# Pet Friendly Apartments Dallas | Free Locator, Fees Explained > Pet friendly apartments in Dallas usually charge three separate fees. We explain breed limits up front and show which pet charge lands in your monthly cost. Free to renters. URL: https://apartmentlocatordallas.com/pet-friendly/ # Pet Friendly Apartments in Dallas With Every Pet Fee Explained Last updated: November 1, 2026 Breed limits and pet fees explained, plus a calculator that adds pet rent to your monthly cost. Get My List [/get-my-list/ →](/get-my-list/) Call (945) 800-3851 [tel:+19458003851 →](tel:+19458003851) Costs you nothing No credit pull We reply during our hours Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021 - Costs you nothing Your list and our help are free - No credit pull We never touch your screening report - We reply during our hours Mon to Fri, 9:00am to 6:00pm. Your budget and move date are all we need. - TREC #562021 Spirit Real Estate Group We help pet owners find apartments across Dallas County and plan for breed limits, weight limits, and pet fees. Spirit Real Estate Group (TREC #562021) is our broker, and the search is free to renters. The community pays the referral fee. ## Pet Fee, Pet Deposit, and Monthly Pet Rent Most listings say “pet friendly” and quote one number. A Dallas property usually has three separate pet charges, and only one of them is charged every month. | Charge | When | Refundable | Part of monthly cost | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Pet fee | Once, at move-in | No | No | | Pet deposit | Once, at move-in | Yes, minus any damage | No | | Monthly pet rent | Every month, per animal | No | Yes | Monthly pet rent is the one that belongs in your total monthly cost [/true-monthly-cost/ →](/true-monthly-cost/) . With two animals, it can flip which of two buildings is actually cheaper. Some properties add a PetScreening fee on top, charged by an outside service that collects records and checks breed and weight. That's one more separate charge. ## Breed Restrictions Vary by Dallas Property The City of Dallas has no law targeting specific breeds. Restricted breed lists here are set by individual properties and their insurers, and they vary. What we usually see: - A named list of restricted breeds, which differs between management companies (Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and German Shepherds are common) - A weight limit, often 50, 65, or 80 pounds - A limit on how many animals, usually one or two - Sometimes a higher charge for a second pet, with more monthly pet rent than the first - Occasionally a pet interview or a veterinary reference Two buildings on the same street can have different lists. None of that is the same everywhere, so general advice wastes your time. We look up each property's breed and weight limits for your pet before you tour. ## Assistance Animals Under the Fair Housing Act Under the Fair Housing Act, a trained service animal isn't treated as a pet. A property can't charge a pet fee, pet deposit, or pet rent for one. Breed and weight limits don't apply the same way, either. Emotional support animals are less settled. Since May 2026, HUD only takes up complaints about animals trained to help with a disability, so ask the property how it handles an untrained one. Texas Human Resources Code Section 121.003 covers service animals in housing. Requests for an assistance animal go to the property owner or manager. We don't ask about disability, and we don't need to. Tell us the animal is an assistance animal and we treat it as the law requires. ## Documents the Property Will Ask For - Current rabies certificate and vaccination record - A photo of the animal - Weight and breed or mix - Age - Veterinary contact, if a reference is required - A PetScreening profile, if the property uses it Some properties have you register your pet's DNA so they can check who leaves dog waste behind, which adds a fee when you move in. Ask about it before you apply. ## What to Check on a Pet Friendly Tour Beyond the paperwork, these things decide whether a building works day to day with an animal: **Where the relief area is,** and how far it is from your unit. Think about that walk at 6am. **Whether there's a dog run,** and whether it's kept up. **Which floor you're on,** and whether the elevators make four walks a day realistic. **Whether the floors are hard surface or carpet.** That affects your deposit and how much noise reaches the neighbors below. **Whether there's a dog washing station.** It saves wear on your tub and your deposit. Check what's within walking distance, too. Klyde Warren Park has a dog park, and the Katy Trail and White Rock Lake both have long walking trails. Living close to one changes daily life with a dog. None of that appears on a listing. ## Send Your Pet Details for a Free List Tell us the species, breed or mix, weight, age, and how many animals. Add your budget, move date, and the neighborhood or commute you need. We send back the properties we find whose pet rules fit your situation, from Deep Ellum to Uptown to Richardson. Each one on your list shows its pet deposit, one time pet fee, monthly pet rent, pet limit, weight limit and breed rules. That way you can add the pet rent to your monthly cost. Difference ## Why pet owners use us ### Asked first, not hoped for Breed and weight rules change from property to property. We look yours up before you tour, not at the application. ### Three charges, separated A pet fee you pay once, a refundable pet deposit, and monthly pet rent are three different things. Most listings mention one. ### Pet cost in the