Temporary housing for two adults and two dogs in Minneapolis MN

February 2, 2010 2:15 PM

Temporary living accommodations for 2 adults + 2 dogs for 6 months in/near downtown Minneapolis: what are options?

My friends have to move out of their home in Minneapolis for approximately 6 months (the exact dates are somewhat flexible) due to a necessary remodel that will render their house uninhabitable. Most of their non-essential possessions will be in storage. They want to be in or very near downtown Minneapolis, MN. They like privacy, are used to living upper-middle-class, they have nice stuff so security is important, and they have two good-sized dogs that are pretty well behaved but still big active dogs so a good amount of space is needed. I'd like to help them think of all their possible options. They can pay the full cost of the housing up front.

posted by nanojath to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

I've had several friends who were in the same situation. They simply rented a dog-friendly house with a six-month lease. In one case, the landlord originally was resistant to having tenants with less a year on the lease, but they agreed to a monthly rental that was slightly higher than the full year lease, and all parties involved were happy.
posted by HeyAllie at 2:33 PM on February 2, 2010

I would consider looking in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood just north of downtown. It's where there's a lot of student housing, and most of the rental properties are therefore on a September-September (or August-August) lease schedule. Those that lose their renters in that time frame are not only flexible about rent and animals, they'll also likely be ok with a short-term rental that ends on or before that magical September/August 1 date.
posted by norm at 2:48 PM on February 2, 2010

Can you talk to anyone at the U (or any other college/university) and ask if they know of faculty members who will be on sabbatical and need their home rented? In that case, it would be best if your friends were able to move at a semester break, like May, September or January.
posted by Madamina at 2:54 PM on February 2, 2010

Google for "corporate housing" in Minneapolis and you'll find several options. Corporate housing is perfect for stuff like this, though it tends to be not cheap, but it sounds like that's okay for your pals.
posted by BlahLaLa at 3:44 PM on February 2, 2010

I'd say yes to corporate housing except I've never heard of it being a house with a yard for the dogs. This listing on vrbo.com is available by the month and allows pets; they couldn't really walk to downtown from there, but it wouldn't be a long trip at all, either.
posted by lakeroon at 9:58 PM on February 2, 2010

There are apartment buildings around Loring Park that take dogs and offer 6 month leases (memail for one address in particular). Parking will suck, and the unit might not be huge, but the park is very close and well populated with other dogs.

Security may be the biggest issue, especially if they are parking on the street or coming home late. It's hit or miss, just like the UofM neighborhoods.
posted by soelo at 9:50 AM on February 3, 2010

Response by poster: Thanks for the responses. If anyone comes across anything or happens on this post feel free to email me (via MeFi or the email in my profile) with any suggestions or specifics.
posted by nanojath at 8:42 AM on February 4, 2010