2019 Sep 25th
Categories: Hoboken Condos
Having a building that is not pet friendly is absolutely to your detriment from a resale perspective, especially in Hoboken. It greatly limits your buying audience as so many Hobokenites have cats or dogs. I recently was asked by a blog reader for advice. His condo is considering whether they should allow pets and thought of having a size restriction. If you know me, you know not only are we dog lovers, adopters, and dog charity supporters but we had a 75 pound rescue Golden Chow mix, Sempai and now we have a 52 pound, perfectly behaved rescue Chow, Velvet (below).
Here, in essence, is my response:
Limiting pets (assuming we are talking about dogs) based on size is, in my humble opinion, a meaningless distinction.
Your condo should have rules against disturbances cause by all pets regardless of size. Type of disturbances typically include:
- excessive barking (no matter the size of the dog);
- soiling hallways and common areas;
- other pet-caused damage to common areas (scratching at doors and woodwork);
- bite history;
- failure to provide proof of current vaccinations;
- depending on your insurance carrier, possibly breed restrictions as insurance costs may be higher if certain breeds, like pitbulls, are permitted.
Little dogs can bark, pee, howl, run around, pester and bite. Big dogs can be perfectly well behaved. German Shepherds are large dogs but are so often used by law enforcement because they are smart and easily trained. Small dog owners often think there is no need to train their dog because it is small and they end up with terribly behaved dogs. A small Poodle or Yorkie that runs back and forth indoors all day may be more disturbing to the downstairs neighbor than Golden Retriever who sleeps in his bed.
We have a neighbor with a small dog. The owner lets the out in the yard at around 7:00am and that dog barks non-stop every morning. I have actually had to call the police. Beagles are under 50 pounds and are known to howl constantly. I can go on but I think you get the point. It’s all about the behaviour of the animal. Decide what behaviors you want to prevent and set up a fine schedule for infractions and ultimately retain the right to remove the animal if the rules are repeatedly broken, no matter the size of the animal.
A condo might consider a limit on the number of animals per household. I knew a guy with 5 tiny miniature Pinschers that were some of the yappiest, most annoying dogs ever. If I lived near them I’d be livid. Limiting the number of animals per household may also be a reasonable restriction.
Finally, keep in mind that more and more people are claiming to need not just service dogs but all sorts of emotional support animals. We recently had a tenant rent an apartment and not disclose that he needed an emotional support dog until after he moved in for fear of being discriminated against. It’s become a very controversial issue – the airlines and the DOT have been very involved as people try to bring all sorts of animals onto flights. You can go
right to the internet and get a letter from a doctor stating that you need an emotional support animal. Wow. That is just crazy.
Posted by Lori Turoff |
2019 Sep 21st
Categories: Hoboken Condos
I am all about the security cameras. They are cheap, easy to set up and work well. I’ve got several. The cameras are tiny, easy to hide and wireless. When someone enters my home, I am pinged on my phone. I can turn on audio and listen to what’s going on. If I’m busy, I can set it to record. Many people have these in their homes now and more and more will in the future.
When you are out looking at properties, you might think you are in the place alone with your agent. But beware! The seller may very well be watching and listening in. So when you walk in and think “OMG, what a horrible kitchen” or, even worse “I love it and will pay whatever it takes to get it”, keep your thoughts to yourself. The seller may very well be listening!
Posted by Lori Turoff |
2019 Sep 19th
Categories: Hoboken Condos
The old Aether gaming shop on the 500 block of Washington Street is about to become a Sunmerry Bakery Cafe. Originally from Tiaiwan, they opened several locations in California and are expanding in New Jersey. As any local cyclist can tell you, there is no better stop for some sweets after a ride up 9W than Sunmerry in Fort Lee. Expect to find delicious red bean paste filled buns, fresh baked breads, green tea croissants and much more. The Fort Lee location has tables and serves beverages so you can sit and relax while enjoying your goodies. It looks like the Hoboken store will have tables as well. Sunmerry will be a welcome addition to Washington Street.
Posted by Lori Turoff |
