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Didn't know my apartment requires a pet deposit, advice??
So, a few days ago I adopted a cat.
I'm a college student and I'm paying my way through school so I don't have a lot of money. I have a enough to take care of the cat though.
But yesterday I found out my apartment asks for a $400 dollar pet deposit which I cannot afford right now. I
After school I only have about $500 a month for groceries and things.
So far, I haven't told my apartment I adopted a cat. What do you think is the worst they would do if they eventually found out? Just ask I pay it?
Should I tell them and try to work out a payment plan or something. I'm just worried they'll want all the money up front and I have no way to do that. I would be devastated if I had to give her up.
I'm just looking for advice on the smartest actions.
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They could actually kick you out. You are breaking the contract that you made with them. I'm not just trying to scare you, they could really do this. They have every right to put you on the street and they might be able to keep your original security deposit too. My guess is that they're not going to do that, they're just going to demand the extra money and threaten to evict you. The smartest, most responsible action here would be to return the cat. You can't afford it. You adopted it a few days ago. I know that a few days is long enough to start to really like an animal, but you're not going to be that devastated. If you want to risk it, you could keep the cat secretly and then pay the deposit in a few months once you've saved up enough money. If you're going to do this, though, you'll have to really sneak around. It's going to be rough. Would your parents or a friend look after it for a few months so that you didn't have to return it and you wouldn't be risking keeping it in the apartment? That's probably the best route. Did you read your rental agreement before you signed it? You may want to read through it again. It may say what will happen if you have an unauthorized pet. If you don't have it anymore, you can probably get a copy from your landlord or the apartment's office. I wish you the best of luck. You have to remember that you are the one that made a mistake here. You put yourself in an awkward position and you're going to have to be the one to decide what you want to risk. The right thing to do would be to return the cat, the smartest thing to do would be to have someone else look after it until you can pay the deposit, and the riskiest, irresponsible thing to do would be to hope nobody notices. If no one notices for awhile you may think you're in the clear and you're going to stop saving money for the deposit. That is absolutely the wrong thing to do. You don't want trouble. The next place you stay will want references and you don't want a bad record. You most certainly don't want to get evicted. Until you pay the deposit, the cat shouldn't stay there.
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With all the things that come with owning a pet, I think they're more expensive than you might think. If it's a kitten that hasn't had vaccinations, that could be up to 100 dollars in vaccinations alone, 50 dollars for an exam, up to 150 to get it neutered or spayed, not to mention the cost of any treatment for health problems it might have, which can be pretty expensive. That's just for the vet alone. I'm sorry to say this, but it wouldn't surprise me if this was far from the last financial scare due to owning this cat. To avoid compromising its health, you might have to consider giving it up to someone that can afford all the things that it needs.
If you decide to keep the cat, I would ask your landlord about a possible payment plan (honestly, I think their 400 dollar pet deposit is ridiculous) before telling them you have the cat. If they won't allow you to make smaller payments, I'm sorry but you might have to give up the cat.
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Two Things.
One.
Find out what tenant societies exist in your city/area. In many places, pet restrictions or fees are against the law. So, that's your first move.
Two.
Start saving. Consider asking friends to lend you some money, or selling old text books, or even putting it on a credit card if you must. If I were in your shoes, I'd give myself a few weeks to get the money together, but that's it. If a pet deposit is legal (and it very well may be), then that is part of the cost of owning a pet, and you need to be prepared to pay it. Paying what it costs to keep your pet it just part of being a responsible owner. Frankly, if she is worth that much to you, she might be worth going into debt to friends, family or Visa in order to keep.
The worst your apartment could do to PROBABLY is demand you pay it AND a fee or interest, but even that is unlikely. If you are otherwise a good tenant, they'll probably just ask for the deposit.
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