I live in Central North Carolina and cannot find houses without breed restrictions including German Shepherd dogs! I'm looking for a house with a bedroom on the first floor as my older dog has hip dysplasia and arthritis that is progressing pretty quickly. We are trying to avoid stairs as much as possible and are open to building ramps for any deck or mi.nimal amount of stairs. Everywhere we turn however, we are being turned down because of their breed. Does anyone have any advice for this? What do you guys do?
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How do you guys find places to rent that allow German shepherds?!
- Thread starter Smashley
- Start date
- Dec 4, 2025
- 170
- 160
Sorry to hear the house hunt has been difficult, it does seem it's increasingly hard to find places allowing animals these days, let alone large ones, so I feel that.
I'm in California and hit the same wall looking for a house, almost everywhere said no animals upfront on the listing. What worked for me was just contacting the landlord anyways, explaining the situation honestly and asking if there was any way to make it work. Some people are willing to have that conversation once it's human to human rather than just a policy. Worst they can say is no!
When I reached out, I prepared some information, like a pet resume with a photo, vet reference, vaccination records and a bit about their temperament, think it goes a long way!
Also offering an increased deposit upfront also helps ease any concerns. A vet letter speaking to their temperament and health is worth getting too, especially given your dog's situation it can make everything feel more real and personal to a hesitant landlord.
Also worth knowing, landlords legally cannot apply breed restrictions or pet fees to Emotional Support Animals. There are legitimate online services where a licensed therapist can evaluate you and provide an ESA letter if appropriate. I'll leave it to you to decide if that route is right for you, but it's an option a lot of people in this situation have used
Hope you find the perfect place soon, good luck!
I'm in California and hit the same wall looking for a house, almost everywhere said no animals upfront on the listing. What worked for me was just contacting the landlord anyways, explaining the situation honestly and asking if there was any way to make it work. Some people are willing to have that conversation once it's human to human rather than just a policy. Worst they can say is no!
When I reached out, I prepared some information, like a pet resume with a photo, vet reference, vaccination records and a bit about their temperament, think it goes a long way!
Also offering an increased deposit upfront also helps ease any concerns. A vet letter speaking to their temperament and health is worth getting too, especially given your dog's situation it can make everything feel more real and personal to a hesitant landlord.
Also worth knowing, landlords legally cannot apply breed restrictions or pet fees to Emotional Support Animals. There are legitimate online services where a licensed therapist can evaluate you and provide an ESA letter if appropriate. I'll leave it to you to decide if that route is right for you, but it's an option a lot of people in this situation have used
Hope you find the perfect place soon, good luck!