Still looking for STT rental

What budget? Have you checked the classified ads here under Forum list?

Being paid in advance is not always a good thing. It can make it much harder for a landlord to get a problem tenant out if they are prepaid. Not that you are AT ALL, but it is not necessarily the good thing that one would assume it is. And it can work against you as a tenant as well....what if you hate it or find after moving in that you have legal grounds to break the lease and need to, but the landlord wont give you your money back. Getting it back here would take a very large miracle if the landlord didnt want to.

Our budget is up to $3000 and yes, I have been looking - I've pm'd back and forth a couple of people, but they did not want a service dog which he is my baby and a must! They've all been pretty nice but for whatever reason, it just didn't work. Caldwell Banker is also looking. I've been looking in the newspaper as well. If y'all have any other suggestions on where/how to look I would REALLY appreciate it! Is there any other specific info I should give?

Many, many thanks in advance.

Lesa

Thanks for the advice, Betty - it sounds like good advice as well, not that we are AT ALL problem tenants... 🙂 Any other ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Lesa

Betty raises some good points on both sides of the issue of paying in advance. Moreover, for some landlords, being paid 3-6 months in advance may not be that much of an incentive in selecting a tenant, especially for owners of desirable properties that generate lots of interest, allowing landlords to be choosy (all too often it's a landlord's market in these islands).

Keep at it, it'll work out.

Best,

Islandlola

The Landlord cannot refuse you a Rental because of a Service Dog. By Law, a service animal is not considered a pet. Most service animals are dogs; they can be any breed or size, and are not legally required to wear special equipment or tags. It is prohibited by law to require proof or "certification" of the service dog's training. Service animals can do mobility, hearing, guide, seizure alert, emotional support and other work needed by the person because of a disability.

The Federal Civil Rights Law, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA, Title 111,28 Code of federal regulations Sec 36.104), defines a service animal as any animal that is individually trained to help a person with a disability(the disability might not be visible).

Federal (e.g., ADA 28 CFR Sec 38.302) protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animal in taxis, buses, trains, stores, restaurants, doctors' offices,schools, parks, housing and other public places. Federal Laws which protect individuals with disabilities include the ADA; the Fair Housing Amendments Act (1988); Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation act (1973); The Air Carrier Access Act (1986/90), and other regulations.

About the ADA, contact the U.S. Department of Justice ADA, information line 800-514-0301 (V); 800-514-0383 (TDD)

The person who is accompanied by the service animal is responsible for its stewardship (behavior, care, and well-being) must obey animal welfare laws (such as leash, cruelty or other similar regulations), and is liable for any damage done by the service animal.

Sorry there was no more room on my last post.

The only exempt property is if the owner lives in the house and rents out rooms.

I hope this information helps you, God speed and go forth and Rent!

But an owner can refuse your rental application because he or she does not like your face.....or any other reason that he or she may choose to use (under the law) to keep you out..... and good luck proving any other reason they don't like you as a potential renter....laws are a wonderful thing.....but unfortunately, the people who make them are only as smart as the chair they are sitting on when they make them....

Thanks - I'm sure it will work out. We are looking forward to moving and I'm sure the right property will come along...Lesa

Yes, thank you, although I am aware of the law, I prefer to rent from a landlord who is a "dog lover" or at least likes them. That way, there is no conflict or problems. Of course, I could be insistent, but I prefer to pick my battles and only if it caused a hardship to myself or my animal would I insist. But I appreciate your knowledge and insight. I'm sure the right house is out there....

Lesa

Wow, I hope it's not my face they look at but my dog's face - he's adorable! 🙂

Jay,
Thank you for sharing that information, I'll try to remember that (very profound).

Actually, I don’t think the ADA applies to private residential housing. I think such matters would have to be taken up under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) or some sort of local legislation.

Also, as far as I know, even where the FHA requires landlords to permit service animals, a landlord may ask a potential or current tenant who claims the need for a service animal to provide documentation from a qualified professional that the individual has a disability and requires a service animal as an accommodation. Moreover, there is I think language somewhere in the FHA that allows landlords to argue that accommodating a particular disability of one tenant would be a direct threat to other tenants or an undue burden to the landlord.

Finally, I think that even the FHA, under “Mrs. Murphy” rules, exempts owner occupied buildings of fewer than 4 units (not just rooming house style rentals), and in many cases exempts transactions involving single family homes (like those without a realtor or rental agent where the owner owns no more than three such properties.) This would exempt a lot of the rental housing in the USVI.

