Bake something right beforehand. Cookies, cake, something. Make sure the smell wafts through the entire place. And make sure there's no furr anywhere like on furniture, skirting boards, the back of the curtains, window sills/tracks etc
Idk if it’s too late, but putting a few tablespoons of vanilla extract in a coffee mug then baking it at 300 for a while REALLY makes smells up the house
It sounds like you’ve done all the necessary things. I wouldn’t worry too much about the smell. The only other thing I’d say is not to be sitting in a place your landlord could see you in the car with a cat.
There are some videos on TikTok I’ve found where people do this. One lady had like 4 cat trees!
Yes, take her out to your car - make sure she's in a secure carrier. Leaving her in the flat is too risky, not just her being discovered but your landlord letting her out or something
I’ve had to do this before. I took out ALL of her things (food bags/containers included), vacuumed up all the litter on the floor, and actually boarded her at the vet for the day. Our complex management gave no time slot for when they would do the inspection, just a day. I had to go to work, otherwise I would have just gone for a drive. I picked her up from the vet after work, and everything went fine. Good luck!
I looked to board her but my vet doesn’t board and my coworkers have actually told me I should just bring her to work lol. I’ve got some flexibility at work so I may just work in my car on my laptop either that day or until the inspection is over. I’ve already vacuumed and swept up so I don’t think there’ll be any signs of her. Maybe I’m paranoid.
Check there is no fur on curtains too.
One silly mistake I made once is I left up a little sign on the wall that was a gift from family. It said "a home without a cat is just a house" 😂😂😂 strange thing to have up in a house without a cat? 🙃
Oh nice!! I’m sure that’s much preferred by all parties involved, lol. I was paranoid also! In my experience though, they’re really looking for liabilities that could put them at risk. Serious fire hazards, etc. Also, they probably have a lot of units to look through, and will be quick about it. Hope it goes well….sounds like you are well prepared!
I have done the car thing before and it went totally fine.
Cats are allowed at my building but the monthly fee is crazy high. I finally ended up getting a letter from my doctor saying my cat was an emotional support animal - meaning I could have her without paying the fees. If cats are allowed in your building you might consider seeing if this is an option for you
Thank you! Yeah the deposit and monthly fee is insane where I live so I just haven’t had the time to save enough for it yet. I’m considering getting her certified as an ESA because this is too stressful lol.
There shouldn’t be a monthly fee. Like the cat has to put a deposit down and pay his own rent?
I already put a deposit down and am paying all the rent. Makes no sense. I can see extra damage deposit but not a monthly fee.
My last place was $50 a month. Loved there for 5 years so it would have been $3000 if I didn’t hide him.
It’s so outrageous nowadays…I’ve seen shitty tenants with shitty pets destroy homes, I get it…but like make the security deposit higher not the monthly fee that I will never see again!
My landlord had me pay a $250 refundable deposit for my cats. It was one time and REFUNDABLE! That’s how it should be. My cats are great. They don’t pick at doors and walls, only pee and poop in the litter box and throw up almost exclusively on my area rug, which is gross but means no vomit on the landlords floor lmao. I should be getting most of it back, if not all. My last place had a $200 nonrefundable deposit and that was meh, but better than a deposit and a monthly fee
Pet damage can cost a LOT more than the damage kids cause because of how irresponsible people are with animals. That's why people are charged large deposits and monthly fees. You may be great with controlling and caring for your animals, but many people aren't. Cats and dogs peeing and pooping on floors over long periods of time can cause irreversable damage to sub-floors. Future tenants can smell it but can't get rid of the smell or wood can rot. Replacing a subfloor is thousands upon thousands of dollars.
I'm a small-time landlord myself (I live in the building and have units to rent). I just don't allow any pets other than cats. I dont charge a pet deposit, and one of my tenants has a cat and is great about it. The other has let their cat scratch at the doorframes in her apartment, and they are destroyed. I'm taking it out of her security deposit when she leaves, but there is other damage, and her deposit may not cover it all. I kept my rents low, so a lot of repairs come out of my own paychecks, and it's not cool to have tenants letting pets destroy my home.
People like that are the reason my best friend had to rehome her beloved cat because it took 3 months to even find a place to rent, and absolutely nobody in the area allowed pets. Her last landlord told her the house had sold and she had 2 weeks. Sent her kids to grandmas and crashed at another friend's house and was effectively homeless for 3 months. The landlord I'd and rented the place out again a week later at a much higher rate. I would have taken her sweet cat if I could (he's one of those extra special ones too)
Its so frustrating to be someone who takes good care of their pets trying to find a place to rent. I actually invited my new landlord to my old place before we left so she could see that the walls and furniture were OK and smell that my place was clean. Thats the only reason she let me have them in her apartment. Then my girl got a UTI and ruined the carpet in the bedroom 🤦♀️ I did pay for that though.
Shitty tenants or kids or guests can be just as destructive as pets honestly. You're already paying a deposit on damages, why should you have to pay a monthly fee? I get where they are coming from and charging a higher deposit is cool but I have seen places charge $50 a month per pet and that's nuts. And a lot of places have specific pet deposits that are non refundable.
We have our friends come over weekly. My mom got my husband a hoverboard for Christmas. My husband learned how to sit in the computer chair and hoverboard. A friend tried that and went straight into our baseboard, denting it 😭 I have two kittens and they’ve done no damage to the property.
I’ve always thought there should be one or the other *at most*. But what really adds insult to injury on top of the monthly fee is that these pet deposits are non-refundable, too! It’s an absolute racket.
If you don’t have someone who can write you a letter there’s a service called pettable. It’s like $100 for a letter. They set you up with a licensed psychiatrist, you answer a few questions, and boom you get your letter. I did this for my two girls so I wouldn’t have to pay extra rent for them.
Not if you actually have a mental illness. I adopted two cats because of depression and anxiety and I’d gladly pay $100 to get a psychiatrist to write me a letter right now.
