 days ago

"As long as you clean the tank" Clearly you've never met apartment people. Small rodents DO smell, and eat molding, baseboards, and drywall when they inevitably get out. Fish can stink up an entire floor, and poorly maintained tanks (or drunken accidents) are likely to turn into serious water damage. Apartments are in the business of making money. Animals eat into that goal and increase insurance premiums.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

The entity that owns a property is ALWAYS liable for damage at the end of the day. And good luck squeezing blood from the stone that is apartment renters. Do you not think that apartment complexes have to be underwritten with their own insurance policies?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I'm pretty sure it's on most contracts that most unagreeable wear and tear are deducted from the deposit and if it goes beyond, the renter is liable for repair costs? And also visits from landlord with documented pictures of the state of the property like once a year are usually also written in contracts, no?

by blockblair 3 days ago

Property insurance isn't for the tenants who can and/or do pay for their damages. It's for the ones who can't or won't.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

The added pet insurance can typically be added to the rent, as pet owners may be willing to pay extra to have their pets.

by blockblair 3 days ago

The renter still remains liable for accidents. I've read like 8 of your replies here and I don't think you live in the real world or something. Sure the renter is "liable". Guess they're going to lose that $400 deposit over the $7,500 in damage their tank caused. Good luck collecting with tenants.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Cool. They're wasting their own money, not an apartment owner's.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Yeah, tell that to the neighbors who look at these eyesores.

by Ok-Hope-3426 3 days ago

Do you want to claim with a straight face that the average person takes better care of rented apartments than houses they own?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Nope. Wrong,.

by Ok-Hope-3426 3 days ago

About which part?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Nope

by Ok-Hope-3426 3 days ago

Does it feel good to be like this?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

How is this relevant

by Anonymous 3 days ago

No it's really not, you just went on a rant about how some homeowners live in filth and made no point whatsoever.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

They are allowed in every apartment I have ever lived in. It's only until you get caught that it's against the rules.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Hehe xD

by blockblair 3 days ago

Unfortunately when you don't own anything you don't get to make the rule.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

This is what they want

by Level-Bird5526 3 days ago

They already got it.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Only if you live in countries that think people who rent are second class citizens. Lots of EU countries have very good renters protection, in Austria a blanket ban on pets is unenforceable, pet bans can only be enforced if there is a good reason beyond "they MAY cause damage" and are as minimally invasive as possible. Obviously IF they cause damage you're on the hook for that though.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Good for the EU.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Yep and with the rate of property tax increase even if we inherit a house we'll be forced to sell. Probably to black rock or another money management firm.

by Level-Bird5526 3 days ago

where i live, if you inherit a house and don't move into it (say, for example, because it needs repairs), you have to pay extra tax because the property is unoccupied, even if you couldn't legally rent it out because of the condition it's in.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Water damage and rodents But realistically probably an insurance thing

by goodwinmagnus 3 days ago

I very much believe in having pets but rodents are kinda stinky at times

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Small rodents can produce massive stink

by Anonymous 3 days ago

In germany we have a law that completely nullifies any clauses in a rent contract that would ban "Kleintiere", basically small animals. That also includes small dogs and cats, though with them it's case dependent. Because it would count as normal wear and tear of the property, and they really can't do much more damage than a human living there could. You don't even have to inform your landlord that you have these pets since he can't ban them.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

With small pets the danger tends to be in the accessories instead of the animal themselves. I know multiple people who have had fires started from heat lamps for reptiles and aquariums are a huge risk if they leak.

by stiedemannzena 3 days ago

Idk, my friend had a pet snake when we were growing up and it got out of his tank one day. Never saw it again and no one ever felt truly safe in that house again, because there was a snake hiding somewhere. It couldn't have gotten out though any of the doors or windows, so the only way it could've escaped the house was through the toilet, and if it could out that way, it could probably get back in that way too.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

my friend's ball python escaped his tank (blue eyed lucy, beautiful fella) and we looked for hours around his studio trying to find him with no luck. after a few days we figured he escaped outside and died. we found him 5 months later in his sink just chilling under a few dishes. no idea what he ate while he escaped, if he ever went outside, or how he survived that long.

by Overall-Sun 3 days ago

nobody considered that it probably died in a couple of days without a source of food and water?

by weissnatpearlin 3 days ago

It had toilet water, and if it had died, they would have found the body.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Only because it's illegal to ban children. People would jump at the opportunity to live in child-free appartments.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Can a landlord say no kids????

