Apartment Living with Pets: Finding the Perfect Home for Everyone

Pets can bring so much happiness and satisfaction to their owner's life. However, not all apartment complexes allow pets, so when people find pet-friendly apartments that they love, they can count themselves lucky. If this is your first time living in your own apartment or if this is the first time you are living with a pet, there are certain things you must know about pet ownership and apartment living.

When you find an apartment complex that is pet-friendly, make sure to clarify the apartment's policy on pet ownership with your landlord. The landlord may allow pets under specific conditions and some properties charge additional fees to pet owners. There could also be limitations to the type of pets and the size of pets allowed in the apartment. Make sure you understand the rules on pet ownership in your complex.

As pet owner, you are responsible for the health, safety and well-being of your pet. If you already have a pet and are checking out new apartments to move into, check the interior of the apartments to see if it's really safe for your pet. Not all apartments will be instantly safe for your pet so you may have to do a bit of changes in furniture and other parts of the apartment.

Aside from the health and safety of your pet, you must also ensure that your pet does not pose a threat to the health and safety of other people living in the complex. You are not just responsible for protecting your pet against the residents and other pets in the complex, but you must also make sure that you protect your neighbours against your pets.

Vaccinations and neutering are just two of the things you may have to get your pet before you move into your new apartment complex. Make sure you keep your pet clean and that you clean up after him/her. If you're going to allow your pet to get on the apartment elevator or to roam around the apartment complex, check with your neighbours to see if this is alright with everyone. The value of proper training should never be underestimated. Train your pet so that it does not make unnecessary noise and cause disturbances around the complex.
When choosing a new pet, be sure that the one you choose is ideal for apartment living and fits into your lifestyle. There are certain dog breeds that are a more ideal as indoor pets than others. You can also choose other pets that are easier to take care of such as fish, cats and other animals.


Shauna Nicholson is a resident at the Urbane Apartments in Metro-Detroit. She shares her stories of apartment lifestyle and experiences discovering Birmingham and Royal Oak, Michigan.