Apartment pet policies and small birds

[Sojourner]

So my son just got a job at a university in Texas and one of the possible scenarios for me making the move is to move into an apartment until the house we JUST BOUGHT here sells.

So I called a sr. living complex and when I asked about birds (keeping in mind that the woman with whom I spoke had no idea what a "finch" was) this is what I was told.

ANY caged bird counts as 1 whole pet equivalent to a cat or dog. So I can ONLY have 2 finches or 2 parakeets.

In addition, I have to pay the SAME pet deposits and fees for EACH bird as if they were a dog or cat. That means $250 per pet for a refundable deposit, $250 per pet for a non-refundable "pet fee", and $15 per pet extra rent per month.

For finches.

Now I'm afraid to even ask at any other apartment complexes.

I would understand the above policy if we were talking about a large parrot or macaw that is going to be out of the cage.

But FINCHES?

Can anyone share some recent experience with this? It seems like even a temporary apartment to smooth over the move is not possible with such draconian pet policies for tiny little birds.

And seriously - she said the rule even applies to aquarium fish. So you can have 2 goldfish and that's it????

[Sally]

That is insane! All my birdie friends live in houses, so I don't know anyone to ask about apartment policies. I wonder if it is because it is a senior living apartment, not one for the general public, and so they are being more picky? What university in Texas? There are lots of finch people (or birds in general) in Texas, so you should be able to meet some new friends.

[lovezebs]

Sojourner

That is nuts!!!

That said, there are many places that don't allow any pets, period! Not even a fish in a bowl

If I were you, I would definitely make other inquiries, to see what else is availble out there.

[Finley16]

Wow ...that is just crazy...and fish..seriously...are they afraid the tank will bust and ruin their carpet? Lol could some family member watch your birds till you get your own place?..hopebyou get something worked out..

[LadyCrow]

With my experience, most don't mind small birds. The apartments I've lived in always counted (small) birds like fish in tanks, as decoration rather than pets. And even then, if there was a limit of fish tank size, there was usually no such thing for birds. I've never had to pay a deposit or a fee for any of my birds and they've never counted towards my pet limit. I only ever got the "How loud are they?" question and that's it.

You may want to request speaking with someone there more knowledgeable about birds. Besides that, I would look somewhere else.

[Sojourner]

Sally
LadyCrow


I think the manager just didn't know what she was talking about, eg she was pulling it out of her ... imagination, let us say. I mean seriously - she had no idea what a finch was. I don't expect "civilians" to be able to recognize each and ever species and sub-species - I sure don't - but surely "robin", "sparrow", "wren", and "finch" should be part of the common knowledge base, and you should at LEAST know they are small wild birds!

I am trying to reach the regional manager in TX for the property management firm to double check that.

But really, there are other reasons NOT to go there - the parking is super-weird for an old-people community. Even if you pay extra for "special" spaces they are unlikely to be anywhere near your actual apartment. I have trouble schlepping groceries the 5' between my driveway and the kitchen door - no way am I going to make it trying to trundle across the He!!'s half-acre that is the parking lot there, LOL!

lovezebs
Finley16

Yeah, isn't it just nuts? I'm glad its not just me, LOL! I've never heard of anybody having trouble with small birds like finches. Parrot-size birds and Macaws, sure, because of the noise factor (did you know that the Pterodactyl scream in Johnny Quest was actually a macaw?).

And I can even understand objections to aquariums in case they might leak, though no one I know has ever had a leaky aquarium but once when we were kids, and it was a used aquarium. We noticed immediately and popped the fish into buckets while my dad emptied it, cleaned and repaired, and when the seals were firm, back in they went. So ONCE in over 50 years through dozens of aquariums.

I guess I understand putting a size limit or total gallonage, but even then - if an apartment allows waterbeds, they ought not to be worried about aquariums, LOL!

But I hardly think my 2 finches - or even a couple dozen - pose much threat.

My son is already saddled with the birds. I think ideally he would prefer that NOT continue post-move, LOL! So would I, actually. I didn't get them only to NOT have them around.

