If mylease says nothing about animals, doI have to get rid of them?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If mylease says nothing about animals, doI have to get rid of them?
I woke up today to a note on my door mainly saying that I have to get rid of 2 of my dogs. In the beginning when I signed the contract he said I could have 1 dog because I already had her, but everytime I got another dog I would mention it to him and also he would see them outside. His daughter came to my house today and told me I have to get rid thedogs, because her father doesn’t remember me mentioning the dogs and he thought I only had 1 even though I would talk to him all the time about my dogs).
Asked on August 19, 2011 Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
A lease is a contract; it binds both parties. Neither party may unilaterally add or change terms. If the lease does not mention pets or animals, you may have them--the landlord cannot tell you to get rid of them.
When the lease comes up for renewal, unless it automatically renews at the same terms, the landlord could change it to make it no pets allowed. He might also be able to elect to simply not rent to you. So after this lease is up, you may have to either get rid of the animals or look for a new place to live. But in the meantime, during the lease, if animals are not barred by the lease, you should be able to have them.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.