Is a fish tank considered a pet?
- Thread starter fivewhyn
- Start date
useskaforevil
New member
in regards to what?
Scuba_Steve
Premium Member
the tank itself is furniture, but dont expect a moving company to care for your livestock
kathainbowen
New member
It depends.
Most leases DO NOT include fish under a no pets section. However, some leases consider fish to be a pet and do not allow tanks (rare, but it happens). There are also locations that charge a deposit for tanks over a certain gallon size, rather like a pet deposit for a dog or cat. Check with your landlord and/or leasing agent to find out exactly what they mean. Most leasing agents and landlords are quite understanding about fish since they don't scratch walls, pee on carpets, smell, etc, and many are quite alright with the idea of fish being there so long as they have prior warning.
(*coming from someone who has survived three completely different leases in regards to their pets policy- from two different apartment complexes and a private landlord)
Most leases DO NOT include fish under a no pets section. However, some leases consider fish to be a pet and do not allow tanks (rare, but it happens). There are also locations that charge a deposit for tanks over a certain gallon size, rather like a pet deposit for a dog or cat. Check with your landlord and/or leasing agent to find out exactly what they mean. Most leasing agents and landlords are quite understanding about fish since they don't scratch walls, pee on carpets, smell, etc, and many are quite alright with the idea of fish being there so long as they have prior warning.
(*coming from someone who has survived three completely different leases in regards to their pets policy- from two different apartment complexes and a private landlord)
kathainbowen
New member
For the most part, this is how many landlords and leasing agents will look at it. However, you can and will find landlords that have seen just how much damage a poorly constructed, set-up, or maintained tank can do to an apartment. This can tarnish the reputation of fish as a reliably clean, easy, and risk-free addition to an apartment or rental home.
For example, there was a person at one of the places I was looking to rent that, during a series of rolling brownouts, had a sump flood. The flood did extensive water damage to the carpeting and the flooring of that room in that particular apartment. As a result, when I inquired about fish under their pets policy (which only allowed for small dogs and cats with a $250 deposit and for large dogs with a $350 depost, but no birds or exotics) I was told that there would be no tanks over 55 gallons with a deposit.
LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
You will need to ask them I did a lot of apartment hunting over the summer. Most said it was fine as long as it was on the first floor. Some had a gallon limit.
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