Nearly all lease agreements include a clause regarding pets. However, not all rental contracts specify which pets are allowed or not.
Most leases are vague and leave acceptance of pets to the managers discretion.
Some leases do not allow pets, such as aquarium pets. This applies to pet snakes and terrarium pets as well.
Apartment complexes include this language in their lease agreements because they are concerned about water leaking or broken glass. They also have concerns about snakes and other pet animals.
As you might know, larger snakes eat bigger animals. An escaped hungry snake can be a danger to the other tenants, including hamsters and guinea-pigs, kittens, ferrets and puppies.
Apartment managers are often unwilling to take on the risk of uncontrolled snakes snagging through their complexes.
If your lease agreement says no reptiles or no pet snakes, then you should not expect to get permission to keep a pet snake.
But if the issue is left open to negotiation, then you can reach out to your landlord and talk to him/her. You will be better served if you have a good understanding of the concerns of your apartment managers.
How Apartment Managers Treat Pet Snakes
Apartment managers are like any other group of people with regard to pet snakes.
While some will reply with an eww, others will be sincere in their consideration of what they can do for you and your snake.
It is possible that some people don’t understand the responsibilities of keeping a snake as a pet.
There may be some managers who are not prepared to be reasonable about pets they do not keep themselves.
And some may keep pet snakes themselves, but not necessarily on the property.
If you address the concerns of your manager about pets snakes, you are more likely to be granted permission to keep one.
There are certain issues that come up again and again.
Managers May Be Concerned About Rodent Control
You might get this answer if you ask a rental company why they don’t allow tenants to keep reptiles.
The reason we include snakes in our pet policy is to keep rodents out of our complex.
You could explain to your manager that your snake doesn’t eat livemice if this is a concern.
Most pet snakes are comfortable eating frozen-thawed or highly processed foods such as Reptilinks.
If your pet snake is a species that doesnt eat rodents (such as an African egg-eating snake, a garter snake, a rough green snake, a smooth green snake, a water snake, an Indian egg-eater, a flowerpot snake, or a snail-eating snake), be upfront about letting your manager know.
There may still be an issue with other kinds of food for snakes, but at least your manager can know you wont be bringing live rodents into the complex.
Managers May Really Be Concerned About Cats And Dogs
Sometimes a no pets clause is really all about keeping cats and dogs from ruining the carpet.
If this is the case with your manager, you can simply explain that you keep your pet snake in a terrarium. The inevitable question that follows will be And when do you let it out?
Honest answers are always the best. Don’t say, “My snake needs vitamin D so I go to the tennis court three days a week.”
You will clean your snakes enclosure regularly, right? You have to take the snake out of its terrarium for that.
You might take your snake outside of its home to give it food. Or you take your snake for annual checkups and sick visits at the veterinarians office.
It is important to describe not only when your snake is at its home but also how you will secure it for times when it needs to escape.
Managers May Be Concerned About What Other Tenants Will Think
Apartment managers must ensure that everyone is comfortable.
This rule also applies to all tenants.
Asking an apartment manager what circumstances might lead to a tenant requesting to get rid of a pet snake might yield the following:
If we get complaints from other tenants or from service people visiting the complex, or if we find evidence of a health problem or an escaped pet, we issue a notice to the tenant who owns the pet to fix the problem in three days. Although small pets are usually not an issue, we will take steps to ensure they are properly restrained.
In the event of an unfortunate incident, other tenants or visitors could hold the apartment complex responsible if they fail to enforce the rules regarding snakes and reptiles being kept in their apartments.
Managers Generally Try To Accept Emotional Support Animals
Apartment managers generally do their best to accommodate tenants who need emotional support animals.
Managers are not required to adopt emotional support animals as a matter of law. However, most will try to find a way to allow you to keep your emotional support animal.
But you cant demand your rights to an emotional support snake as if it were a service animal.
This is because your pet snake can’t be your service animal. A service animal is defined as a dog by the law.
It is not enough to say that your pet snake serves as your emotional support animal.
It may be possible to record your snake as an animal of support.