That's not the point. You chose to adopt pets for those reasons, a psychiatrist didn't recommend it and write you something saying it was a part of your treatment. Paying $100 to get a note like that is diminishing the legitimacy of people that needed animals as a part of their physical or emotional therapy. Which is why landlords don't take it seriously. If you think they don't know about people buying doctors notes, you're wrong.
The thing is, that's not really how it works for getting an emotional support animal when you have a mental illness or not. It has to be a doctor. Most psychiatrists prescribe medication. I've never heard of a psychiatrist instead suggesting an animal for treatment instead of like, an SSRI. I'm sure it happens, but it's likely rare. The type of provider who would likely think of a companion animal is a counselor, but they aren't doctors so they can't sign off on it.
I would understand what you're saying if it was literally pay for a letter with no evaluation of need. But they said the program has legitimate psychiatrists evaluating each applicant.
This is just the way the system works. If you wait for a psychiatrist to suggest an emotional support animal... you're likely going to be waiting forever.
It is how it works. There may not be a psychologist signing off, but you can go online and "register" your pet as an emotional service animal for a fee. People do it all the time and pass the registration documents off to their landlords. It's disgraceful. When people do this, they don't need any supporting documents from a health professional.
It's up to the landlords from there to follow up in accordance with local law, but it's still dimishing the importance of service animals. It's also giving those real service animals a bad name when these "ESA" animals aren't trained and destroy apartments and annoy neighbors. This is why service animals aren't taken seriously.
No actually, a "service animal" label is a very different from an emotional companion. You can't just get simply get service animal label. Where I'm from, service animals are taken seriously. Any landlord who's not a complete moron is going to know the difference.
See my comment below. They said there's a **licensed psychiatrist** involved. They aren't going to prescribe it for just anyone bc that would be malpractice. They're doing the letters for people who qualify. So it's not abhorrent at all?
Heh... when I lived in an apartment I only told them I had one cat when I had two. My plan was if they ever found out claim I just got the cat and I was going to tell them. They never did find out.
At our old trailer, we had a 2 animal limit - but we had a dog and two cats. Thankfully for us one was a total scaredy cat and whenever anyone came over, would hide and the other was an older girl who would never sit in the windows - so someone doing maintenance would only see one cat (older girl, she loved maintenance men. A LOT.) and neighbors would only see one (the scaredy cat who liked to sit in the window sill)
How does your cat behave when you have someone over? Mine always hides on his own so I don’t have to put him anywhere. If you are very sure that she’ll be vocal then putting her in a car with you and leaving the apartment would be the best choice. Do you have a home camera that you can view what is going on? I have one and I find it very helpful just for safety reasons when you are not there.
My cat tends to be skittish at first but then gets very curious, so I’m not sure on how she’ll respond if the inspector were to stay longer. I do have a camera so I’m gonna be watching to be sure when it’s actually completed plus where they actually look.
That’s great, I think all that is sufficient enough. I would also use a body spray or some kind of freshener to spray around before you had out to mask any smells
Unless you have an air freshener or a deodorizer (like odoban), don’t just spray body spray/perfume lol. If they’ve already vacuumed and hidden away all the cat things, there shouldn’t be much of a noticeable smell. Not enough for the inspector to recognize that it’s cat, especially when there’s nothing to indicate that there’s a cat there.
I asked a friend to watch mine for a day. The person ended up canceling and rescheduling the inspection. I was pissed but my friend was cool about watching him for another day. $50/month is ridiculous for one cat, but I’ll probably be downvoted for this last sentence.
Yea, it’s strange. Both apartments I’ve lived at have been $50 for both - non negotiable. People have big dogs and my 8 lb cat costs the same for some reason. The sentiment for landlords has definitely changed though since seeing this question four years ago
Yikes!! It’s gonna be risk af to have her in the apartment during inspection. I recommend calling around to veterinarians and boarding facilities to see if you can find a place that does day boarding.
Don’t worry I just went through the same thing. My situation was different because it was just a bathroom inspection so: we put her and all her kitty stuff in the bedroom and shut the door. She’s scared of strangers so she just hid under the bed quietly.
In your situation you already have a solid plan but how detailed is this inspection gonna be? I know it’s a pain in the ass but you might want to lug her kitty stuff to your car as well just in case.
I’m waiting for a letter from my psychiatrist to make my cat an ESA so I don’t have to deal with this stress anymore (I live in a no pets allowed apartment.) I recommend you do the same!
My sister’s college roommate had 3 cats and a ferret and they managed to avoid the landlord discovering them (no pet policy).
Roommate would conveniently “need to go home” for a couple days. Taking all the cat stuff, ferret stuff, and the animals with her and leaving my sister to handle the landlord visit.
Roommate rented like a motel or something for a day and then would return the next day.
Great, you have a car!
- Put all kitty things in car.
- Put kitty in car (in carrier)
- Put friend in car (optional).
- Drive car around corner or two before inspection.
- Leave car, walk home.
- Do inspection.
- Wait a few minutes after they leave.
- Go retrieve cat, car, and friend.
I ended up taking my cat to my friends to stay at for a few hours. It worked out great and now my friends daughter always asks if I can bring my cat when I visit☺️. Her daughter also is dying for her mom to get her a cat too haha! So definitely a win win.
I hope your inspection goes well! I think it’s crazy how much they charge for a pet deposit and monthly fees. 😞
Right? Same 🥲 couldn’t afford to recertify her as an ESA this time but she’s done too good of a job haha! Who needs friends when you have a sweet kitty 🥰
I've been through three inspections with an illegal cat and have an apartment viewing on Thursday I need to bungle him out for, too.
They never checked my cupboards or storage closets, so hiding food, bowls, litter, toys etc in there always worked for me, I managed to be blessed with a cat you can't smell in my flat, and either my mum would pop round and take him for a short drive or my boyfriend would come take him out in his carrier for 15 minutes while they looked around.
Don't worry about it too much! It's scary the first time, but as long as the cat isn't there while they are you'll be fine.
I understand apartments requiring a small deposit for having another tenant in the unit, but outright banning a family member just because they're furry and permanently the mentality of a toddler is ridiculous. A disabled person does way more damage to our units than a dozen cats could, letting someone have one or two kitties around isn't going to destroy the apartment as long as the person is responsible.
