You want to know how to hide pet rat from landlord if you rent an apartment where keeping small caged animals or pets is prohibited.
It would also be a good idea to keep pet rats if the inspection staff in your apartment does not come in often. You want some sort of blend-in or easy-to-hide cage in case of surprise inspections.
If you rent furnished accommodation, keeping pet rats could be an issue. You need to invest lots of time and money in the rats, structures and your surrounding to keep the landlord from becoming suspicious of your pets.
How to hide pet rat from landlord
Most landlords worry about the reek of pet rats when they decree “no small caged pets allowed”. As a rat lover, it can be difficult to live without having your pet rats around.
So, do the following to hide pet rat from the landlord:
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Get a double critter Nation cage
First, buy a double critter Nation cage and a black cover for it. This cage is huge but inside the cover, your landlord will have no clue what it is.
However, rats love to explore and investigate things in their surroundings, so they may try to exit the cage.
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Put the rat in a small suitcase
Put your pet rats in a small suitcase in the closet with a blanket and treats whenever the landlord shows up.
As for the cage, you need one disconnected from the bottom platform and the wiring cage folded.
Hide the cage in dresser drawers or any fitting furniture and throw the rat huts somewhere in a drawer.
Read also: like pet rats, felines can also be hidden from landlords
If the landlord is coming in while you are in, say, “Hold on I’m naked,” to buy time.
However, if your apartment has a window, take off the screen, and drop the rats outside quickly, then get them back in when the landlord is gone.
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Pretend they are random rats in the apartment
Allow the rats to move freely inside your house. If the landlord or inspectors sight it, just scream, “oh no, it’s a rat,” and go crazy. This makes you an evil genius.
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Disguise the cage as a pile of clothes
Disguise the rat cage as a pile of clothes so that the landlord or inspector sees a pile of laundry over it and will not look too much closer. You can play a music box nearby to prevent the landlord from hearing rat squeaks.
If you are a girl, blurt that you keep dirty pads or your underwear if the landlord goes closer to it. If you are a guy, blurt that your doctor prescribed laxatives after you had an accident.
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Keep rat-related stuff out of sight
Some landlords may insist on surprise inspections or issue short notices. Do not panic. Always clean all your pet rat toys after they play with them.
- Do not fill your apartment with rat toys to keep the landlord from figuring it out.
- Do not hide the toys in your cupboard or the stairs.
- Leave them in your suitcase or something similar instead. The boot of your car outside the apartment is also a great hiding spot.
Sometimes, landlords inspect the hinges and the wall that may get you busted. If you received the inspection notification earlier, move all rat stuff to another person’s place.
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Keep your apartment clean
Whenever you receive notice of inspection, clean your apartment and fix any structural damage caused by your pet rat.
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Rats also have their distinct odor, which you want to get rid of to keep the landlord in the dark about the rat’s presence.
Vacuum the house thoroughly, including the curtains, rugs/carpets, and couches where your rats may have littered or left droppings.
Use room sprays, portable air purifiers, or scented candles regularly to get rid of pet rat odor.
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Give the impression that you dislike rats
When you have a conversation with your landlord, let them get to know that you dislike pets. This is not foolproof but will reduce the landlord’s possible suspicion that you may be housing a rat.
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Have someone rat-sit during inspections
When there is a scheduled inspection, get someone to pet-sit your rats for a few days or until the inspection is over.
Do not be a lying tenant
If you do not have rats yet, open up communication with the landlord about keeping small caged pets. This is better than holding the conversation after the landlord discovers the rats, which puts you in the position of a lying tenant.
You can show the landlord websites or YouTube videos about the homeliness of rats as pets to put their mind at ease.
Bring those findings to the attention of your landlord and see if they will allow your pet rats. Explain to the landlord that you are aware of the pet deposit and would make sure your rats cause no damage to their unit.
If you are caught hiding pet rats, you may be forced to give them up on short notice, which is just as bad as releasing them into the wild.
Moreover, you have violated the lease, so the landlord does not need to offer you any breathing room to find a new home for the rats.
What happens if your landlord sees a rat in your apartment
If the contract states that you cannot keep pet rats on the property, do not keep them.
Your landlord can legally terminate your lease for violating the terms. The property belongs to them, so abide by the rules.
You may also lose your pet rat. A landlord will not give you all the time to find a new home for your rat, which may force you to abandon them in the wild.
