Pets prove a problem in rental apartments

Helicopters, ambulances, drunken partiers and the occasional rioters make for a never-silent… Helicopters, ambulances, drunken partiers and the occasional rioters make for a never-silent neighborhood. But there is one sound you’ll rarely hear in Oakland – barking.

Many landlords, worried about damage to either their apartments or to their tenants’ eardrums, make it hard for Pitt students to own dogs. They charge extra fees for the animals or prohibit them altogether.

But some students, determined to have furry friends, have either given in to the system, or found ways around it.

Why Fluffy can’t always come home

Landlords cite a variety of reasons for prohibiting pets, most commonly dogs.

Michael McSorley, vice president of Sterling Land Company, which owns numerous properties throughout Oakland, said his company prohibits dogs because, “They bark, and that’s a problem.”

But since cats don’t make much noise, he said, they are welcome.

Several realtors allow cats in apartments, but usually at a cost.

Sterling Land Company charges a $275 one-time, non-refundable fee for one cat, and $425 for two. Part of that money goes into extra cleaning of the apartment when the tenant moves out.

Many property owners do not allow pets at all because of the prevalence of dog and cat allergies.

McSorley said Sterling Land Company also bans dogs because some students are irresponsible pet owners.

“Irresponsible owners allow dogs to go the bathroom in the apartment,” he said. “If it stinks because of a cat, it will come out of their security deposit,” he said.

Walnut Capital, which also owns apartments in Oakland, allows both dogs and cats – for a non-refundable fee amounting to half of one month’s rent.

“We have no problems with pets,” said Kellie Frazier, Walnut Capital’s assistant leasing manager. And they aren’t too worried about allergies.

“A lot of times we have to replace the carpet, not because of pets but because of age, or we steam clean the carpets,” Frazier said. “If people have severe allergies, they will be looking for hardwood floors anyway.”

Walnut Capital, however, does have a strict policy that bans German shepherds and pit bulls. Frazier said she wasn’t sure why the company has this policy; the owner chose to ban them when he created the group’s Pet Addendum.

Finding ways to get a pet

There are, of course, some students who abide by their landlord’s rules, and still find a place for a furry friend.

Pitt student Andrew Echelmeier found an apartment on Juliet Street. For a one-time, $50 fee, he was able to bring his pit bull, Blue, into the apartment.

Blue, who is grey and white and about three feet tall, was very calm and friendly as he sniffed around Schenley Plaza this weekend.

Echelmeier said Blue doesn’t bark very much.

“He’s a good guard dog,” he said. “But I’ve never had a problem with barking.”

Blue didn’t make a sound during my interview with Echelmeier, although he did want to be petted.

They go for a walk four or five times a week throughout Oakland, and Echelmeier has never had any trouble taking care of Blue – and he said his roommates all like the dog, too.

“Blue’s the man,” he said.

But the many extra costs and restrictions can lead some students toward other creatures.

Emily, a Pitt student whose last name has been withheld, is not allowed to have a pet at her South Oakland apartment.

“But I got a turtle anyway,” she said.

His name is Harold, and he is a she.

“He’s so cute. He’s brown and black with little orange dots on his face.”

“The vet confused us because she told us he had certain features so he could mount other turtles for mating – so we assumed he was a boy,” she said. “We later found out otherwise, but still refer to it as ‘he’ anyway.”

Other tenants crave the cuddly comfort of puppies so much that they are willing to risk it.

“If we catch someone with a dog, we tell them to get rid of it and give them a time limit to do so,” McSorley said. “They are violating their lease.”

McSorley said he’s never had to actually evict someone because of a dog.

Forbes Management owns many properties throughout the city and allows cats at some apartments — for the price of a double security deposit — but prohibits dogs from all of them.

Megan Yarish, a spokeswoman for Forbes Management echoed McSorley’s experiences.

“We have never had a real problem because of a dog,” Yarish said.

She said the owner has one week to get rid of the dog, but they have never had to actually evict someone because of this.

“They either move out or get rid of the dog,” she said. “Or have their parents take care of it.”