My landlord tried to evict me for having a cat that I don't own

Caught my neighbor's cat sleeping in my window and now I'm fighting a notice in small claims court, but should I just pay the pet fee to avoid losing my deposit or fight it since I never agreed to a pet clause in my lease?

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3 Comments

the_wade2mo ago

Wait, you're telling me you're fighting a legal battle over a cat that literally just showed up and decided your apartment was a nice place to nap? Honestly, that's the most absurd landlord power trip I've heard in a while. Ngl, if you never signed a pet clause, I'd probably fight it just out of spite and principle. But the real question is are you willing to lose your deposit over a cat that's probably already moved on to someone else's window by now? Tbh, small claims court is a headache and a half, and your landlord sounds like the type to drag it out. Maybe just pay the stupid fee if you want to keep the peace, but seriously, this is some next level nonsense.

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blair_nguyen2mo ago

Landlord's probably still trying to bill the cat for utility usage, @the_wade.

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smith.parker2mo ago

Three years ago I signed a lease for an apartment that had a "no pets" clause but the previous tenant's cat still lived in the walls. I named him Wallace and he came out every night at 3am to knock things off my dresser. The landlord tried to fine me for "harboring a stray" even though I never fed it or let it inside. I ended up paying a $200 "pet deposit" just to stop the emails, which is basically cat ransom at that point. Honestly, I lost that battle harder than I lost my security deposit, but at least Wallace looked really cute while doing it. Are you gonna try to negotiate with your landlord or just let the cat have the whole deposit?

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