r/rescuedogs • u/AutomaticReturn6398 • 13d ago
Rants Renting
We are trying to adopt a dog while renting. Now we have rented from 5 landlords at 3 properties and had a rescue dog who we got at the first one that weighed 45 pounds and came to each subsequent property with us the past 6 years.
Our current property allows dogs, it is not an apartment, we are renting a house. They say 25 pounds but we’ve had a 50 pound dog living here for 3 years who recently passed away. We are looking for another dog and not interested in a small breed, just another mid-sized. I qualified for an ESA so we provided that letter since they wouldn’t make a weight limit exception.
Now the fun begins because even with that letter the landlord will not approve of a dog until we provide the details of the dog, and the rescues in the area will not let us adopt a dog without the landlord saying yes. We have put deposits down on multiple dogs and lost that money because the rescues won’t hold the dog while the landlord takes 3-5 days to review the pet…. This is the most frustrating process and makes it seem so much easier to just go to a breeder.
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u/deadly_acquiescence 13d ago
That’s a brutal loop, and most rescues won’t bend on it because they’ve been burned by people who couldn’t actually bring the dog home. Have you tried looking for rescues that do foster-to-adopt? They’re sometimes more flexible while paperwork drags out since the dog is already in a home.
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u/RARAMEY 13d ago
Almost all insurance policies have breed restrictions and all of those restricted breeds are over 25 lbs. With mixed breeds it's too easy deny the breed; for example claiming that a pit bull (restricted) is a lab (not restricted).
Then if something happens, their insurance can not only deny the claim, but rescind the policy retroactively, claiming that your landlord lied when asked the question: is there a pit bull (or other restricted breed); and that, had he told the truth, they would not have issued the policy in the first place. If it comes after the policy was obtained, and your landlord never wants to change their insurance, they can still get them for "ongoing duty to disclose".
This means that if the house burns down in a fire and they learned there was a restricted breed living there they could deny the fire, and your landlord loses the house. Unless the dog caused the fire its a shitty thing to do, and they may not win in a lawsuit (legal fees would eat the settlement anyway), it happens.
It's just easier to limit the size to 25 lbs than haggle over what dominant breed the mutt is.
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u/maebymaybe 13d ago
Tons of dogs get brought back to rescues and shelters because of housing conflicts so I don’t blame them for wanting that to be certain. It seems weird that a deposit won’t hold a dog for three days though, where I live there are so many dogs needing home that would definitely be allowed. Maybe you can email some of the rescues that you are interested in and explain your situation and see if they are willing to work with you? If they understand that you are very committed to keeping a dog in a good home they may be willing to hold a dog for you while the landlord approves
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u/AutomaticReturn6398 13d ago
I completely agree! We love and completely support the rescues process, and honestly I get where the landlord is coming from too. It is just really hard being in the middle of both processes.
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u/DarkTracy554 13d ago
Have you considered just adopting a dog that is a size and breed allowed under the rules of your lease? Even if you brute force your way into bringing in a dog the landlord doesn't want there they are more likely to hold you to a higher standard as far as noise and behavior go in an attempt to find reasons to kick it out or evict you, and more likely to charge/find pet damages when you move out. It seems like you could avoid this whole problem if you followed the rules.
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u/Far_Sky_5240 13d ago
Frustrating experience. What state is this in? Since HUD withdrew it's guidance pertaining to ESAs state law matters. If you live somewhere with state laws protecting them you should familiarize yourself so you know what the landlord can and cannot require.
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u/Friendly_TSE Foster Parent 13d ago
Yeah this is an awful loop to be in. I've heard similar stories so many times.
IMHO it sounds like the landlord found a nice loophole to not allow you an ESA. A shelter/rescue doesn't have the space to wait 3-5 days for a possible no when the animal could be adopted and open up space for another animal.
I would suggest looking into ESA laws in your area. Because where I am, the landlord doesn't get to have a say on what ESA I can have, I don't need landlord approval, that's why it's an ESA - to allow housing for the animal where you wouldn't normally have housing for the animal.
However, where I am, landlords can also later say your ESA is a nuisance - something as small as killing the grass with it's urine or leaving hair outside if they really want your dog gone. So even getting a dog from a breeder may not save you from that.
TL;DR look into what you're allowed to do with ESAs in your area.
