Berkeley considers outlawing pet restrictions on rentals [View all]

[yuiyoshida]

Apartment hunters having an impossible time finding pet-friendly dwellings may want to set their sights on Berkeley, which is considering a first-of-its-kind law that would forbid landlords from imposing pet restrictions on tenants.

City Councilman Jesse Arreguin wants landlords to accept everything from hamsters to Saint Bernards — so long as the pet can be reasonably accommodated, is well behaved and the tenant takes responsibility for property damage.

State laws exist to grant exemptions from pet bans to tenants with physical or mental disabilities who rely on service animals or emotional-support animals, but Arreguin’s proposal would offer protection to all tenants and type of pets.

Part of the problem, Arreguin said, is that landlords have complained about a “floodgate” of tenants claiming mental illnesses and the need for emotional-support pets. Such exemptions from pet bans confuse other tenants, Arreguin said. His proposal would provide “clarity and convenience” for both landlords and tenants, who would be required to disclose whether they have a pet.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Berkeley-considers-outlawing-pet-restrictions-on-5833653.php