Renting A Townhome With A Pet: The Pros And The Cons
Posted on: 3 January 2019
Cats and dogs can seem like a part of the family, but renting with one of them is often a challenge. If you're having a hard time finding a rental unit with a pet, you might want to consider looking at townhomes rather than condominiums. Here are the pros and cons.
Pro: Townhomes Are Less Expensive Than Houses
Many pet owners find themselves looking at houses rather than apartments for two reasons: noise and space. Townhomes share fewer walls, which will lead to fewer noise complaints (such as those due to barking dogs). Townhomes also tend to be larger than apartments. They are less expensive than houses, making them an attractive compromise.
Con: Townhomes Are More Expensive Than Apartments
Of course, townhomes are also more expensive than apartments, which can be a negative for those who are watching their budget. However, it is often possible to find cheaper townhomes depending on the area that you're looking in.
Pro: Townhomes May Come With a Yard
One of the major advantages for pet owners is that townhomes often come with backyards. These backyards are often even enclosed, so if you have a pet, you can let them run free. This is often far better than being cooped up in an apartment.
Con: Townhomes May Force You to Share a Yard
Some townhomes do force you to share a yard with a neighbor, which can be a problem for people who have pets such as reactive dogs. Since you don't have control over your neighbors, you run the risk of a problematic neighbor moving in.
Pro: Townhomes Tend to be More Pet-Friendly
Since townhomes do have more space and they often have yards, they're often less afraid that pets will do damage to the property. Apartments tend to be very concerned about damage, and consequently fewer allow pets.
Con: Townhomes May Require Substantial Pet Deposits
Even townhomes that do allow pets may require both pet deposits and pet fees. Pet deposits are a one-time fee that you get back at the end of your rent, but pet fees are not recoverable. Some townhomes may even charge pet rent, which can get expensive fast.
As you can see, there are both positives and negatives to trying to rent a townhome with a pet, and most of them depend on the townhome itself. Still, a townhome is a good option if you want to compromise between the cost of a apartment and the relative freedom of a house. Contact a property, like Millspring Commons, for more information.
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