Tere all!

I'm considering moving to Estonia for my PhD, either the next academic year or in 2027.
I'd have to rent my own apartment, because I want to bring my cat with me and pets aren't allowed at the dorms. I checked the rent prices for Tartu and it seems some flats have a rent low enough it would be livable with the stipend I will receive.

However, I'm not sure how hard is it for a foreign student (from an EU country), to actually get an apartment that a pet can live in too.
I didn't find much info so I thought I'd ask here.

Tänan for all answers!

(Photo for cat tax included)

by Auriel235

16 comments

  1. Very cute cat! Tax accepted.
    I think it’s rather hard, though not impossible to find an economic flat to live with pets.

  2. Tell them she’s not a pet but a research fellow.

  3. Most owners don’t allow pets. Those who do, usually expect your own furniture.

  4. You have two options: admit that you have a cat, or not mention the cat. Inspections are not common; you are likely to see the landlord twice at best. But, pets shed and you will not be able to get rid of all the evidence. Some landlords will accept an extra deposit in order to incentivise making sure that the pet doesn’t wreak havoc.

    I would just straight up mention the cat and say that he or she is sterilised (don’t like about that) and that you keep the claws trimmed (don’t lie about that either). I’ve never had a landlord in Estonia have a problem and I’ve had cats and dogs. I’m still finding dog hair in my current apartment where the previous tenants had a dog…years ago.

  5. I’ve seen some apartments that allow cats on the real estate market. They are not non-existant. 😼

  7. It is true, many landlords don’t allow pets, but there are some that do. So it can take longer to find a flat and maybe you’d have to adjust your expectations a bit (perhaps settle for the flat that isn’t so modern looking), but it is totally possible to get a flat where pets are allowed:) I moved with my cat several times and I was just very honest that I have a cat. Explained she is older, doesn’t really make any trouble (which was very true) and if they want, I can get a previous landlords recommendation about that. And that I’m willing to pay more security deposit. Those landlords, who were OK with a cat, didn’t even want the extra deposit.

    I’ve heard about home insurance, that covers damages caused by pets, but never really looked into it myself, just remember someone mentioning they have it. Imagine some landlords may like that, just an additional thought.

  8. That cat looks cute.
    Also, you might want to write to the owners of the apartments, that your cat is trained, older, doesnt scratch and that you are doing Phd.
    Because the owners worry about furniture and property damage. But being an phd student and confirming that the cat is well-behaved and you will cover any damage costs, will calm the nerves of the owner.

  9. Your best bet would be an apartment that hasn’t been renovated in a while. It would be cheaper and the owner probably doesn’t care about pets because they’ll be renovating the place after you’re gone anyway.

  10. It is the same everywhere – You need to be honest upfront, then you control the outcome much better.

    Most owners just want to avoid the additional expenses linked to pets. It is a fact that you need to remodel a pet owned appartment later if you want to avoid issues with allergies. The possible physical damages part can be covered with a larger deposit.

    Most likely you need to find a place that focuses on petowners. I have no idea how pets react if they smell the previous owners animal though.

  11. I own a couple of rental properties in Tartu and I mostly rent them for students. At the moment I have two tenants from foreign countries (both EU). One of my previous tenants had an older and trained cat and it wasn’t a big issue for me. I charged her double of the deposit that I normally do, and she covered the sofa with an extra blanket so the cat wouldn’t scratch it. I also had another tenant who had a rabbit, no issues with her either.

  12. I’ve never seen an apartment with a cat, you have to bring your own I think

  13. Start looking early.
    Go for flats with no soft furniture or no furniture.
    Offer a larger than normal security deposit (like double or something).

  15. I found an apartment in Mustamäe and I‘ve got a gigantic Maine Coon. You‘re going to have to find the right landlord or straight up lie about it. Cats are pretty popular in Estonia though

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