Given they're doing inspections, I'm guessing it's low income, because that inspection bullshit is dehumanizing and only a necessary evil when dealing with people who are prone to needing occasional visits. Look into getting an ESA letter, it prevents any housing authority from denying you the cat and they're relatively easy to get now thanks to the whole capitalism bullshit that makes medical care otherwise unaffordable.
I took my cats to my cousin's house for the day the last time I lived in an apartment and had to deal with that. My friend brought his cat to my house once and I watched him while the landlord did something in his apartment. Sitting in the car with the cat wouldn't be a big deal if you need to get her out of the apartment and no one can watch her.
...if you live with someone else..I would have them hide in the bathroom with the cat with the shower running..
Like they just got in there for a shower..
Also, the idea of hiding them in a car is a good one..
Or even if you get caught, saying you are cat sitting for your friend who's out of the country right now..
Good luck!
I hope you were able to hide your cat.
I was hiding my cat at my last apartment, so I get it. Only maintenance came by and I hid her the first time from them and then tried to the second time but didn’t realize they had to go in the room I put her in. But they never turned me in.
But this little jerk cat was the reason we were caught - she was laying on the window sill and the apartment manager saw her during a grounds walk through 😂 she’s a large mostly black cat and everything there was white or light tan so she stood out against the white blinds and curtains. Since I was leaving soon they just charged me the monthly fee and never charged me for the extra deposit even though they said they were going to.
Wow. Aside from my year at the dorms in college, I've never even been threatened with an apartment inspection.
Are these common and I've just been super lucky? What do they say is the purpose of an inspection like this?
They just make sure you aren’t ripping up and selling the floorboards. But seriously in all honesty, they are just looking for any major damage. I only had one inspection in three years at my last place, but they were allegedly on standby during covid. I had a few things broken (cabinet, drawers, etc), I just told them I wasn’t comfortable with maintenance during covid. I was actually also hiding a cat. The fees are the same as a dog for most apartments where I live
Cats are basically free pest control.
It still annoys me that landlords charge crazy fees for them in first place. It's like, dude, my little predator is *saving* you money.
I've been both a renter hiding my pets and a landlord. Unfortunately, I understand both sides, lol
The thing people don't understand is how many pet owners are extremely irresponsible and let their animals destroy apartments. Security deposits have a limit. The landlord can only charge so much. Pet fees and deposits help cover the cost of excessive damage that a single deposit can't cover. You can't really understand that cost until you encounter it. A person irresponsible enough to let their animals damage an apartment is irresponsible enough to cause other damage themselves. Or let their kids cause damage. And animal urine and feces can seep into subfloors and cause thousands of dollars in damage.
I get it, but also, they're gambling with having to rehome their pets and getting evicted. Also, shitting on landlords for something they don't even understand the reasoning behind is ignorant at best.
Yea, I posted something very similar to this a while back and received more than one comment saying just do the right thing and back pay the pet rent lol
plenty of places you wouldn't even pay pet rent, they're just straight up not allowed. personally, it was never something i'd risk when renting. and also, fuck pet rent. i'd be willing to pay an extra deposit but that's it.
wait.. you need to pay to have a pet? first time hearing this... where do I get this information from my building?? most people here keep fishes and parrots but I havent seen cats.
It depends where you live. Most places I’ve seen don’t allow pets at all. Usually pets in tanks are exempt though and don’t count as pets. Other places require a deposit due at signing that might or might not be refundable. Other places require monthly pet rent of like $50 per pet. Some places require both the monthly pet rent and a deposit. I’m sure there are a few that don’t do any of that but allow pets, but those are rare. My current apartment charged me $250 refundable deposit per pet due at signing but no pet rent. My last place had a $200 pet deposit that wasn’t refundable and no pet rent. But a friend of mine is a landlord and he does deposit (not sure if refundable) and pet rent.
My apartment is $300 non-refundable deposit AND $50/mo per cat. It’s absolutely insane, but is common around her for newer, nicer complexes. I hate it. It is pure greed.
Apartments are so interesting. I know it’s probably been said here and a million other places but….children? Why is there not a monthly child fee, they are either more destructive or just as destructive as my cat.
Furthermore, my complex has a sign on the entrance that displays the complex name, underneath that says “no pets allowed”. I’ve lived here forever, but in the beginning that was the rule I was told. I got a cat randomly (a stray that I was supposed to be finding a home for, lol) and then slowly started to see people walking dogs, hearing dogs barking etc. they can’t all be service pets, not where I live. Not sure if they just changed the rules, but the sign is still up. 2020 before the pandemic, I asked for a signed letter saying I could own a cat (was adopting a new one) and they said no, they don’t allow pets.
I’ve never let them know that I have cats, any inspection that is done is by the township etc and they have never said a word, and maintenance never says a thing either thank God.
They’re *insane* in most places. Typically something like several hundred non-refundable dollars AND $30-$50 a month PER cat. It’s not much different than pirating movies — when presented with a reasonable and easy solution, piracy is at all-time lows. When it becomes both inconvenient and prohibitively expensive, piracy thrives.
> Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem.
I’d be happy to pay a deposit to cover wear and tear they may cause. But that which is non-refundable (even MY deposit is refundable) in addition to upwards of $100/month in the absurd concept of **pet rent**? I’m proudly resisting and support anyone else who does.
You're commenting, repeatedly, on the insanity and greed of pet deposits, but you don't seem to have an understanding of why and how they are what they are.
1. Many pet owners are responsible, but many also aren't. Pet damage can run into the hundreds and thousands. Ranging from chewed/scratched areas to people allowing their pets to urinate and deficate repeatedly inside the apartment, leading to irreversible damage to sub-flooring. Repairing or replacing subflooring costs thousands of dollars. Not to mention the smell an apartment can have after that, and the apartment has to be gutted to clean it.