by rodriguezlavern 3 days ago

Technically only if it's a senior living area I think… otherwise they are breaking the rules of the fair housing act

by Anonymous 3 days ago

No. Families with kids are covered under fair housing. If it were a thing, I know people who would LEAP

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Screenshot

by rodriguezlavern 3 days ago

I would not be admitting to this in public. This is 100% illegal discrimination. Familial status is a protected class.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

That's ✨very illegal✨

by tiaraschiller 3 days ago

Yikes.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

You don't need to have kids to see how much of an asshole you are.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I don't think you're in a position to be attempting insults.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Please, keep making up scenarios to make yourself feel better.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Collect teddy bears

by Flimsy-Grocery 3 days ago

What if someone doesn't clean the tank regularly? You can't legislate for that

by No_Owl_5301 3 days ago

I've always wondered this in regards to jumping spiders, they require a 6"x6"x6" minimum enclosure, it would be classed as a pet but is it really that much of a nuisance?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Water based aquariums can leak, causing water damage and mold issues. Terrariums can have issues with mold as they are often high humidity. Caged pets can escape and cause damage by chewing through drywall and nesting in cords and wires. All of the above have the potential to smell. That smell can also reach neighbors in an apartment. Anything left unattended for long is even more likely to die, rot, and stink terrible than a cat or dog which has ways of making itself heard and getting rescued before it dies. Or at least try and find a way to escape. Now all that said, I feel like all pets should reasonably be allowed in apartments, with the correct deposit.

by Enough-Strawberry 3 days ago

Aquariums can leak and rodents can escape and survive. They chew wiring, plumbing, wood and drywall. And if they're mice or rats, or multiple of the same species, breed. Reptiles aren't as likely to breed, though maybe in warmer climates that would be a concern? But an escaped lizard would definitely freak out people who (unhappily) accept the occasional rodent as a possibility. And I'm sure I don't have to get into snake phobias. Also, dead reptiles reek. It's so gross in walls. (I worked in a pet store, we had the odd escape over the years) Lastly, once you start allowing pets, it's a slippery slope. It's so much easier to just have a blanket no animals rule.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

I once lived in an apartment that allowed small caged pets. A guy had pet rats. One got out and found its way into another apartment. Small caged animals were no longer allowed.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

People can enjoy animals but it is still a luxury not a necessity

by Anonymous 3 days ago

You ever see what a leaking aquarium can do to joists?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

That would be animal cruelty though. Fish bowls should be illegal

by Gorczanymeredit 3 days ago

Idk much about fish, so i won't argue with you. i've just seen fishbowls in movies and stuff 🤷‍♀️

by Hardy68 3 days ago

Don't they already?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Because people are idiots and cause damage with just about anything.

by dave37 3 days ago

I'm guessing you don't know how much an aquarium can WEIGH.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

Aquariums can be DISASTERS even if they don't leak-- we had a full 70 gallon for a while before there was an eco collapse (goddamn snail infestation!) and decided not to start over when we noticed the bend in our hardwood flooring around the tank stand. Water is HEAVY. Hamsters etc breed like CRAZY if owners aren't careful, next thing you know, a couple get out, there go the baseboards. Reptile lights present a fire hazard. Ofc, a reasonable person should be able to avoid all of these problems. But rules aren't written with reasonable people in mind. Those rules are to protect property from very stupid people and their pets/victims.

by Anonymous 3 days ago

There can still be many reasons. Many caged animals really do not smell the greatest. My cousin had a rabbit and when they had to cleaned out the cage/change the wood chips... OMG it was quite over powering. For a small apartment the smell might travel and the neighbours probably would not want that. As other have mentioned water tank can lead to water damage if there is a leak. Even caged animals can escape. Really do not want a snake, lizard, or hamster loose in the building. What are the chances of the above happening? I don't know, but if you own a building it is within your right to not want pets I would say.

by PeanutFriendly 3 days ago

Even better: if they're paying rent in your apartment building, then what they do inside of it should be none of your business at all unless it is illegal and/ or causes major damage.

by Justina91 3 days ago

I‘d say a cat is likely much less of a possible harm to an apartment compared to fish/any animal that lives in a water tank..

by Satterfieldsaig 3 days ago

They don't? Who would even notice?

by Anonymous 3 days ago

imo fish in like a small bowl so if it breaks theirs not water damage makes sense but anything with legs i get why you ban it

by Anonymous 3 days ago