Moving with several pets

[silverdreams]

Thanks again for the responses.

myrc60: Good point. I *may* be able to borrow the money from a sympathetic family member, but it's something I definitely have to keep in mind.

rparz & myrc60: I forgot to mention in my original post that my aunt and uncle may want to move back into this house or sell it in a year or two. They moved to Iowa for my uncle's job a few years back, and never seriously tried to rent to non-family or sell. My uncle plans to retire in a year, and my aunt wants to move back to this house, while my uncle wants to sell it and move to Florida. Otherwise I would love to stay. I love this house and this area, and the train station is literally right down the road, 1.4 miles away. Hmmm, if they decide to move to Florida, maybe I can convince them not to sell the house and instead continue renting to me, at least for a while? I do want to start a family within the next few years, and this is a great place to raise a family.

chet: The irresponsible snake owners seem to have made things difficult for the responsible ones. Yup, the cats are OK around the birds and snakes 24/7. I left a webcam running while I was at work on a couple occasions to confirm, and aside from that, the birds and snakes are thriving and don't show signs of being harassed. The cats were interested in the birds when we first got them years ago, but once the birds pinched their toes through the cage bars a couple times when they tried to harass them, they left them alone. They like to watch the snakes occasionally, but since they can't do much through the glass and the heavy-duty screen lids are securely fastened, they quickly lose interest and wander off. What do you mean by "Have you lived by yourself with the whole bunch of 'em?" If you mean have I cared for them without help from my dad, then yes.

[myrc60]

Some landlords are very shady. Even after paying a pet deposit of several hundred dollars for 2 pets, my daughter still had to pay to replace the carpeting in a 1bed apartment. Pet owners really are better off owning if you can afford it. Maybe your uncle would consider renting to you with an option to buy.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by silverdreams

Hello all. Currently I live and work in the suburbs (Vernon Hills and Libertyville), but my job may be moving downtown (close to Union Station) in less than a year. If I am made an offer to stay with the company, I will be moving closer to the job shortly after that. My challenge will be to find a decent place to live (that isn't terribly expensive, since if they make me an offer I would be above the poverty line but still low-income) where I can keep my pets. I currently have two cats, one bird, and two caged reptiles, and I want to add one medium-sized dog (between 30 and 50 lbs) in the near future. I currently rent a house with my father (who has one cat and one bird) from my aunt and uncle, who are also animal lovers, so they were willing to accommodate us. They have expressed concern about my ability to find a new place that will accommodate everything, and have been advising me to "get rid of" and "rehome" some of my pets, and they are not supportive of my plan to replace my recently deceased dog. Right now I am single and in a fragile state of mind due to recent traumas, and my pets are my priority. (I have sacrificed in other areas of my budget so that I can afford them.) I am not willing to give up any of them, and the new dog would be serving as an Emotional Support Animal (hopefully with a prescription from my doctor). There is a small possibility that I would move with my father, as he is currently unemployed and a company downtown has expressed interest in him.

I do not mind a bit of a commute on the train. I'd be willing to put up with an hour at most, so something in the suburbs would be OK. Like I said, it would need to be fairly inexpensive. I'm only looking for a studio or one bedroom, although I may need to expand my search if my father moves with me. Please let me know what my options are. I am hoping someone can recommend apartment buildings in "safe" neighborhoods (I am a single female). My uncle thinks I may need to buy rather than rent, so I am willing to do that as long as I can afford it.

Thanks in advance.

Take heart. My roommates and I moved into an apartment in Uptown with a pit bull puppy, two cats, two ferrets, and two pet rats. Prior to that, we subletted an apartment in Lakeview with the same aforementioned pets plus an additional two rats and a goldfish. And before that, we rented an apartment in East Humboldt Park where our landlord let us keep the two cats we found, foster a friend's pit bull, and allowed me to take in an extra SIX neglected rats on top of the ones I already had. She was a major animal lover and if it wasn't for the fact that she ended up giving our unit to her disabled niece, we would have never left that place. Oh, and we have an acquaintance/friend of a friend who rents with three cats and two pit bull mixes in the Ukrainian Village.

