Q: New owner put no pets on new lease when we paid a pet deposit 3 years ago and always had pets. Can we be forced to move?
UPDATE...LANDLORD SENT NEW LEASE INCLUDING OUR PETS. THANKS FOR THE ADVISE GIVEN! Can the new owner force us to sign a lease stating no pets after we have been here for 3 years with the pets and paid the pet deposit back then? We have always paid our rent on time and the new owner just visited the home with his property manager and both complemented how nice it was. I am afraid that he will try to evict us or not offer a new lease for refusing to sign it with the no pet clause. We do not want to sign because he can later come back and say that we agreed to no pets and he would have it in writing. We asked if a pet addendum could be added and he sent one but it listed that we cannot have reptiles and we have a gecko and an water turtle in an outside pond. So he then sent another lease that said no pets and an email saying we can address the pets later, and that his organization does not normally allow pets but will make an exception and to just sign it.
A: It doesn't matter that your old lease allowed pets - apparently the new one doesn't. You apparently have a difficult choice - stay where you are and lose the turtle and the gecko; or move. (I'm not really sure a gecko and a turtle even qualify as pets, but I'm not the landlord)
Bruce Alexander Minnick agrees with this answer
1 user found this answer helpful
A: It sounds to me like your landlord is willing to make an exception in this bizarre situation--which I would advise that they do because losing a good tenant in today's rental market makes no sense--financial or otherwise. So if you cannot afford to move I would advise you to sign the new lease and fight this silly "battle" later.
1 user found this answer helpful
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