Best,

Ilo

Islandlola,
With due respect ,you are wrong on all counts. On my Post I referenced all the Laws and phone number, For your own edification you should google the material I referenced.

Note: If Federal and State or local law conflict, the law which is less restrictive for the individual with the disability will prevail. for example, if state law grants access only by service dogs that do guide work, and the service dog in question performs work other than guide work, Federal Law will apply. The person with the disability must be permitted access with the service animal.

PS. I partner with a service dog!

About halfway down at this site, it seems to back up what IslandLola says:

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:mJtas8CWH38J:www.sedbtac.org/ada/training/ServiceAnimals.doc+service+animals+landlords+regulations&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6

Don't know about any of the other issues, but a owner, living on site of a 4-plex or fewer, can rent or not rent totally at his/her discretion. They can discriminate based on sex, race, marital status -- eye color. No rules apply to your own "home"/

And even if that were not the case, as a practical matter, I would not want to live anywhere I was not welcome. Who needs the hassle?

Lizard,

To avoid going into the many reasons why I'm pretty sure I'm right on all counts, and to preserve the peace, I'll just say in response, "Okay."

Best,

Islandlola

The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988: Which I referenced in my post is the most dramatic an significant improvement in civil rights law since 1968. effective in 1989 it provides Federal protection against housing discrimination for the additional categories of the disabled and families with children under 18. It also provides HUD with the authority to initiate enforcement actions and to seek stiffer fines and penalties against individuals, businesses or organizations that discriminate in the sale, rental, or financing of housing. The restrictions you refer to 4 or less owner occupied are exempt from HUD initiating enforcement action. Individuals have the legal right to seek redress under the law in both Federal and State Courts for civil rights violations. (they have and have won with the exception of the rooms to rent.

Linda J,
Some people might be blessed and have no disabilities. People with disabilities at times must fight, people of color must fight (Real World).

You cannot refuse to rent because you do not like someone's face. If someone took you to fair housing court you would have to be able to prove what your rental criteria was for refusing someone. And it has to be applied equally across the board. The rule of thumb in the property management business is the you must make at least 3x a month what the rent is, but you can make the financial criteria whatever you want.

You cannot refuse someone because of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents of legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), and handicap (disability). So refusing someone because you didnt like the look of their face could get you in big trouble with the right applicants. Fair housing court is like the unemployement office, employers and landlords ALWAYS loose.

Lizard and Betty,

When my son was young, he had severe allergies to animal dander. If we'd had an efficiency apartment at the back of our house, are you saying that we should have been FORCED to rent to someone with a service animal?

The owner-occupied exemption was put in place to protect against just such a situation. My personal opinion is that one has a greater right to decide who lives with her, so to speak, in her home than in the rental unit she owns down the street. It also allows me to seek another woman or a senior and to reject anyone who does not fall into that category.

I believe the exception is a reasonable way to protect the rights of the renter and the owner.

Linda J
There are always hypothetical scenarios that sound reasonable. Interesting you should bring up allergies. There are Court Cases that decided ( "allergies") were not considered a valid defense against blatant discrimination ( when and where service animals are placed on an aircraft). Check with the Air Lines who have lost such cases (and thats a closer proximity of child and dog in the back of a house rental unit . In the theater of personal opinion, one should not get mad "Take it to Court".

Yep, let's take everyhing to court. It may be your idea of an ideal society, but it is not mine.

Well lets face it stateside having an apartment attached to your house is not the norm. Whereas here its extremely common. And people are thrust into a situation of being a landlord that usually have no experience doing it. I can understand your frustration but it has nothing to do with me or what I want. These are the laws and its hard to get around certain agencies like fair housing. There are almost always things to get around anything. Set your rental criteria high so that you can be choosey, but you must apply the same rental criteria to everyone equally.

Remember where the landlord recoups all of his rights is with a good lease. I've seen some leases here that gave me a good laugh. If your lease is 2 or 3 pages long you dont know what you're doing. Every aspect, every senerio should be covered because we do live in a ligitious society. The lease is where the landlord protects himself (and his investment) as well as in the rental application (which doesnt seem to exist on STX). If you cover all your bases it will be much easier to get a problem tenant out and to make them responsible for any violations.