*Thank you to everyone who responded to my last post with kind reassurances. I think sometimes I get overly thoughtful about things, and forget to just enjoy the moment. It's a nasty habit, I'm still trying to break.*
On a wholly unrelated topic...
I've been spending a lot of time lately pouring over potential apartments in the Boston area, figuring out what town I most want to live in, what I'm willing to give up, and weighing the importance of different amenities and luxury items in the grand scheme of finding "the right place" for baby makes three. In all this searching I have come across one item again and again which just brings my blood to boil each and every time...I'm talking about Pet Fees and that mother of all rips-offs, Pet Rent.
I first came across Pet Fees when I moved out to the Chicago area two years ago. My apartment building wanted $400 in fees, and additional $$$ each month for Pet Rent. When this news was announced, I nearly choked on the free water they'd handed me during our group tour. Really, my cat needs to pay rent? My 8 year old, lazy, sleeps 23 hours a day and never caused a lick of damage to any apartment we've lived in, ever, kitty is gonna cause that much damage in a month that she needs her own private rent? For the record, I managed to negotiate a deal, and never paid any Pet Fees for my fur-baby, but still it makes me mad.
While viewing high-rises in the city of Quincy I'm once again faced with these ridiculous fees and extras, and I admit I'm tempted to ask, "So, when my baby starts crawling and ripping up the carpeting for a late afternoon snack, will he/she need to pay extra rent as well?" But really, why don't we charge extra for babies, like we do for pets? I'm pretty sure your average toddler can do more damage to a room in 24 hours, that most adult cats will do in a lifetime. Perhaps this is just another form of discrimination toward people who don't have children...seriously, why should parents get away with their 2 year-olds spoiling the walls, carpets and appliances, while people with pets have to pay just to have their furry friends share their living space?
I'm being a little extreme, I know, but it really does make me mad. True, SOME pets will cause damage, particularly sharp clawed puppies/kittens or ancient sick ones with failing bladder control, but isn't that why they charge us a security deposit? The rental communities should just admit it out loud - this is just one more way for them to milk you for money and nothing else!
On a wholly unrelated topic...
I've been spending a lot of time lately pouring over potential apartments in the Boston area, figuring out what town I most want to live in, what I'm willing to give up, and weighing the importance of different amenities and luxury items in the grand scheme of finding "the right place" for baby makes three. In all this searching I have come across one item again and again which just brings my blood to boil each and every time...I'm talking about Pet Fees and that mother of all rips-offs, Pet Rent.
I first came across Pet Fees when I moved out to the Chicago area two years ago. My apartment building wanted $400 in fees, and additional $$$ each month for Pet Rent. When this news was announced, I nearly choked on the free water they'd handed me during our group tour. Really, my cat needs to pay rent? My 8 year old, lazy, sleeps 23 hours a day and never caused a lick of damage to any apartment we've lived in, ever, kitty is gonna cause that much damage in a month that she needs her own private rent? For the record, I managed to negotiate a deal, and never paid any Pet Fees for my fur-baby, but still it makes me mad.
While viewing high-rises in the city of Quincy I'm once again faced with these ridiculous fees and extras, and I admit I'm tempted to ask, "So, when my baby starts crawling and ripping up the carpeting for a late afternoon snack, will he/she need to pay extra rent as well?" But really, why don't we charge extra for babies, like we do for pets? I'm pretty sure your average toddler can do more damage to a room in 24 hours, that most adult cats will do in a lifetime. Perhaps this is just another form of discrimination toward people who don't have children...seriously, why should parents get away with their 2 year-olds spoiling the walls, carpets and appliances, while people with pets have to pay just to have their furry friends share their living space?
I'm being a little extreme, I know, but it really does make me mad. True, SOME pets will cause damage, particularly sharp clawed puppies/kittens or ancient sick ones with failing bladder control, but isn't that why they charge us a security deposit? The rental communities should just admit it out loud - this is just one more way for them to milk you for money and nothing else!
Our apartment charges us 35 dollars a month for our little dog who sleeps most of the day and never barks. Our next door neighbor has a huge, crazy, out-of-control dog who barks all day and lunges at the door anytime we have a delivery or walk down the stairs....and they are getting charged the same as we are. Pet rent is SO unfair.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness I haven't lived in an apartment since I was little.
ReplyDeleteI remember one place we lived though that wanted tenants to pay $100 for each pet they had. We of course snuck in our pets and hid them as best we could lol.
I can understand the one time fee, but paying extra for pets is getting ridiculous.
Pet fees are so unfair. Make me give a higher refundable deposit if you're so worried about the damage from my dogs and dont assume they will do damage.
ReplyDelete