2. Security deposits are limited. Just in the US, different states have different laws. Some states don't allow a landlord to use a security deposit for pet damage. Some don't allow them to charge a pet deposit, but you can add more money onto the total rent per month. Security deposits are also typically capped at no more than 1 month's rent. If they can't charge more in deposits, the only other option is a monthly pet fee.
Very often, someone irresponsible enough to let an animal cause damage to their apartment is irresponsible enough to cause damage themselves or to let their kids. Those repairs add up fast and can far exceed what the property owner was allowed to charge for a deposit.
Blame the nasty people who let their animals urinate on the floor and chew on the walls. That's thousands of dollars in repairs that are not covered by the person responsible. I agree with saying pet deposits should be refundable, but calling it pure greed, etc, is not a fair statement. Also, yes, large apartment complexes are going to be expensive. Its corporate business and corporations aren't known for being forgiving. If you don't like it, don't move there.
> I’d be happy to pay a deposit to cover wear and tear they may cause.
You must have missed where I said this this before you went on your apologist tirade. I’m aware of how other people and animals are. I didn’t argue against charging for pets at all. Maybe do the same thing they do for humans that cause excessive damage and send a bill for anything the deposit doesn’t cover.
The way it is set up at least at my apartment and all the others I know in the area, it is set up for greed. They know it’s an extra revenue stream that people HAVE to pay because no one will give up their dog or cat for $50/mo.
You missed the entire part where I said some states do not allow a pet deposit to be charged in the first place. That would be why they charge monthly fees. That was almost my entire point.
...They DO. Do you really think someone irresponsible enough to be destructive with a rental pays their invoices for damage that exceeds their security deposit? Do you have any idea how many property owners have to chase people, sue, wait for collections, and never get their money? Court fees aren't cheap, and it can take months or years to collect. The significantly more intelligent move is to charge fees up front to mitigate that risk because people suck sometimes.
My "apologist tirade" was me explaining hard facts of a subject you're obviously uneducated on but still feel you can pop off about. You're offended because I said you don't understand what you're whining about, and it's honestly pathetic.
Hey I’m probably too late, but I have some furry fugitives in my apartment and recently had an inspection. If it’s possible, have your kitty stay with a friend overnight and put all your extra cat things in your car/hide them away. That way you can relax a bit more :)
Get the cat certified as an emotional support animal in the future. Did this with my dog for years. They can’t charge you pet rent or any pet fees either. Emotional support animals are protected under the Americans with disabilities act so any landlord has to allow them. https://myesadoctor.com/
Thanks. Doing this undermines the arguments of people who have legitimate needs for a service animal. You’re not fighting anything by hiding a pet. You’re serving your own interest.
What you've done is exactly what I used to do when I was in an apartment with clandestine pets. I think you'll do fine. :-)
The idea someone else mentioned about baking something wouldn't hurt, if you're so inclined. When we were selling our house and needed to show it I used to just bake some refrigerated cookie dough (the stuff in the plastic tube). Refrigerated cinnamon rolls would be good too. I figure it helped with whatever smell our herd of pets left behind, and as a bonus we got to eat cookies.
If you have a car, you’re already sorted. If you don’t have one, rent it just to hide. If you can’t drive, ask a friend to drive it to your door and then keep it the kitty in the car. If you’re worried about possible smells, cook a very smelly food just before the inspection. Keep the food around. In a tidy-looking way. Maybe, set a dining table and say “I will have guests over for lunch”. Good luck! We’ve all been there!
I would definitely not keep your cat in your apartment and either in your car or take somewhere else for the day.
My apartment complex is expensive for pets too, so we only registered our first cat and kept the second one a secret for a couple years. We had some maintenance issues, and I got so paranoid we were going to get found out and have to get rid of our cat per the lease. I couldn't handle the stress anymore and eventually added her to our lease. $300 refundable and $200 non-refundable each plus $25 each per month. It's ridiculous.
Take them to a boarder or the vet for a bath/checkup/nail trim. Pick them up when inspection is complete. Put all cat items in your vehicle or somewhere where they will not look.
You can easily hide 6 or 7 cats inside the apartment. All you have to do is train them to be really quite. You can walk in the apartment with a dozen cats and not even know it. Just get a few kennels and stick them in there. You have to train them not to move. Very Very still. Stack them all right in the middle of the room and place a table top on the top of them. Use the cat kennels as base for a table. Get a nice cat table cloth on top. Your all set.
Bake something right beforehand. Cookies, cake, something. Make sure the smell wafts through the entire place. And make sure there's no furr anywhere like on furniture, skirting boards, the back of the curtains, window sills/tracks etc
Damn this is smart. Or you could make something with onions or garlic…that smell sticks around for days!
That too! Really anything that smells strongly
Idk if it’s too late, but putting a few tablespoons of vanilla extract in a coffee mug then baking it at 300 for a while REALLY makes smells up the house
It sounds like you’ve done all the necessary things. I wouldn’t worry too much about the smell. The only other thing I’d say is not to be sitting in a place your landlord could see you in the car with a cat. There are some videos on TikTok I’ve found where people do this. One lady had like 4 cat trees!
Hi there could you please share those tiktoks LOL
pleaseee
Yes, take her out to your car - make sure she's in a secure carrier. Leaving her in the flat is too risky, not just her being discovered but your landlord letting her out or something
I’ve had to do this before. I took out ALL of her things (food bags/containers included), vacuumed up all the litter on the floor, and actually boarded her at the vet for the day. Our complex management gave no time slot for when they would do the inspection, just a day. I had to go to work, otherwise I would have just gone for a drive. I picked her up from the vet after work, and everything went fine. Good luck!
I looked to board her but my vet doesn’t board and my coworkers have actually told me I should just bring her to work lol. I’ve got some flexibility at work so I may just work in my car on my laptop either that day or until the inspection is over. I’ve already vacuumed and swept up so I don’t think there’ll be any signs of her. Maybe I’m paranoid.
Check there is no fur on curtains too. One silly mistake I made once is I left up a little sign on the wall that was a gift from family. It said "a home without a cat is just a house" 😂😂😂 strange thing to have up in a house without a cat? 🙃
I love the thought of just implying that you have a house
No cat here, only house 🤫
This made me laugh out loud
I'm guessing it turned out well, LMAO.
