What to confirm before renting in Memphis with a pet, and how to prepare both the application and the move.
Moving to Memphis With Pets
What to confirm before you apply, and how to make the move easier on the animal.
Pet policies are set per property and sometimes per unit, so the only answer that matters is the one for the specific apartment you are considering.
Ask early. It is a straightforward question, and finding out late is how people end up restarting a search with a move-in date approaching.
What to confirm before applying
Whether pets are accepted
For the specific unit, in writing. Policies can vary between properties and sometimes between units.
Any associated terms
Ask what applies to your situation rather than assuming. Get the answer before you apply, not after.
Documentation
Vaccination records and, if relevant, documentation for an assistance animal.
Where you will walk
Look at the immediate surroundings on your tour. This matters daily and is easy to overlook.
Ground floor versus upstairs
Stairs several times a day with a dog is a different proposition from a ground-floor exit.
Flooring
Consider what the unit’s flooring means for claws, accidents and cleaning at move-out.
Have a pet and a move-in date? Ask us what applies to the unit you are considering.
Planning the move itself
- Update microchip and tags
Before you travel, not after you arrive. - Find a vet near the new address
Before you need one urgently. - Plan the journey
Breaks, water, and never leaving an animal in a hot vehicle — particularly relevant in a Memphis summer. - Set up one room first
Somewhere quiet with familiar bedding while the rest of the move happens around them. - Keep routine intact
Feeding and walking times are the easiest thing to hold steady during an unsettled week. - Watch the first few days
Escape risk is highest immediately after a move, before an animal knows where home is.
Heat is the Memphis-specific issue
Summers here are hot and humid for months rather than weeks, which changes the practical calculation for a pet. Walking times shift to early morning and evening, and a vehicle becomes genuinely dangerous within minutes.
That makes two things worth checking on your tour that people rarely think about: whether you can control the cooling in the unit yourself, and how far the walk is from your door to somewhere shaded. Both matter every day from roughly June onwards.
Pet move checklist
- Pet terms confirmed in writing for the specific unit
- Vaccination records gathered
- Microchip details updated to the new address
- A vet identified near your new home
- Travel plan with breaks and water
- One quiet room prepared for arrival day
- Walking routes checked around the property
Current ELM rentals
Our Memphis rentals include apartments in the Raleigh area of northeast Memphis. Availability changes frequently, so the listings page is the current source of truth.
Frequently asked questions
Do you accept pets?
It depends on the property and the specific unit. Ask us about the apartment you are considering and we will confirm in writing.
What documentation should I have?
Vaccination records, and documentation for an assistance animal if that applies.
Should I tour with my pet?
Tour first without them, then consider the practicalities — where you would walk, and how you would get in and out.
What is hardest about moving with a pet?
The first few days. Keep the routine steady and be careful about doors while the place is still unfamiliar.
Related guides
- Apartments in Raleigh, Memphis
- First 30 days after moving to Memphis
- Moving to Memphis: the full guide
- How to rent before moving to Memphis
Ask Lia
Lia is ELM Property Management’s leasing assistant. Ask us what the pet terms are for the specific apartment you are considering. Send your question through our contact page, email info@elmpropertymanagement.com, or call 901-350-5502, and a member of our team will follow up.
Moving to Memphis with a pet?
Tell us what you have and your move-in date, and we will confirm what applies.