Hmm.  I was surprised to hear that in one state pet deposits are illegal.
Here in NE, pet deposits are quite common.  Most landlords here don't allow
any pets, and of those that do, many require a pet deposit, the usual
amount being $50.00 extra.  Heck, some landlords even require extra
deposits for things like waterbeds and aquariums, etc, or anything else
which might cause excessive damage.  I went through the search just a few
weeks ago.  Finding an apartment which allowed the ferrets would allow me
to keep them, but if I couldn't find one that allowed them, my husband
would get them.  Of course this made me panic.  Out of thirty or so apts
in my price range and with the needed room, I found only 3 that didn't say
"No Pets."  And of those, one turned out to only allow cats.  The next
one I looked at caught my heart.  The ad had not said no pets, but hadn't
mentioned what was allowed.  As I looked around at the apt, the second
floor and attic of a converted turn-of-the-century home, with beautiful
wood work and wood floors, a bay window seat, and just the right amount of
room for me, my heart stuck in my throat, and I asked the landlord about
animals.  "No dogs or cats, I have only had bad luck with them, anything
else I will think about."  Being cautious, "What about fish and "caged"
animals?"  "Oh, caged animals and fish are just fine, why, do you have a
hampster or something?"  The big moment, no turning back..."No, actually,
ferrets."  Imagine my delight when the landlord, an older gentleman with a
very nice disposition, exclaimed, "My daughter used to have a ferret.  He
was a big guy, she named him Rocky.  She took him everywhere with her.
Boy, those guys are really affectionate, but they sure do need a lot of
attention!"
 
I signed the lease while we were standing there.  And above the space that
said, "No pets without the express written permission of the owner," we
wrote in "3 ferrets" and Mr Martin initialled it.  When he was there to
fix some things this weekend, I put the ferts in their cage to keep them
contained while he was in and out.  He took a look at the cage, saw all the
fuzzies giving sad eyes, asking to be let out.  My landlord asked me if he
could hold Tasha for a moment because she reminded him of Rocky!!  I got
lucky.  Very lucky.
 
Melissa and the legal weasels
[Posted in FML issue 3140]