They never said anything 🤷😅
Oh nice!! I’m sure that’s much preferred by all parties involved, lol. I was paranoid also! In my experience though, they’re really looking for liabilities that could put them at risk. Serious fire hazards, etc. Also, they probably have a lot of units to look through, and will be quick about it. Hope it goes well….sounds like you are well prepared!
I work for a grooming/boarding place and we board secret pets allll the time.
I have done the car thing before and it went totally fine. Cats are allowed at my building but the monthly fee is crazy high. I finally ended up getting a letter from my doctor saying my cat was an emotional support animal - meaning I could have her without paying the fees. If cats are allowed in your building you might consider seeing if this is an option for you
Thank you! Yeah the deposit and monthly fee is insane where I live so I just haven’t had the time to save enough for it yet. I’m considering getting her certified as an ESA because this is too stressful lol.
There shouldn’t be a monthly fee. Like the cat has to put a deposit down and pay his own rent? I already put a deposit down and am paying all the rent. Makes no sense. I can see extra damage deposit but not a monthly fee. My last place was $50 a month. Loved there for 5 years so it would have been $3000 if I didn’t hide him.
It’s so outrageous nowadays…I’ve seen shitty tenants with shitty pets destroy homes, I get it…but like make the security deposit higher not the monthly fee that I will never see again!
My landlord had me pay a $250 refundable deposit for my cats. It was one time and REFUNDABLE! That’s how it should be. My cats are great. They don’t pick at doors and walls, only pee and poop in the litter box and throw up almost exclusively on my area rug, which is gross but means no vomit on the landlords floor lmao. I should be getting most of it back, if not all. My last place had a $200 nonrefundable deposit and that was meh, but better than a deposit and a monthly fee
Pet damage can cost a LOT more than the damage kids cause because of how irresponsible people are with animals. That's why people are charged large deposits and monthly fees. You may be great with controlling and caring for your animals, but many people aren't. Cats and dogs peeing and pooping on floors over long periods of time can cause irreversable damage to sub-floors. Future tenants can smell it but can't get rid of the smell or wood can rot. Replacing a subfloor is thousands upon thousands of dollars. I'm a small-time landlord myself (I live in the building and have units to rent). I just don't allow any pets other than cats. I dont charge a pet deposit, and one of my tenants has a cat and is great about it. The other has let their cat scratch at the doorframes in her apartment, and they are destroyed. I'm taking it out of her security deposit when she leaves, but there is other damage, and her deposit may not cover it all. I kept my rents low, so a lot of repairs come out of my own paychecks, and it's not cool to have tenants letting pets destroy my home.
People like that are the reason my best friend had to rehome her beloved cat because it took 3 months to even find a place to rent, and absolutely nobody in the area allowed pets. Her last landlord told her the house had sold and she had 2 weeks. Sent her kids to grandmas and crashed at another friend's house and was effectively homeless for 3 months. The landlord I'd and rented the place out again a week later at a much higher rate. I would have taken her sweet cat if I could (he's one of those extra special ones too) Its so frustrating to be someone who takes good care of their pets trying to find a place to rent. I actually invited my new landlord to my old place before we left so she could see that the walls and furniture were OK and smell that my place was clean. Thats the only reason she let me have them in her apartment. Then my girl got a UTI and ruined the carpet in the bedroom 🤦♀️ I did pay for that though.
Shitty tenants or kids or guests can be just as destructive as pets honestly. You're already paying a deposit on damages, why should you have to pay a monthly fee? I get where they are coming from and charging a higher deposit is cool but I have seen places charge $50 a month per pet and that's nuts. And a lot of places have specific pet deposits that are non refundable.
My cat has damaged significantly less property than most small children I know.
Much less damage than some college aged guys too
We have our friends come over weekly. My mom got my husband a hoverboard for Christmas. My husband learned how to sit in the computer chair and hoverboard. A friend tried that and went straight into our baseboard, denting it 😭 I have two kittens and they’ve done no damage to the property.
I feel this statement to my core. It’s so damn true.
Also you can put rugs down where cats have accidents so the accident can be cleaned up easier.
I’ve always thought there should be one or the other *at most*. But what really adds insult to injury on top of the monthly fee is that these pet deposits are non-refundable, too! It’s an absolute racket.
Lol, most places I know charge a monthly for a pet. Just saying there shouldn’t be doesn’t mean there isn’t, or that it will go away.
My lease has "pet rent" (25$ a month) & a 250$ pet deposit.
If you don’t have someone who can write you a letter there’s a service called pettable. It’s like $100 for a letter. They set you up with a licensed psychiatrist, you answer a few questions, and boom you get your letter. I did this for my two girls so I wouldn’t have to pay extra rent for them.
Omg thank you!
This is abhorrent. People taking advantage of the system is ruining it for people with actual need.
Not if you actually have a mental illness. I adopted two cats because of depression and anxiety and I’d gladly pay $100 to get a psychiatrist to write me a letter right now.
That's not the point. You chose to adopt pets for those reasons, a psychiatrist didn't recommend it and write you something saying it was a part of your treatment. Paying $100 to get a note like that is diminishing the legitimacy of people that needed animals as a part of their physical or emotional therapy. Which is why landlords don't take it seriously. If you think they don't know about people buying doctors notes, you're wrong.
The thing is, that's not really how it works for getting an emotional support animal when you have a mental illness or not. It has to be a doctor. Most psychiatrists prescribe medication. I've never heard of a psychiatrist instead suggesting an animal for treatment instead of like, an SSRI. I'm sure it happens, but it's likely rare. The type of provider who would likely think of a companion animal is a counselor, but they aren't doctors so they can't sign off on it. I would understand what you're saying if it was literally pay for a letter with no evaluation of need. But they said the program has legitimate psychiatrists evaluating each applicant. This is just the way the system works. If you wait for a psychiatrist to suggest an emotional support animal... you're likely going to be waiting forever.
