Looking for an old shack on fenced block to rent. . . dog friendly . . . location open

[sandgrubber]

I'm planning to move to NZ with three Labradors, who have been raised as indoor/outdoor dogs. They aren't destructive, but they do shed and track dirt, and if there's water around they get wet and then sometimes get really dirty. I am an outside person and not the least bit house proud . . . but enjoy painting, tiling, gardening and doing minor improvements. I'm retired. Seeing things get better around me is a big source of pleasure.

I have funds to buy, but want to take a few to several months looking. Does anyone have any suggestions about where to find a rental that isn't freshly painted and doesn't have new carpets . . . with a landlord who has a soft spot for dogs. I'm happy to do work to ensure the place is in better shape when I leave than it was when I came. I've generally been a landlord myself, very rarely a tenant. So references and all that will be hard.

[dbonnett]

Look on Trademe Property under rentals - there are often places being offered by the owner rather than an agency and you can talk to them directly about your wishes. You probably won't be able to sign up for Trademe from outside NZ (they are trying to minimise fraud) but you can at least see the options. I would look at smaller areas away from the big cities if you want some space.

[Beachcombers]

Dogs can be a problem if you are looking to rent, many agencies stipulate max 2 dogs.

As your dogs will be in quarantine when they arrive, you will have plenty of time to have a look for a suitable home.

[batgirl1001]

I would recommend buying once you are here and looking around. Renting with dogs is hard, even if the landlord himself is a dog owner. Given that they are labs, they need a lot of space to run. I would suggest looking for somewhere rural outside of cities and larger towns. NZ has affordable houses - the West Coast, Southland has the cheapest stock and plenty of space.

[sandgrubber]

Thanks, everyone. I worry that the 10 days of quarantine may not suffice to find a suitable rental. Thinking, perhaps, to buy a caravan and stay at RV parks until I can find a suitable property to buy. Experience tells me that buying a home in a pinch can result in getting stuck with a not-so-good solution. It's probably worth posting a 'wanted' note with the Labrador club of NZ. My dogs are used to getting their runs on lead . . . I do about 4-5k a day and try to work in a swim for the dogs. Seems like it's not hard to find places to camp with good trails where I could replicate this in NZ.

[Fern49]

Thanks, everyone. I worry that the 10 days of quarantine may not suffice to find a suitable rental. Thinking, perhaps, to buy a caravan and stay at RV parks until I can find a suitable property to buy. Experience tells me that buying a home in a pinch can result in getting stuck with a not-so-good solution. It's probably worth posting a 'wanted' note with the Labrador club of NZ. My dogs are used to getting their runs on lead . . . I do about 4-5k a day and try to work in a swim for the dogs. Seems like it's not hard to find places to camp with good trails where I could replicate this in NZ.

A good decision.