Let’s talk about the baffling nature that is the “pet privilege” fee at most corporate apartment complexes. We’re running into this arbitrary fee more and more with each place that we tour. And let me just jump in before the “well most places have pet deposits”: yeah, they have those too...in addition to this so-called “fee.” The general numbers that we've been encountering are: $200 pet deposit (refundable), plus $20 a month pet rent AND $300 non-refundable pet privilege fee. It’s not for the extra cleanup and airing out that inevitably comes with renting to people with pets; that’s what the deposit is for (like most apartment deposits). And the rent is...just like people rent, I suppose. At $20 a month, I’m not going to complain a whole lot.
But a completely random non refundable $300 just because? What the shit?
If you want some extra money, just say so. Because you know that if you have a particularly messy pet, they’ll sure as shit keep most or all of that deposit and charge you if any additional services are required; it isn't coming out of that “privilege” fee. And what’s with the name, “pet privilege fee”? Like they’re doing us a solid by letting us have pets.
Out of all the complexes we checked out, only one didn't allow pets, but were in the process of changing their rules (as they were losing a lot of prospective renters because of that policy).
Pets are already expensive enough without these fees. And in a way it’s punishing people, such as Halbastram and I, who adopted an older pet so that it may have a second chance at living in a home environment. We’re not doing it for the lolz; we did it because we care. And apparently caring costs about $500 up front.
So, figuring conservatively at one of the complexes on our short list, before we've even received a key we have to pay: $500 total for the cat; $975 (one month’s rent); $35/each application fee; $125 security deposit; and some other stupid numbers I can’t remember. But just using those above, we need $1670 to get the ball rolling, not to mention the truck rental and the time off from work. With those numbers, I could just take on a mortgage payment. Sheesh.
This is why I avoid doing good things; there’s always a price to pay.
But a completely random non refundable $300 just because? What the shit?
If you want some extra money, just say so. Because you know that if you have a particularly messy pet, they’ll sure as shit keep most or all of that deposit and charge you if any additional services are required; it isn't coming out of that “privilege” fee. And what’s with the name, “pet privilege fee”? Like they’re doing us a solid by letting us have pets.
Out of all the complexes we checked out, only one didn't allow pets, but were in the process of changing their rules (as they were losing a lot of prospective renters because of that policy).
Pets are already expensive enough without these fees. And in a way it’s punishing people, such as Halbastram and I, who adopted an older pet so that it may have a second chance at living in a home environment. We’re not doing it for the lolz; we did it because we care. And apparently caring costs about $500 up front.
So, figuring conservatively at one of the complexes on our short list, before we've even received a key we have to pay: $500 total for the cat; $975 (one month’s rent); $35/each application fee; $125 security deposit; and some other stupid numbers I can’t remember. But just using those above, we need $1670 to get the ball rolling, not to mention the truck rental and the time off from work. With those numbers, I could just take on a mortgage payment. Sheesh.
This is why I avoid doing good things; there’s always a price to pay.
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