i live in a complex in phoenix that requires a pet deposit. have had my cham for about a year now and lived there for about a year now. had maintence come in to fix my fire alarm in the same room, and they didnt say a thing. i even have the cage in the window on the first floor and nothing. to be honest, i dont think maintainence has any idea as to what your policy or deposits are. i have 1.5 dogs(girlfriends comes over 3 or 4 days a week) and havent put down a deposit. my carpets are going to need to be cleaned since i got a puppy so id rather spend the money i would put down on a deposit on that. anyway, id look at the lease, if it says anything about reptiles, ask, if not, like mine doesnt, enjoy it and dont say a word about it. better to play dumb

They have crickets, mealworms and roaches

My apartment has a pet policy as well. I just moved him in and never mentioned it. How are they gonna know he's there? it's not like a dog or cat that they may one day hear. I'm not paying extra for something that has no ability to damage the apartment.

I've lived in this place for 6 months and never had a problem.

Certainly it depends on the apartment.
As a former landlord myself, I know that I too charged extra to allow pets. Even your chameleon could potentially cause damage - such as the need for an exterminator due to roaches or crickets escaping, water damage, etc. I accepted pets on a case by case basis. I also did maintenance inspections twice a year. I felt it was my right to ensure my property was not being destroyed beyond normal wear and tear. Not all pet owners are responsible ones. I recommend telling potential landlords you have a very small, totally harmless lizard. Show a picture. Tell them its name. Dress yourself like you are a responsible professional adult, rather than a college kid who might party, etc. Basically make a great first impression. And be willing to pay a little more to not stress out every time maintenance is needed on your place! dont risk getting kicked out in the middle of January for being a liar.

Im currently going to school to be a music teacher and currently work in the school system and when i go to look at places its generally after i get out of the classroom so i am dressed in business professional attire.

I am willing to pay the extra, but if it is at all possible to avoid, id rather go that way!

__________________

my apartment has a pet policy and deposit and all that crap, but i mentioned i had a small lizard that doesnt bother anything and they didnt seem to mind much. and i second, that maintenance guys dont know you policy agreements and deposits, they are just there to do their job and get out, they dont wanna rustle and feathers.

IMO fish tanks are way more risk to landlords for damage than chameleons and ive never heard of a fish tank deposit. fish tanks can be huge and contain over 100's of gallons, imagine that kinda mess if it breaks or spills compared to my 5gallon mister resevoir....please.

i wouldnt mention it and if you do, compare it to a hermit crab.lol

__________________
"up and coming herp porn director"

Agreed, fish tanks are definately a potential risk and trust me, plenty of landlords DO rightly charge a deposit for them too.

thats what i do right now i wouldn't even ask them, and if anyone says anything, explain to them that because its its in a cage you didn't think it would matter, my neighbors pay a fortune for there dog(5lbs) and rats... but no one even cares, its none of their business IMO, and they are not allowed to come into the apartment without your permission. I have a 4'x2'x6' cham cage and a 32 "gallon" snake terrarium in a one bedroom apartment. I think their main concern is with fish and dogs, water damage and poo...

If the rental market is good from a tenant perspective, meaning lots of vacancies, its likely worth the risk of not mentioning it. Because if the landlord gets upset, you'll find another place quickly.
If you lived where I live, with a close to .5% vacancy rate, you'd pay the extra and not risk getting kicked out - too hard to find a decent place to live. That said, I pretended my first chameleon didnt exist too, back in the day of being a renter.

Everytime my GF and I look at apartments the coversation goes like this:

Apt. person: 'do you have any pets?'
Me: "what kind of pets?"
Apt. person: 'cats or dogs?"
Me: 'no, but do you count chameleons?'
Apt. person: 'What is that?'
Me: 'its a lizard....'
Apt. person: 'oh.. no we don't charge or them'

The apartment we're in now went the same as above but a little shorter....

Apt. person: 'do you have any pets?'
Me: "what kind of pets?"
Apt. person: 'cats or dogs?"
Me: 'nope'

__________________
Veiled 2.1 - Fred, Jake and Caddie, Panther 1.0 - Steve, Jacksoni 1.0 - Jackson , Melleri 4 - Pat, Lenny, Henry and The New Guy. DIY Auto Mister. DIY Silk Chow.