The lesson here?

First off, work with private landlords. Forget about big management companies. Look for a unit in a building with as few units as possible and try to rent directly from the landlord. There are landlords out there that are pet friendly and will work with you.

Second, you may have to forgo super popular locations and may have to settle for less popular destinations. The Lakeview apartment was a major fluke; otherwise, when I've owned pets, I've always rented in what I like to think of as 2nd tier neighborhoods, places that are up and coming but not complete hovels. Some spots to check out includes Pilsen, East Humboldt Park, Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Albany Park, the more western portions of the Ukrainian Village and Logan Sq., and even the eastern/northeastern edges of East Garfield Park (I've heard of landlords allowing renters to own chickens over there, so I don't think your pets will be an issue! Homesteading is very popular in that corner and a lot of artist types have moved in and own goats, chickens, bees, and so on). You may have to also settle for a less than updated unit.

Lastly, you'll need lots of time and money on your hands. Be prepared to offer up a pet fee, pay a pet rent, or offer more in a security deposit (though, it should be noted that I never had to do any of these in our experience, not even with the dog). Have that money available as soon as you find a suitable place since, in my experience, Chicago is that much of a pet friendly place for renters and pet friendly apartments get snatched up quick. It will take longer to find an accommodating place. IME, realtors and apartment finding services are pointless since most tend to traffic only in managed buildings. You may have to hoof it around town and look online. Come prepared with cash and stunning references from your current landlord about how little destruction your pets make.

I don't think your situation is that dire. Again, we managed with a freaking pit bull terrier and rats, two creatures people are irrationally afraid of! I would just keep harping on the fact that you simply have "caged pets", your cats are housebroken, and you will only get a small, so-called "non aggressive" breed of dog and you should be okay. Don't give up on your pets just yet (trust me, I understand how hard that can be!).

[silverdreams]

Thanks for sharing your daughter's experience, myrc60. I really hope that I'll be able to continue renting this house from my uncle.

Wow, eevee! Thanks a lot for sharing your story and your suggestions! It does seem like nowadays pit bulls and rats are as vilified as snakes are, so you've definitely given me hope. I'd be perfectly OK with a less popular location and a less than updated unit. I will keep those neighborhoods in mind. My pets are all well trained and haven't caused any damage, so I'm sure I can get a glowing reference from my aunt and uncle. I will also be sure to get a dog that weighs less than 40 lbs (per an earlier suggestion) and isn't one of the commonly banned breeds. Thanks again!

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by eevee

Take heart. My roommates and I moved into an apartment in Uptown with a pit bull puppy, two cats, two ferrets, and two pet rats. Prior to that, we subletted an apartment in Lakeview with the same aforementioned pets plus an additional two rats and a goldfish. And before that, we rented an apartment in East Humboldt Park where our landlord let us keep the two cats we found, foster a friend's pit bull, and allowed me to take in an extra SIX neglected rats on top of the ones I already had. She was a major animal lover and if it wasn't for the fact that she ended up giving our unit to her disabled niece, we would have never left that place. Oh, and we have an acquaintance/friend of a friend who rents with three cats and two pit bull mixes in the Ukrainian Village.

Second, you may have to forgo super popular locations and may have to settle for less popular destinations. The Lakeview apartment was a major fluke; otherwise, when I've owned pets, I've always rented in what I like to think of as 2nd tier neighborhoods, places that are up and coming but not complete hovels. Some spots to check out includes Pilsen, East Humboldt Park, Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, Albany Park, the more western portions of the Ukrainian Village and Logan Sq., and even the eastern/northeastern edges of East Garfield Park (I've heard of landlords allowing renters to own chickens over there, so I don't think your pets will be an issue! Homesteading is very popular in that corner and a lot of artist types have moved in and own goats, chickens, bees, and so on). You may have to also settle for a less than updated unit.
!).

Thanks for the tip. When I start looking for an apt I'll be checking for any goats, chickens, bees, etc..
nearby and mark that unit off the list.