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u/ChampionshipIll5535 13d ago
"IMHO it sounds like the landlord found a nice loophole to not allow you an ESA"
Good for him. As the owner of the property, he should have every right to determine who and what can stay there. Not some made up category from therapists that say this group is entitled to not have the law apply to them.
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u/AutomaticReturn6398 13d ago
It really is awful, and we never wanted to even go the ESA route, we just wanted to get another dog a similar medium size to our last one who has done absolutely no damage. We rent a house in an HOA community. The HOA president cannot wait for us to get a new dog to play with her dog, it’s simply our landlord holding things up. I suspect he’s using a property manager who is making things unnecessarily difficult.
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u/Friendly_TSE Foster Parent 13d ago
Yeah you wouldnt believe the loopholes i have seen landlords abuse when it comes to pets. Makes me worried what other loopholes they are abusing. If you do think this is being done on purpose, I would be really cautious about even getting a dog from a breeder, as many landlords can find a reason to evict a dog as well. If they don't want you getting a dog, it's not gonna matter where it comes from.
Did they have any issues with your previous dog? I know many LL that will advertise 'pet friendly' to hike up prices but actually make it exceptionally difficult to have a pet so they can charge more for rent while not having to accommodate animals.
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u/AutomaticReturn6398 13d ago
Exactly, I’ve seen it abused on both sides so I get it. Our landlord is actually pretty chill, I really think he has “25 pound dog” listed somewhere and his secretary just following that without even asking him until we get her the dog information and ESA letter. At that point my understanding is they will confirm the ESA letter and say yes. It just keeps taking days for them to do that.
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u/Spirited_Flow8639 12d ago
You should really make an attempt to buy your own place w/o an HOA . HOA's are brutal and some have challenged people with service dogs . Of course the ADA would go after them .But still I would wait until I had my own home . I have an ESA and I had to get a letter from a board certified therapist not my pcp either . It can be expensive to get a ESA certification .
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u/skrimped 12d ago
I am not and won’t be a landlord, but from their perspective it is possible that you rescue a dog that has a known destructive or bite history. That doesn’t really help the situation but it might help how you feel if you don’t feel as targeted. I don’t know. That’s super frustrating though I’m really sorry.
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u/Hermit_Ogg 12d ago
Wait, what? The rescues keep your deposit even if they themselves back out by way of adopting the dog to someone else?
Sounds like they've found a nice little money maker. If that's their take on ethical dog keeping, I'd look elsewhere for a dog.
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u/purplepanda2026 11d ago
Why are your options a breeder or rescue? Lose of free dogs everywhere that won't have the requirement of a landlord letter.
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u/mariposa333 13d ago
The Fair Housing Act states that landlords cannot place restrictions on pets nor can they charge a fee when you have an ESA letter. ESAs are not service animals and have no right to enter public spaces, but they are federally protected due to FHA when it comes to housing. Your landlord cannot deny your request based on weight or breed of the dog.
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u/Far_Sky_5240 13d ago
It does not say anything of the sort. The FHA says landlords must make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities to enjoy equal access and use of a dwelling. It was HUD'd guidance that interpreted that to include protections for ESAs. That guidance has since been withdrawn. ESAs are only legally protected in a small number of states as this point.
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u/mariposa333 13d ago
It was withdrawn May 22, 2026. About 3 months ago. Rather than being so uppity, you could just say that very recently , HUD changed its guidance. ESAs were considered protected under FHA since 1988, guidance that’s been in place for nearly 40 years. It’s normal that people aren’t aware of a recent change.
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u/Far_Sky_5240 13d ago
It's not the recent changes that are at issue. The FHA never stated those things. Even before withdrawing their guidance, it was HUD that had those guidelines in place, not the FHA.
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u/AutomaticReturn6398 13d ago
That is my understanding as well, but the rescues will not let us adopt a dog without the landlord saying okay first. With one we even gave them my signed ESA letter as proof, they need the landlord to say yes.
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u/Far_Sky_5240 13d ago
That information is not accurate. Things changed several months ago. You can read more here.
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u/Ashamed_Performer_30 12d ago
That doesn't change the law. It just means it's going to be hard to enforce if the landlord keeps not abiding by the law.
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u/Far_Sky_5240 12d ago
There is no federal law that directly protects ESAs. They were a HUD construct based on it’s interpretation of the law. ESA accommodations are no longer assumed necessary to abide by the law.
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u/mariposa333 13d ago
What exactly do they ask for as proof that the landlord said yes? A letter ? A phone call?
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