monthly number Monthly pet rent belongs in total monthly cost, and at two pets it can change which of two buildings costs less. ### Second pet charges, up front Some properties charge more for a second animal, or allow only one. Find out the limit early. ### Assistance animals handled the right way Under the Fair Housing Act, trained service animals are not pets, so pet fees don't apply to them. We treat them as the law does. ### Free to renters The community pays the referral fee. Your rent is the same either way. Visual reference ## Dallas, illustrated Illustrations of the kinds of Dallas buildings and neighborhoods this page covers, not photos of specific listings. Answers ## Questions about renting with pets What dog breeds are restricted at Dallas apartments? Restricted breed lists are set property by property, not by the City of Dallas, which has no law targeting specific breeds. Most lists name a similar group of breeds and mixes. Some properties add a weight limit on top, often 50, 65, or 80 pounds. There's no rule that covers every property, so we look up your breed and weight in each property's rules before you tour. How much are pet fees in Dallas apartments? There are usually three separate charges, and people often mix them up. A pet fee you pay once when you move in and don't get back. A refundable pet deposit, returned like a security deposit, minus any damage. And monthly pet rent, charged every month per animal. The amounts vary a lot from one property to the next. Only the third one affects what you pay every month, and it's the one most often left out of a comparison. Do pet fees count toward my monthly cost? Monthly pet rent does, every month, per animal. With two pets, that alone can change which of two buildings is actually cheaper. The pet fee and the deposit are paid up front, not monthly, so keep them out of the monthly number. Our true monthly cost calculator has a line for pet rent. What is PetScreening and do I have to use it? PetScreening is an outside service many management companies use to collect pet records and vaccination documents, and to check breed and weight. It sometimes has its own screening fee. If a property uses it, you'll fill out a profile as part of the application. It's a property requirement, not a legal one, and the fee is separate from the property's pet fee. Do pet fees apply to service animals and emotional support animals? Not for a trained service animal, which the Fair Housing Act doesn't treat as a pet. A property can't charge pet fees, pet deposits, or pet rent for one, and breed and weight limits don't apply the same way. Emotional support animals are less settled. Since May 2026, HUD only takes up complaints about animals trained to help with a disability, so ask the property how it handles an untrained one. Texas Human Resources Code Section 121.003 covers service animals in housing, and requests go to the property owner. We don't ask about disability, and we don't need to. What documents do I need for a pet? Usually a current rabies certificate and vaccination record, a photo, and the animal's weight and breed. Some properties require a veterinary reference or a short pet interview. A few use pet DNA programs to check who leaves dog waste behind, and those have their own sign up fee. Can I have two pets? Many Dallas properties allow two, some allow one, and some allow more with an extra deposit. A second pet can cost more each month than the first. We look up the limit and the extra cost before a building goes on your list. Are cats treated differently from dogs? Often, yes. Weight and breed limits are usually for dogs. For cats, it's mostly just the fees and the limit on how many pets you can have. Some properties charge the same for either. It varies by property, so we look it up instead of guessing. What should I send you? Species, breed or mix, weight, age, and how many animals. Plus your budget, move date, and neighborhood or commute. We compare your pet with the property rules in our notes and send back the places whose rules fit. The property makes the final call. Free calculator ## True Monthly Cost Calculator Amenity, parking, package, valet trash, and pet fees vary widely between buildings advertising the same rent. Add the community fees to your effective rent for the real number. Use the calculator [/tools/true-monthly-cost-calculator/ →](/tools/true-monthly-cost-calculator/) ## Related services ### What Dallas Apartments Actually Cost Per Month Total monthly cost, not the rent in the ad. Fees, specials and clawback terms in plain words, plus a free calculator for any quote you're handed. Read more [What Dallas Apartments Actually Cost Per Month →](/true-monthly-cost/) ### Luxury & High Rise Locating Uptown, Downtown, Design District, Victory Park, Knox-Henderson, Turtle Creek: towers and luxury midrise buildings chosen by price and each building's screening rules. Read more [Luxury & High Rise Locating →](/luxury-high-rise/) ### Move-In Specials & Concessions What a special is really worth on a daily rate, where clawback terms hide, and a calculator to test any offer. Read more [Move-In Specials & Concessions →](/move-in-specials/) Next step ## Get a list of Dallas apartments that take your pet Send your budget, move date, and what matters to you. We send properties whose income rule you meet, and we keep notes on how each management company looks at credit. Get My List [/get-my-list/ →](/get-my-list/) Call (945) 800-3851 [tel:+19458003851 →](tel:+19458003851) Free to renters · No credit pull · Brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021