Here is what you will need to do:
- Document that you are seeing a therapist for a diagnosed emotional issue.
- Get your therapist to certify that your snake is serving as your emotional support animal as part of your therapy.
- Your manager should be able to assure you that the snake will not cause any harm or inconvenience.
Laws regarding emotional support animals arent the same everywhere (although laws regarding service animals are uniform at least throughout the United States).
The clearer the connection between your snake and your emotional health, the easier it will be to get it recognized as your emotional support animal.
Ask About A Pet Addendum
If you have been open with your apartment management about your pet snake they may be open to a pet addendum to your lease agreement.
This type of agreement is reached all the time between cat and dog owners.
What Is A Pet Addendum?
A pet addendum is a document you add to your lease in which you and your landlord formalize an agreement about the terms for keeping your pets.
Make a written statement regarding the animals that you own. This includes the species of snakes you have, how you plan to care for them, and what you are allowed and prohibited from doing on your property.
Different apartment buildings will have different pet addendum terms.
These additions to your lease do not always mean you will pay more money.
Never Lie About Your Pet Snake
You must never lie about your pet snake when managing your apartment.
If your landlord finds out about your snake through an unfortunate incident, such as the death of another tenants pet or just the escape of your snake, you could be evicted, lose your rental deposit, and be liable for damages.
Keeping Snakes In Apartments Some FAQs
Q. Is there any special risk to me if I keep a pet snake in my apartment?
A. Properly enclosed, pet snakes pose less risk to their owners than dogs and cats.
However, it is possible to pick up the bacteria that cause food poisoning if you handle a snake without washing yourself afterward.
You should not let a snake crawl up or onto your clothes. After you have put your pet back into its enclosure, change your clothes and take a shower.
Q. If I am allowed to keep my pet snake in my apartment, what kind of enclosure is required?
A. A. The top of your pet snake’s enclosure must be lockable.
If you have small children, your pet snakes terrarium should be child-proof.
You should supervise them and their friends.
Q. Are there places where it is illegal to keep pet snakes?
A. In the United States, Hawaii is the only state to ban all pet snakes. Hawaii has a unique and delicate ecology that could be easily damaged by escaped pet snakes.
You could face severe enforcement action if you bring a snake to Hawaii, such as fines or jail time.
California bans wild-caught snakes, and it also bans catching wild animals to feed your snake. Delaware requires a permit to keep a snake.
Florida, where there is a serious environmental problem caused by escaped Burmese pythons, may have local rules about registering your snake, and how you have to secure it.
New York City and San Francisco ban ownership of certain larger snakes, including ball pythons.
The possession of wild-caught snakes is prohibited in New South Wales, outside the United States. All pet snakes must be captive-bred and bought through a dealer.
In Canada, Toronto bans ownership of snakes of length greater than three meters, or any venomous snake.
Many other jurisdictions in the province of Ontario have similar rules. The provinces of Alberta and British Columbia ban keeping rattlesnakes.
It is legal to possess a snake in the United Kingdom. However, there are some species that cannot be kept without a permit and registration.
There is a long list of snakes that require a permit throughout the United Kingdom, almost all of them venomous.
Q. Q. Will my dog eat my snakes?
A. It is unlikely. There are situations in which a very hungry dog might attack, kill, and eat a small snake, but it is highly unlikely that this would happen if you keep your dog well-fed.
Similar to the boa constrictors, there are not many reports of pythons eating small dogs. However, they were left hungry for long periods of time and could escape from their cages.
Q. Q. Can my dog get diseases from my snake?
A: Salmonella is not a problem in pet snakes, but it can be transmitted to other animals by their feces.
It can take several days for snakes to digest their prey.
During that time, the bacteria in the food animals gut multiply, and escape into feces.
Snakes can come in contact with their own feces. If they are picked up or licked by dogs, it could transmit bacteria that can cause food poisoning to dogs and humans.
This is because cats are known to avoid snakes.
Q. Is it really dangerous to keep a pet snake in my apartment?
A. A.
These rules are not intended to protect people who don’t understand snakes.
If you are a good neighbor, more people will appreciate the importance of having pet snakes.
