I live in Washington DC, and I moved into an apartment a year ago with a roommate who did not have a pet. While I was on vacation, she bought a cat, and I don't want to have the cat in the house. My roommate owns the house, so she is also the landlord. We never explicitly stated in the beginning of the lease that we would or would not have pets. However, don't I have the right to say that I don't want to have a cat in the house? She never asked my permission. I am not allergic, but she ignored the possibility that I could have been allergic!

OK calm down! Yeah she should've asked you but there was no harm done, you could ask her about the condintions of pets and such and get in writing so there are no future confusons.
Do you not want a cat?
Do you not like cats?
Just trying to get info so I can help.

As the owner, I believe she in entitled to have the cat with or without your permission. If allergies are not an issue to you, I don't see what the problem could be.

I would not have moved in if I knew she was going to have a cat. I don't want to live with a cat, and I chose to move in with someone who didn't have any pets. I pay half her mortgage as my rent, so I have rights as an equal roommate in the house. She shouldn't be able to force a cat on me, just like she shouldn't be able to bring in an additional roommate without my agreement.

If your desire to live in a pet free home was so important, your time to address that was when you signed the lease.

You do not have the same rights of the owner. You are a tenant.

Unless your lease addresses the issues of pets , roommates... etc, you are in no position to dictate the rules of the living arrangement. As long as the owner is providing you with what is outlined in the lease... you haven't a case.

Also, one more fact: I am renting 50 percent of the whole apartment from my roommate, not just my bedroom. Therefore, we share the entire place, and she and I have asked each other permission in the past over new furniture, the wall color, storage space, and the level of heat/air conditioning in the house. We have discussed with each other anything that would affect the other person's living situation since we decided from the beginning that we were equal roommates in the house.

LILL, thanks for your response. Are you saying, however, that if I were to rent a place on my own, my landlord could open my apartment door and put a cat inside? I don't think a landlord has a right to do anything he/she wants to the space that you rent.

The thing to do now, is to get to know the cat.

What's done is done. What to do next? You can move. You can stay and harbor negative feelings toward your roommate, and the cat. You could get to know the cat and learn something new about yourself, or not.

Live in the moment, it will give you peace.

StarrieyesMT,

What LILL is saying is that your roommate is the OWNER of the house which means she has a right to do what ever and when ever she wants to. Just because you're paying 50% of the housing expenses doesn't mean she can't kick you out or have any pets.

Is this an apartment or a house?

I suggest finding another apartment that doesn't involve living with the owner.

Well if you feel strongly about not wanting a cat talk to your roommate about it, but since its her house then she can have a cat if she wants.

Well, we have a one year lease, so she can't kick me out, and I can't move out unless the terms of the lease are broken. We have two more months to go. The cats are currently at her boyfriend's house, but she is planning on bringing them over, but I think it's not a big deal to keep them at her boyfriend's place for just two more months.

Does anyone actually know the DC law on what landlords can do without an explicit prohibition of it in the terms of the lease? For example, they couldn't just walk into your room and put a bunch of boxes there and leave after you've rented out the place. So why should they be able to put a cat in the space that I've rented?

You have two more months to go. Would suggest you start looking for a new place to live. If she wants cats, let her have them when you are elsewhere. I'm not particularly fond of cats either and I would find elsewhere to live.

Well no point in fussing about it, just rough it for 2 more months.

No, your landlord can't put a cat in your apartment. She couldn't force you have the cat in your bedroom. But, as the owner of the house, she can have a pet if she wants. Unless the lease addressed the issue you have no say in the manner.

Since you two seem to have discussed other issues, you might try going to her and asking her if she will let you out of the lease early since you didn't realize that she was going to get pets. If she says yes, yay! If not, you will just have to live with it for the next two months.

And next time, make sure your lease stipulates "no pets".