Fox News Flash top headlines for February 6
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A luxury apartment complex in Missouri has seemingly shocked a TikTok user with its pet rent fee for fish, and it has started a conversation about the costs of having a furry, scaly or feathery friend in modern apartments.
A St. Louis woman named Nicole, whose surname was omitted from a New York Post article, told the outlet she was searching for an apartment in Kansas City while browsing Apartments.com, a popular website that lists available home rentals.
She reportedly came across the Westover at The Crosswalks, one of four buildings that make up the complex on Armour Boulevard.
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On Jan. 25, Nicole shared a screen recording of the building’s pet policy and related pet fees to TikTok that were listed on Apartments.com.
"They’re now charging pet rent for fishes?" Nicole captioned her video, which has been viewed more than 62,000 times.
Fox News Digital reached out to Nicole for comment.
The listing at the time of Nicole’s upload appears to have had a one-time fee of $200 and a monthly pet rent of $15 for fish, according to the viral video.
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On Monday, Feb. 6, Fox News Digital found that the pet fee section for fish doesn’t appear on the Apartments.com listing but the pet fees for birds, cats and dogs have remained with the one-time $200 fee and monthly $15 fee.
Each pet fee section notes there is a restriction on "aggressive breeds."
Westover at The Crosswalks is owned by Mac Properties, an Illinois-based real estate company that restores and renovates apartment rentals in Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis.
Anthony Weatherington, a regional manager at Mac Properties, told Fox News Digital that the Apartments.com listing that went viral is not completely accurate.
"At Mac, we love our furry friends, and we also love the ones that aren’t so furry," the real estate company wrote in a statement emailed to Fox News Digital.
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"We do not charge for birds or fish; we also don’t know what ‘aggressive breeds’ would be considered," the statement continued. "We may one day implement a bird and fish personality test, but for now, we would like to keep our doors open to birds and fish of all kinds."
The email noted that Mac Properties has copies of its pet policy for each city available online, which lists current pet fees, pet rent and requirements pet owners must meet, including proper registration, immunization, hygiene and limited disturbance to neighbors.
There’s a breed restriction for dogs only. Fish tanks that don’t exceed 25 gallons are allowed in apartment units.
Mac Properties (apartments not pictured in this stock image), which serves future and current residents of Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis, does not charge for birds or fish. Fish tanks that don’t exceed 25 gallons are allowed in apartment units. (iStock)
"The third-party site will be corrected soon," Mac Properties concluded. "We apologize for any confusion."
Apartment units at the Westover at The Crosswalks range between 436 square feet to 1,143 square feet and have monthly rents that range from $945 to $1,930, according to Apartments.com.
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The current average rent for an apartment in Kansas City is between $1,013 and $1,316, according to Rent.com, an apartment search engine and online marketplace owned by Redfin’s RentPath platform.
Kansas City, Missouri, is a city on the western edge of Missouri that straddles the Kansas border. (iStock)
While some TikTok users were shocked or outraged at seeing a pet fee and monthly rent cost for fish, most said they’ve seen similar pet charges from landlords.
"Your pet rent is only 15$/month?!" A TikTok user wrote. "In Seattle is 350$/month, plus a $500 deposit."
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"I had a shrimp in a small tank they tried to charge me I said it was food so they couldn’t charge me," one TikTok user claimed.
Some TikTok commenters told Nicole she shouldn’t disclose whether she owns a fish. Other TikTok commenters wrote that they’ve faced charges from apartment management staff for not disclosing they own pet fish.
In a reply, Nicole noted she’s not a fish owner but finds pet rent for fish to be a step too far.
Pet fish can be kept in small filter-free tanks or large tank-equipped aquariums. (iStock)
Other TikTok users poked fun at the "aggressive breed" restriction and noted that beta fish and piranhas wouldn’t be allowed in the Westover at The Crosswalks.
"Are you going to release a barracuda into the halls??" a TikTok user joked.
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A few TikTok users shared that they could understand why some apartment complexes have fees or pet policies on fish.
"Contrary to belief aquariums can cause a lot of damage to a home if ruptured especially the bigger aquariums 30 gallons plus," one TikTok user wrote.
"You can absolutely negotiate this," another user claimed. "I always do and get at least the initial deposit taken off."
Service animals are trained animal companions that works and performs tasks for individuals with disabilities. (iStock)
Service animals are generally the only group that has federal protection and can be exempted from pet fees and rent, according to a report published by Rocket Lawyer, a San Francisco-based legal services platform.
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Applicable pet fees and rent charges reportedly vary by state and local laws.
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