As if the search for the perfect Chicago apartment wasn’t challenging enough, factoring in a four-legged roommate often is a dealbreaker. Especially if that furry friend is on the big side.
“[Having a pet] probably eliminates more than 50 percent of the options,” said Manny Capozzi, director of operations at Chicago Apartment Finders. If a building does allow pets, Capozzi says, weight limits or breed restrictions often exclude animals larger than 35 or 40 pounds.
Nick Ivey, 34, knew his 105-pound husky-malamute mix, Marooke, would limit his housing choices when he moved to the city five years ago, but many policies seemed counterintuitive.
“Every little dog I’ve ever met needs to go out a lot, they run all over the place and they also bark,” Ivey said. “Marooke doesn’t do anything.”
Several larger breeds share sedentary traits that could better fit urban living, according to Anti-Cruelty Society vice president David Dinger, and since most residents are apartment dwellers, bigger animals often stay in shelters longer. But the landlords’ policies still make sense, Dinger says.
“A dachshund chewing on some woodwork might be an irritant,” Dinger said, “but a rottweiler or a shepherd chewing on the same woodwork could be really damaging. … Ideally, dogs should be evaluated as individuals, though I understand why that’s daunting for a management company. But they’re missing out on a lot of really great pets.”
At Planned Property Management, which oversees apartment buildings in Lincoln Park, Lakeview and the Gold Coast, all properties are cat-friendly and five of 28 allow dogs under 40 pounds.
“We love dogs, but they bring with them a whole special set of circumstances,” PPM marketing director Dan McDonough said. Dogs can mean floor replacements, noise issues and other messes. Sticking to 40 pounds and under, McDonough said, seemed appropriate for the apartment lifestyle.
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Owners of large pets do have options. Capozzi says his firm usually directs tenants to “mom and pop landlords,” who often have more flexible rules. In some cases, management companies are finding that allowing larger animals can give them a competitive edge. Mindy Bruscemi, regional manager at Reside Living, says her company implemented a no-weight-limit policy when it found it was losing prospective tenants.
“Residents love their pets and they’ll pay for them, and they need a place to live,” Bruscemi said. While Reside has nine restricted breeds, including pit bulls and Jack Russell terriers, with so many renters owning mixed breeds, the company tries to make decisions case-by-case, she said.
Ivey was able to find a home for himself and Marooke in Lakeview, though he says a downtown unit would have been more convenient. “I couldn’t look at any of those places at all,” Ivey said. “I had to live out in the neighborhoods, which I don’t mind, I love it, but at the same time it’d be nice to have a gym and a rooftop pool.”