A landlord can require any tenant with a pet to have insurance, liability or not., as long as all tenants are treated the same.
When considering adding another pet to your rental, it's essential to discuss this with your landlord beforehand. Schedule a meeting to address your request professionally. Highlight your responsible pet ownership, your current pets' behavior, and any measures you've taken to maintain the property.
Ing to NYC law, if an agent of the landlord (aka, the super, or even a handyman hired by the landlord) enters your apartment and sees your pets living openly, they have three months to enforce the no pet clause in the lease before the clause is considered void.
Re: Permission to have a pet in my apartment Dear (Name of landlord or manager), I am writing to you today to request permission to adopt a (insert animal) to join our household. As current, responsible tenants, we'd like to make every effort to assure you we'll be courteous pet owners.
There is no way of getting around a no pet rule. If you bring in an unauthorized pet, you risk getting evicted. Find a unit that accepts pets.
Best answer: Tell the landlord that you would like to get a dog and are considering moving because of the clause in the lease, but that you'd rather stay if possible. Ask if there is anything that would convince them to modify the existing lease.
You can get evicted for violation of lease. If it says no pets, by having a pet you're violating it. Typically landlords issue warnings to remove the animal in a very short timeframe, after which they will pursue eviction. Getting an ESA letter after the fact will likely not save you at that point.
Under the Pet Law, a landlord is deemed to have waived his right to enforce a no-pet clause if: the tenant has kept a pet “openly” and “notoriously,” the landlord or his agent has known or should have known of the pet for three months or more, and the landlord does not begin a court case to enforce the no-pet clause.
I agree to control my pet at all times and be 100% responsible for my pet's actions. I agree to keep my pet from making unnecessary noise or being a nuisance to other tenants, and will address any complaints immediately.
There is a city law that says unless the owner takes legal action in court to evict you within 90 days (that means filing a court case, not a mean letter) they cannot evict you for having a pet in violation of the lease.