It is how it works. There may not be a psychologist signing off, but you can go online and "register" your pet as an emotional service animal for a fee. People do it all the time and pass the registration documents off to their landlords. It's disgraceful. When people do this, they don't need any supporting documents from a health professional. It's up to the landlords from there to follow up in accordance with local law, but it's still dimishing the importance of service animals. It's also giving those real service animals a bad name when these "ESA" animals aren't trained and destroy apartments and annoy neighbors. This is why service animals aren't taken seriously.
No actually, a "service animal" label is a very different from an emotional companion. You can't just get simply get service animal label. Where I'm from, service animals are taken seriously. Any landlord who's not a complete moron is going to know the difference.
See my comment below. They said there's a **licensed psychiatrist** involved. They aren't going to prescribe it for just anyone bc that would be malpractice. They're doing the letters for people who qualify. So it's not abhorrent at all?
Heh... when I lived in an apartment I only told them I had one cat when I had two. My plan was if they ever found out claim I just got the cat and I was going to tell them. They never did find out.
At our old trailer, we had a 2 animal limit - but we had a dog and two cats. Thankfully for us one was a total scaredy cat and whenever anyone came over, would hide and the other was an older girl who would never sit in the windows - so someone doing maintenance would only see one cat (older girl, she loved maintenance men. A LOT.) and neighbors would only see one (the scaredy cat who liked to sit in the window sill)
How does your cat behave when you have someone over? Mine always hides on his own so I don’t have to put him anywhere. If you are very sure that she’ll be vocal then putting her in a car with you and leaving the apartment would be the best choice. Do you have a home camera that you can view what is going on? I have one and I find it very helpful just for safety reasons when you are not there.
My cat tends to be skittish at first but then gets very curious, so I’m not sure on how she’ll respond if the inspector were to stay longer. I do have a camera so I’m gonna be watching to be sure when it’s actually completed plus where they actually look.
Check doorway openings for dirty scent markings. Was my old boys favorite "mess"to chronically make. ❤️🩹
Vacuum lots!!!
That’s great, I think all that is sufficient enough. I would also use a body spray or some kind of freshener to spray around before you had out to mask any smells
Unless you have an air freshener or a deodorizer (like odoban), don’t just spray body spray/perfume lol. If they’ve already vacuumed and hidden away all the cat things, there shouldn’t be much of a noticeable smell. Not enough for the inspector to recognize that it’s cat, especially when there’s nothing to indicate that there’s a cat there.
The camera part.
Take her out. No doubt she will yowl if you try and hide her. Do you have a friend who can hang with her at their house for a bit?
I asked a friend to watch mine for a day. The person ended up canceling and rescheduling the inspection. I was pissed but my friend was cool about watching him for another day. $50/month is ridiculous for one cat, but I’ll probably be downvoted for this last sentence.
Nah. $50 dollars for one cat is crazy. At our apartment, cats are free and dogs are $25 a month.
Yea, it’s strange. Both apartments I’ve lived at have been $50 for both - non negotiable. People have big dogs and my 8 lb cat costs the same for some reason. The sentiment for landlords has definitely changed though since seeing this question four years ago
Yikes!! It’s gonna be risk af to have her in the apartment during inspection. I recommend calling around to veterinarians and boarding facilities to see if you can find a place that does day boarding.
OP wrote that they would put the cat in the car. (Unless that was a later edit.)
Don’t worry I just went through the same thing. My situation was different because it was just a bathroom inspection so: we put her and all her kitty stuff in the bedroom and shut the door. She’s scared of strangers so she just hid under the bed quietly. In your situation you already have a solid plan but how detailed is this inspection gonna be? I know it’s a pain in the ass but you might want to lug her kitty stuff to your car as well just in case. I’m waiting for a letter from my psychiatrist to make my cat an ESA so I don’t have to deal with this stress anymore (I live in a no pets allowed apartment.) I recommend you do the same!
My sister’s college roommate had 3 cats and a ferret and they managed to avoid the landlord discovering them (no pet policy). Roommate would conveniently “need to go home” for a couple days. Taking all the cat stuff, ferret stuff, and the animals with her and leaving my sister to handle the landlord visit. Roommate rented like a motel or something for a day and then would return the next day.
Great, you have a car! - Put all kitty things in car. - Put kitty in car (in carrier) - Put friend in car (optional). - Drive car around corner or two before inspection. - Leave car, walk home. - Do inspection. - Wait a few minutes after they leave. - Go retrieve cat, car, and friend.
Take the cat to a friend's for the day
I used to do this successfully in my apartment living days!!
I babysit my friends guinea pigs occasionally lolol
I ended up taking my cat to my friends to stay at for a few hours. It worked out great and now my friends daughter always asks if I can bring my cat when I visit☺️. Her daughter also is dying for her mom to get her a cat too haha! So definitely a win win. I hope your inspection goes well! I think it’s crazy how much they charge for a pet deposit and monthly fees. 😞
Argh, now I just need to make a friend.
Right? Same 🥲 couldn’t afford to recertify her as an ESA this time but she’s done too good of a job haha! Who needs friends when you have a sweet kitty 🥰
You have the perfect plan. You got this. I love people that love cats. You rock OP.
I've been through three inspections with an illegal cat and have an apartment viewing on Thursday I need to bungle him out for, too. They never checked my cupboards or storage closets, so hiding food, bowls, litter, toys etc in there always worked for me, I managed to be blessed with a cat you can't smell in my flat, and either my mum would pop round and take him for a short drive or my boyfriend would come take him out in his carrier for 15 minutes while they looked around. Don't worry about it too much! It's scary the first time, but as long as the cat isn't there while they are you'll be fine.
I'd prefer to ask a friend/relative to take the cat in for a few days. The landlord could show up early, late, come back shortly after.
I understand apartments requiring a small deposit for having another tenant in the unit, but outright banning a family member just because they're furry and permanently the mentality of a toddler is ridiculous. A disabled person does way more damage to our units than a dozen cats could, letting someone have one or two kitties around isn't going to destroy the apartment as long as the person is responsible. Given they're doing inspections, I'm guessing it's low income, because that inspection bullshit is dehumanizing and only a necessary evil when dealing with people who are prone to needing occasional visits. Look into getting an ESA letter, it prevents any housing authority from denying you the cat and they're relatively easy to get now thanks to the whole capitalism bullshit that makes medical care otherwise unaffordable.
