HONOLULU (KHON2) — Finding affordable housing is tough enough and adding a dog to the mix makes it a whole different issue.
It is such a problem that some have turned to living in their cars to keep their animals due to a lack of pet-friendly housing.
Sal Padilla raised 10-year-old Pua since she was five weeks old. He received a 45-day notice to leave his current home and lined up a pet-friendly rental two days before being evicted.
“But, the last minute, the landlord decided she didn’t want a dog anymore; and she tore up the lease and gave my deposit back,” Padilla said. “So, this puts me right where I’m at right now in my car with my dog; here she is.”
Finding affordable pet-friendly housing is not just an issue on Maui. Less than 10% of Oahu rental units that are under $2,500 per month are dog friendly, and that number is less than 5% for units under $1,500 per month.
“A lot of landlords don’t want to have pets because they think it’s going to make the place smell or it’s going to reduce the value of the place,” said Joey Furlett, Hawaii Life realtor and broker. “But at the end of the day, it ends up disproportionately hurting families that would like to have their part of their family come with them where they live.”
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