:(

[fu1bar3]

Landlords...cant live with them...sometimes you cant live with out them. Well heres the thing, they came over to do some general maint. ... I had asked when i moved in if snakes were ok. "yup" As long as its potty trained or in a "tank" and not wandering around peeing on the floor its ok to have. Well I guess when they dont have their pet policy in writing they can amend it when or how they want. They said the snakes are ok, because the mice i bring in to feed them are already dead, but i have to get rid of my chameleons because i have to bring in live "bugs" to feed them.. and they dont want the "bugs" getting out and causeing damage to the apartment. So I have to "get rid" of the chameleons and two of my cresties ( they saw crickets in with the adults).

 

[Plissken]

You can tell the landlord you are going to switch your cresties to a manmade diet and there will be no more insects. This can be done even with an established adult. Got to be worth a try, if it's a choice between that or giving them up. :shrugs:

I recommend you request their pet policy (and any other policies you don't have) be put in writing. Really, this stuff should be in your lease.

 

[KJUN]

I had asked when i moved in if snakes were ok. [snip] Well I guess when they dont have their pet policy in writing they can amend it when or how they want. [snip] i have to get rid of my chameleons

Well, it saounds like the landlord didn't change his policy. You stated he said snakes were OK (then and now), but it sounds like you never asked about lizards. If you didn't approve the lizards first, how can you blame him for changing a policy? Realistically, the crickets can't hurt a darn thing in that apartment. Worst case scenario, they chirp and bother a neighbor....lol. You can try switching them to dried crickets. Yeah, not the best (or healthiest) solution, but what else can you do? Just another lesson we ALL need to learn about asking more questions before renting a place. This is EXACTLY why I bought my home when I was in college. Renting with snakes in south Louisiana was pretty much impossible!

I recommend you request their pet policy (and any other policies you don't have) be put in writing. Really, this stuff should be in your lease.

Yeah, and many landlords are just as likely to tell you that you can leave when your lease is up than give you anything in writing. ....or say "Sure, but they'll be a $500 nonrefundable pet deposit for ANY animals in the place." I'd suggest beinn thankful that your landlord still allows the snakes and not rock the boat too much. After all, it DOES sound like the landlord never approved lizards in the first place.

KJ

 

[Plissken]

Yeah, and many landlords are just as likely to tell you that you can leave when your lease is up than give you anything in writing. ....or say "Sure, but they'll be a $500 nonrefundable pet deposit for ANY animals in the place." I'd suggest beinn thankful that your landlord still allows the snakes and not rock the boat too much. After all, it DOES sound like the landlord never approved lizards in the first place.

KJ

I wasn't referring to rocking the boat - I was thinking more from the point of view of avoiding any further misunderstandings. Snakes eating dead mice are allowed, yes, but snakes of any size? How about if one of the snakes one day needed live food? It is a good idea to know where you stand so as to avoid upsetting anybody in the future.

Granted, I don't know what it is like across the pond, but here it is fairly standard practice to request things in writing.

 

[fu1bar3]

As long as its potty trained or in a "tank" and not wandering around peeing on the floor its ok to have.

The "lizards" were aproved. I talked to the wife of the landlord and explained that the crickets were just a treat for the geckos, as I do feed them CGD. They are ok to stay now, I do however have to rehome the chameleons. I dont just feed them crickets, but meal worms, silk worms, and any little "bug" I can get my hands on to vary their diet. Her concern about the "bugs" was that they would attract other "bugs", and her husband just wrote it (I was at work when he came.) as "damage to the apartment".

While I am sad about haveing to rehome them, it is actually a small price to pay for the amount of critters they do let me keep.

We also talked about thier pet policy. They dont have it in writing because they do it based on the individual. The lady three doors down is not allowed to have more than two animals cause she can't afford them. However I am allowed to have many cause I can afford them.

 

[Hypancistrus]

We also talked about thier pet policy. They dont have it in writing because they do it based on the individual. The lady three doors down is not allowed to have more than two animals cause she can't afford them. However I am allowed to have many cause I can afford them.

Personally, this sounds totally bogus to me. How do they know what someone can and cannot afford?? I certainly know people at my salary level who "cannot afford" the pets I have, but then they make other lifestyle choices (expensive vacations anyone??) that I chose not to make in favor of MY hobby.

This makes me sooo glad that I decided not to rent once I got out of college. Living with the folks for 4 years sucked, but now I have my own home and no one to tell me what I can and cannot keep. :dancer:

 

[fu1bar3]

When you move in they do a credit check and also ask where your working, and how much you get paid so they can tell if you should be able to afford the rent. I have talked to the lady down the way and she doesnt work, she gets money from the state cause she has some mental issue. Thats how they know what you "should" be able to afford.

 

[Jrgh17]

I didn't get a copy of my pet policy in writing. I asked, but they basically said it would be too much of a PITA. Essentially, they wanted to be able to change and/or deny it if they have a problem with a specific animal.

This was a pretty big issue due to a recent incident with a friend, so I called the office and asked about various types of animals. In Illinois at least, tape recording a phone conversation is completely legal as long as at least one of the people having the conversation gives permission... and that's exactly what I did. I have a tape recording of the guy giving his name, and also saying that I can have "anything that isn't poisonous that lives in something like a 20 gallon fishtank or smaller".

Obviously, it's not rock solid, but as long as I don't do anything stupid (ie get a viper because it's not technically "poisonous"), and don't make a complete idiot of myself as far as the neighbors go, it should be enough to keep my animals and my apartment.

 

[Susan]

Any chance of convincing the landlord that the chameleons would actually be beneficial in preventing bugs from moving into the apartment because they would eat them? Call them a "living roach motel".

 

[fu1bar3]

lol Susan, thank you for trying to see the positive side of things. I actually talked to a friend today, while he was changing my oil...lol, and he knows someone that has been looking for chameleons. we'll see how that goes.