OH and I don't remember the exact name of the university, but apparently it has one of the better political science departments for his specialty in the US.

[lovezebs]

Sojourner

You know, some places can get sticky about birds, as crazy as it seems.

Before I moved last Spring, I was living in a Co-op for over 23 years.
When I initially moved in , they had a two pet policy (dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets). Birds and fish, and small things like hamsters, mice, etc, were not included in this policy.

I made sure of that, because I (of course had birds) didn't want problems down the road. I was assured verbally that this would never be a problem.

Well I moved in with my 3 older Cats (no one was the wiser), and my birds, and for many years there was never an issue. My old Cats passed away, to be replaced with two others. My old Canaries passed, and gave way to Lovebirds, who gave way to Canaries and Finches. A fish tank came along, as did a hamster, and for quite sometime I looked after my Dad's dog (as Dad got older).

Never any issues, problems or complaints for over 23 years.

Then along came a new Board, with a Pet Commitee, headed by the witch from hell. This 'lady' made it her life's mission to make other people as miserable as she was. Suddenly the "TWO PET QUOTA", reared up it's ugly head, and suddenly "ALL PETS" were included in this policy (other than fish).

Long story long , I decided to move. It was time, for various reasons, aside from the pet issue.

However, I did make sure before I left, that this particular woman was discredited, kicked off the board (legit reasons), and her precious pet committee, was suspended until further notice.

Lesson 1: Don't pick on Elana and her Zoo.

Anyway, this just goes to show, that there are such policies, and they can be enforced.

Lesson 2): If you do get someone to agree to more than two pets, get in in writing !!! for the duration of your stay,

Good luck.

[Catherine]

That's ridiculous! I live in an apartment, and to be honest I never even checked with my landlord before I got my finches. But there is nothing forbidding pets in the lease, and I know for a fact that other tenants have dogs or cats.

I think it's silly to have such strict rules about caged birds, but I would understand if there were restrictions about cockatoos or something that can be destructive (not to mention LOUD!). I think part of it may be that people don't know much about finches: some of the first questions most people ask me when I tell them I have finches is, "Do they talk? Do you let them out of their cage so they can sit on your shoulder?"

[wildbird]

When traveling to motels, there has been a charge of about $20 a night for each finch (same as for dog or cat), nonrefundable. Most consider finches the same as dogs or cats. If you say they are the size of a canary or smaller, they seem to be more likely to not charge extra. And they don't ever come out of their cage. That helps too. It didn't use to be this way. Some people don't even know what birds are anymore. There are apartments that will take them, just be sure the lease doesn't have restrictions on pets. If they say birds are ok anyway, get it in writing from the landlord.

[Sojourner]

wildbird

$20 EACH??? For FINCHES?

Guess what I WON'T be telling when I check in!

[Sally]

When traveling, use LaQuinta Inns. They allow pets, no extra charges. We used them when traveling to the National Bird Show last month. Each night, we carried more than two dozen finches into the room. Bring a sheet, which you can lay on the floor, set the cages on the sheet, and then you confine any seed mess. They also have full breakfast in the morning, decent rooms.

[DamonIRB]

Tell them they are 'Service Finches' that help keep you calm. Without them, you'll start killing stupid people...

[lovezebs]

DamonIRB

[Dave]

I'm not sure why you would even mention that you have some birds. It might be years before they'd find out. Unless you have a large parrot that screeches and peels wallpaper, it really isn't anyone's business.

[Sojourner]

Dave

That won't work, because they come into the apartment regularly for maintenance items like checking light bulbs, changing furnace filters, etc. It's a 55+ apartment complex.

But I've knocked them off my list because of the stupid parking arrangements. I don't care WHAT the apartment is like when you have to schlep your groceries clear across the parking lot because they don't reserve even a single spot for residents in front of their apartment - and even if you pay extra per month for a "paid" spot it will not be near your actual apartment.

Plus we've now decided I will stay here for awhile given my son's wife has already decided she hates the new place and they won't be staying there. Note that she hasn't even visited yet.

At any rate no reason for me to pack up and move only to have to do it again.