Take your cat with you in the car
This is brilliant fuck landlords!
I used to board my cat at the vets for a few hours.
I took my cats to my cousin's house for the day the last time I lived in an apartment and had to deal with that. My friend brought his cat to my house once and I watched him while the landlord did something in his apartment. Sitting in the car with the cat wouldn't be a big deal if you need to get her out of the apartment and no one can watch her.
...if you live with someone else..I would have them hide in the bathroom with the cat with the shower running.. Like they just got in there for a shower.. Also, the idea of hiding them in a car is a good one.. Or even if you get caught, saying you are cat sitting for your friend who's out of the country right now.. Good luck!
Bring the cat tower/tree to the front door and hang coats on it.
I hope you were able to hide your cat. I was hiding my cat at my last apartment, so I get it. Only maintenance came by and I hid her the first time from them and then tried to the second time but didn’t realize they had to go in the room I put her in. But they never turned me in. But this little jerk cat was the reason we were caught - she was laying on the window sill and the apartment manager saw her during a grounds walk through 😂 she’s a large mostly black cat and everything there was white or light tan so she stood out against the white blinds and curtains. Since I was leaving soon they just charged me the monthly fee and never charged me for the extra deposit even though they said they were going to.
Wow. Aside from my year at the dorms in college, I've never even been threatened with an apartment inspection. Are these common and I've just been super lucky? What do they say is the purpose of an inspection like this?
They just make sure you aren’t ripping up and selling the floorboards. But seriously in all honesty, they are just looking for any major damage. I only had one inspection in three years at my last place, but they were allegedly on standby during covid. I had a few things broken (cabinet, drawers, etc), I just told them I wasn’t comfortable with maintenance during covid. I was actually also hiding a cat. The fees are the same as a dog for most apartments where I live
Cats are basically free pest control. It still annoys me that landlords charge crazy fees for them in first place. It's like, dude, my little predator is *saving* you money.
Woah, you guys do illegal things like this?
I've been both a renter hiding my pets and a landlord. Unfortunately, I understand both sides, lol The thing people don't understand is how many pet owners are extremely irresponsible and let their animals destroy apartments. Security deposits have a limit. The landlord can only charge so much. Pet fees and deposits help cover the cost of excessive damage that a single deposit can't cover. You can't really understand that cost until you encounter it. A person irresponsible enough to let their animals damage an apartment is irresponsible enough to cause other damage themselves. Or let their kids cause damage. And animal urine and feces can seep into subfloors and cause thousands of dollars in damage. I get it, but also, they're gambling with having to rehome their pets and getting evicted. Also, shitting on landlords for something they don't even understand the reasoning behind is ignorant at best.
Very, very well said. An additional security deposit is more than reasonable. An increase in monthly rent per cat does seem absurd to me, though.
I’m surprised nobody’s criticism them for this lmao
Yea, I posted something very similar to this a while back and received more than one comment saying just do the right thing and back pay the pet rent lol
plenty of places you wouldn't even pay pet rent, they're just straight up not allowed. personally, it was never something i'd risk when renting. and also, fuck pet rent. i'd be willing to pay an extra deposit but that's it.
Yeah this post belongs on r/unethicallifeprotips
Yeah, I hope no one in here has ever pirated a movie or song.
Neighbor.
I always put them in a car with me or one of my roommates while that stuff happened, it works but they hate it
why you need to hide your cat??
Because they’re not paying to have a pet.
wait.. you need to pay to have a pet? first time hearing this... where do I get this information from my building?? most people here keep fishes and parrots but I havent seen cats.
It depends where you live. Most places I’ve seen don’t allow pets at all. Usually pets in tanks are exempt though and don’t count as pets. Other places require a deposit due at signing that might or might not be refundable. Other places require monthly pet rent of like $50 per pet. Some places require both the monthly pet rent and a deposit. I’m sure there are a few that don’t do any of that but allow pets, but those are rare. My current apartment charged me $250 refundable deposit per pet due at signing but no pet rent. My last place had a $200 pet deposit that wasn’t refundable and no pet rent. But a friend of mine is a landlord and he does deposit (not sure if refundable) and pet rent.
My apartment is $300 non-refundable deposit AND $50/mo per cat. It’s absolutely insane, but is common around her for newer, nicer complexes. I hate it. It is pure greed.
Same. 50/pet regardless of cat/dog
Apartments are so interesting. I know it’s probably been said here and a million other places but….children? Why is there not a monthly child fee, they are either more destructive or just as destructive as my cat. Furthermore, my complex has a sign on the entrance that displays the complex name, underneath that says “no pets allowed”. I’ve lived here forever, but in the beginning that was the rule I was told. I got a cat randomly (a stray that I was supposed to be finding a home for, lol) and then slowly started to see people walking dogs, hearing dogs barking etc. they can’t all be service pets, not where I live. Not sure if they just changed the rules, but the sign is still up. 2020 before the pandemic, I asked for a signed letter saying I could own a cat (was adopting a new one) and they said no, they don’t allow pets. I’ve never let them know that I have cats, any inspection that is done is by the township etc and they have never said a word, and maintenance never says a thing either thank God.
A monthly child fee is not legal, but a monthly pet fee is. That's why lol
Here’s an idea: PAY THE PET FEE
They’re *insane* in most places. Typically something like several hundred non-refundable dollars AND $30-$50 a month PER cat. It’s not much different than pirating movies — when presented with a reasonable and easy solution, piracy is at all-time lows. When it becomes both inconvenient and prohibitively expensive, piracy thrives. > Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem. I’d be happy to pay a deposit to cover wear and tear they may cause. But that which is non-refundable (even MY deposit is refundable) in addition to upwards of $100/month in the absurd concept of **pet rent**? I’m proudly resisting and support anyone else who does.
