Landlords: What would it take to get you to allow pets?

[Holly Jackson]

(Myself and the slightly disheveled dog that's causing all kinds of grief as we rental house hunt)

Hi, everybody. My husband and I have been looking to rent a house in the Seattle area. I am a dog owner and I am finding that most rentals that are halfway decent are unwilling to even consider us when I mention my dog. Now, I understand why they adopt "no pet" policies and have already been stunned at the horror stories (and visuals) I've seen. These landlords are dealing with damage caused by pets AND by tenants who seem to be utter morons (Blue hair dye on the living room carpet. Really?). I feel bad for the landlords, but am dismayed that a couple of bad seeds are ruining it for everybody.

My question is this: Is there anything that would sway the "no pet" people to consider a truly lovely dog in their rental? If so, what would it take?

• I have owned my dog since she was 8 weeks old and that now means more than 8 years together.
• She is an SKK (Svenska Kennelklubben / Swedish Kennel Club) registered animal that I got in Stockholm. When I eventually moved back to The U.S., I brought her with me. Nobody on the plane knew that I had her under my seat until I pulled out the carrier at the end.
• She is a small Havanese at about 12 pounds.
• My Havanese is a hypoallergenic breed and non-shedding. Rather than an oily, stinky coat she has hair similar to a human.
• She is bathed & groomed regularly.
• She is on a preventative to stop potential issues with fleas, etc.
• She is not a barker. She does not have separation anxiety. She does not damage interiors. She does not damage exteriors: You can watch this dog move and she will not even break a leaf on a plant in passing. 
• She has completed a training class where she was the star of the class.
• I have been diligent in socializing her and training her. People regularly suggest to me that I be a dog trainer, tell me that they wish their dog was well behaved like mine, and welcome my dog back everywhere she goes.
• My dog has been on buses, planes, trains, ferries, bicycles, boats and everything in between. She has travelled and moved with me and does it all with ease. She even has a dog passport for travel between countries!
• I don't leave her unattended for long and take her with me whenever I can.  
• I go on "poop patrol" daily and clean up doggy landmines. (TMI, but these are Tootsie Rolls, not big nasty dog piles.)
• She is the calmest, sweetest, easiest dog on the planet; essentially a living stuffed animal. No, I'm not just saying that. She's a true gem.

I can guarantee with absolute certainty that my animal will not harm a property and I can also guarantee that if I did not inform the landlord that I had a dog (which I would never lie about) that he or she would never, ever know a dog had been in their home because she's not disgusting and doesn't damage anything, ever. If there were some extreme situation where she became ill I would take her to the vet and I would promptly clean up any mess, as I will not live in filth like some folks seem to.

The rental market is so hot in this area at the moment that it seems potential landlords need not even consider renting to pet owners. My husband and I feel that we are ideal tenants. We are good, clean looking and friendly, polite people. We spend our free time serving at our church and enjoying the outdoors. I have a green thumb and my husband and I are both handy at fixing these. We have enough cash to pay for several years rent, but we are not even getting to a point where we discuss that because, as soon as pets come up, landlords are emphatically opposed to considering us and our dog as tenants. I bring her in the car when I view homes so that they might meet her but no one has met her because, again, we can't seem to get to a place where they're interested in meeting her.

Folks, we are looking for a place that's a true home, and not just a place to crash. All of this hassle means that when we find the right place, we will take care of it and we will stay there until we're ready to buy, likely saving our to-be landlord from having to rent their place out yet again because we'll stay put. I didn't get this dog weeks ago; I have had her for 8+ years. I feel like my commitment to her, and all that comes with it, including the hassle of finding a proper home that will accept her makes me a more desirable tenant rather than less desirable. I am an extremely responsible pet owner and this little animal is a great joy to all neighbors and friends who cross our path. Does any of this mean anything to potential landlords?