I'm living in an apartment-condo and am thinking about getting a bunny.  I just started law school and it's lonely and I study like 8 hours a day in my apartment so I think it might be nice...  If any of you remember, I used to have a foster rabbit named Todd.  My main concern is that I want to go see my boyfriend for about a weekend every month or two, and I'll be away for Thanksgiving and a while in December and was worried about pet sitters, but the place I'm considering adopting from says they do pet sitting on a limited scale so that might work out (though I'd probably have to figure something else out for December since it'd be more like 3 weeks... but I think it's easily doable for a cheap-to-no rate, especially for someone considering getting a rabbit and wanting to see what it would be like).

So here's the thing.  My lease says 'no pets,' but the ad for the apartment says the building allows cats (I found out it also allows birds and other small animals), which suggests the owner of the apt maybe would allow cats.  I think bunnies seem less drastic than cats.  But the owner of the apartment only shows up when I tell him something breaks or when he's showing my apt when I move out... his office is in the suburbs.

Additionally, I'm planning on moving when my year lease is up.  The location of my apartment to the law school is excellent but on weekends there are tons of undergraduates out walking around until like 3am.  And I don't need any reminders that I am a hermit.  I may change my mind, but just consider that moving next August wouldn't be the end of the world for me.

So, do I email my landlord asking if it would be ok to get a 'small caged animal' or do I just do it?  If he says no I may do it anyway.  And then there's evidence he told me no.

 

 

I would definitely ask him. When I wanted to get Otto, I had to convince my landlord. It was tough waiting to hear his answer, but I'm glad I asked. There are times he has to come in to do work on the place and it would be such a pain to hide the rabbits every time (since they're not as easy to hide as, say, a very small caged pet like a gerbil, which I hid from my landlord in college).

If he's hesitant, maybe offering to pay an extra security deposit or a few extra $$ per month would win him over - that's what worked for my landlord. After he saw how good Otto was he had no hesitation about letting us get a second bun.

Yeah, it would be added stress for me to be worrying about that... I'm under enough =P
I guess if he says no it'll just make my decision easier. Right now I'm concerned that maybe getting one would be too stressful and the commitment of having to find a sitter would be more than I want to deal with.

I have this pet complex from when I was little and brought all the strays home and got in trouble for it. So now I feel like I can't have pets =/

Definitely ask. I'd hate for you to have to give up the bunny if he finds out and gets angry.

I'd send him to my mom in NY. She LOVED my foster rabbit. She cried when he got adopted. But yeah I'll ask. Thanks guys =)

Always do the right thing and ask. Be honest and let them know it's a rabbit.

But while you're letting them know it's a rabbit, mention that you will have a cage and rabbits make no noise. My landlords have added a line for my bunnies without any problem, and when you tell them what I mentioned, it covers their concern about noise bothering neighbors (barking dogs) and ruined carpets (litter box trained in a cage. A big plus.) Most landlords won't even add a pet fee if it's a small caged animal.

Wouldn't it be to bring the rabbit through the front door?
Hee, hee - could not resist obvious joke!!!

My local shelter will provide information on rabbits to landlords, so the landlord can feel comfortable about having them around.

Yeah, definitely play up the caged part! And the litter trained/not smelling part.

We told my landlord that Otto would be caged all the time. He came over once while I wasn't home (I knew he was going over and told him it was fine) and he saw Otto's ridiculously large "cage". Haha. Then the next time the landlord came over I was home, and Otto was out and about. Uhh, so yeah, he's not really caged. lol My landlord didn't care a bit since nothing was destroyed and the place didn't stink. Let's just hope he doesn't notice the part of the wall Hannah chewed up.

I agree with everyone else.

Show that bunny is potty trained, has clean area, etc.

When my dad and I move into an apartment, I have to get Chacha a vet exam because the apartment complex requires that. Also, the people that run the apartment need to see my baby before she is allowed to permanently stay.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.........

Being a rabbit, I'm sure just ONE LOOK will win the people over

So I'm emailing my landlord right now asking him all these responsible things (eg where to send my rent)... my lease says no pets but it was a form lease, and in the ad for the apt they said the building allows cats...

ahhh! I'm nervous.  If he says no I'll be sad.  But I guess then I could do fostering maybe... you usually get a warning to get it out of your apt....

And if the answer is no, you can find a pet-friendly apartment in a year. I know that sounds like forever, but it will go fast.

good luck! you're doing the right thing by asking - even if you don't get the answer you want. at least it won't mean worrying about it! have you heard anything back yet?

Yes asking before would be a better idea. Here where I live they allow cats and bunnies but they don't allow dogs. If they would find a dog in someone's apartment they would just evict the person before telling them to get rid of the dog. I don't want you to have to be in that situation if your landlord is like that. I wish you luck though with him saying yes to the bunnies.

My apartment manager let me have my 2 indoor cats without the pet deposit. She was just really really nice and liked my cats and I guess she thought I was alright too You never know! It probably won't be an issue at all since they allow cats, or so the ad says. Good luck! It's way better to ask, you never know when something will break and you have to have them come in a fix it.

I just want to thank Sage Cat for writing what I had to try really, really hard to resist saying at first.
Let us know what your landlord says.

I'm sending hope your way that your landlord will say yes to bunnies!