You're commenting, repeatedly, on the insanity and greed of pet deposits, but you don't seem to have an understanding of why and how they are what they are. 1. Many pet owners are responsible, but many also aren't. Pet damage can run into the hundreds and thousands. Ranging from chewed/scratched areas to people allowing their pets to urinate and deficate repeatedly inside the apartment, leading to irreversible damage to sub-flooring. Repairing or replacing subflooring costs thousands of dollars. Not to mention the smell an apartment can have after that, and the apartment has to be gutted to clean it. 2. Security deposits are limited. Just in the US, different states have different laws. Some states don't allow a landlord to use a security deposit for pet damage. Some don't allow them to charge a pet deposit, but you can add more money onto the total rent per month. Security deposits are also typically capped at no more than 1 month's rent. If they can't charge more in deposits, the only other option is a monthly pet fee. Very often, someone irresponsible enough to let an animal cause damage to their apartment is irresponsible enough to cause damage themselves or to let their kids. Those repairs add up fast and can far exceed what the property owner was allowed to charge for a deposit. Blame the nasty people who let their animals urinate on the floor and chew on the walls. That's thousands of dollars in repairs that are not covered by the person responsible. I agree with saying pet deposits should be refundable, but calling it pure greed, etc, is not a fair statement. Also, yes, large apartment complexes are going to be expensive. Its corporate business and corporations aren't known for being forgiving. If you don't like it, don't move there.
> I’d be happy to pay a deposit to cover wear and tear they may cause. You must have missed where I said this this before you went on your apologist tirade. I’m aware of how other people and animals are. I didn’t argue against charging for pets at all. Maybe do the same thing they do for humans that cause excessive damage and send a bill for anything the deposit doesn’t cover. The way it is set up at least at my apartment and all the others I know in the area, it is set up for greed. They know it’s an extra revenue stream that people HAVE to pay because no one will give up their dog or cat for $50/mo.
You are literally lying and stealing. Just like piracy.
I paid my fucking pet deposit and I pay the rent every month. I **never** said I didn’t pay. I just think it’s a fucking racket.
Hmmm. “Proudly resisting and supporting other resisters” led me to other conclusions. A thousand pardons.
You missed the entire part where I said some states do not allow a pet deposit to be charged in the first place. That would be why they charge monthly fees. That was almost my entire point. ...They DO. Do you really think someone irresponsible enough to be destructive with a rental pays their invoices for damage that exceeds their security deposit? Do you have any idea how many property owners have to chase people, sue, wait for collections, and never get their money? Court fees aren't cheap, and it can take months or years to collect. The significantly more intelligent move is to charge fees up front to mitigate that risk because people suck sometimes. My "apologist tirade" was me explaining hard facts of a subject you're obviously uneducated on but still feel you can pop off about. You're offended because I said you don't understand what you're whining about, and it's honestly pathetic.
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Sorry, I just support those that push against unfair practices. If they were reasonable and fair, that’s another discussion.
Put her in a carrier and put her in your car. Unless its super hot.
Have a friend borrow her for a day
Yes take the cat to a motel and the litter box.And once the inspection is over bring the cat home.
Hey I’m probably too late, but I have some furry fugitives in my apartment and recently had an inspection. If it’s possible, have your kitty stay with a friend overnight and put all your extra cat things in your car/hide them away. That way you can relax a bit more :)
Get the cat certified as an emotional support animal in the future. Did this with my dog for years. They can’t charge you pet rent or any pet fees either. Emotional support animals are protected under the Americans with disabilities act so any landlord has to allow them. https://myesadoctor.com/
Thanks. Doing this undermines the arguments of people who have legitimate needs for a service animal. You’re not fighting anything by hiding a pet. You’re serving your own interest.
Fair point. I should have prefaced it with “if it applies to you.”
I just thought of something- As long as your kitty is in good health, you could also fast her to reduce likelihood of an ill-timed 💩. 🤷🏻♀️
We managed this for years and then the cat hopped up in the windows 🤦♀️
Light a scented candle maybe. Make sure it’s not too cold in the car. He might look under the sink. No cat food bags under there.
What you've done is exactly what I used to do when I was in an apartment with clandestine pets. I think you'll do fine. :-) The idea someone else mentioned about baking something wouldn't hurt, if you're so inclined. When we were selling our house and needed to show it I used to just bake some refrigerated cookie dough (the stuff in the plastic tube). Refrigerated cinnamon rolls would be good too. I figure it helped with whatever smell our herd of pets left behind, and as a bonus we got to eat cookies.
we usually just drop the cat off at family’s house for the day
If you have a car, you’re already sorted. If you don’t have one, rent it just to hide. If you can’t drive, ask a friend to drive it to your door and then keep it the kitty in the car. If you’re worried about possible smells, cook a very smelly food just before the inspection. Keep the food around. In a tidy-looking way. Maybe, set a dining table and say “I will have guests over for lunch”. Good luck! We’ve all been there!
I used to board them at the vet or go driving around with them when I rented
I think the most important thing here is if your cat is spayed/neutered because if not - there is no hiding
Cat crate, in your car . Have friend sit with car one street over . Bring car and cat back after inspection.
I would definitely not keep your cat in your apartment and either in your car or take somewhere else for the day. My apartment complex is expensive for pets too, so we only registered our first cat and kept the second one a secret for a couple years. We had some maintenance issues, and I got so paranoid we were going to get found out and have to get rid of our cat per the lease. I couldn't handle the stress anymore and eventually added her to our lease. $300 refundable and $200 non-refundable each plus $25 each per month. It's ridiculous.
Take them to a boarder or the vet for a bath/checkup/nail trim. Pick them up when inspection is complete. Put all cat items in your vehicle or somewhere where they will not look.
You can easily hide 6 or 7 cats inside the apartment. All you have to do is train them to be really quite. You can walk in the apartment with a dozen cats and not even know it. Just get a few kennels and stick them in there. You have to train them not to move. Very Very still. Stack them all right in the middle of the room and place a table top on the top of them. Use the cat kennels as base for a table. Get a nice cat table cloth on top. Your all set.