Info for Prospective Tenants

What makes Lion Canyon different?

It's truly fully furnished.

Even at more expensive rentals, "fully furnished" typically includes major furniture only. At Lion Canyon, we provide almost everything you need, and you won't need to bring much more than what you would bring to a hotel. See Furnishings for details.

You must follow some rules.

Most rules are the same as anywhere else, but there are some extra rules that all aim to:

• Prevent nuisance to your neighbors
• Prevent damage to your home or furnishings
• Keep cats safe and healthy

Please read all these rules carefully. Ideally, you will see these rules as easy to follow and be thankful you will be living somewhere rules like these are enforced.

However, if these rules seem like a burden to you, then we highly encourage you to look elsewhere, because essentially no other homes in the area have these rules.

It's heaven for cats.

The most unique aspect of Lion Canyon is the collection of special features for cats built into every home.

However, it is important to note that it's not all about cats here. It is crucial to our mission that these homes appeal to everyone, especially people who do not have cats. (One of the top design principles is "Human needs come first.") All features for cats have been designed to have secondary uses, or at the very least, to go unnoticed by people who do not have cats.

So, if you have a cat you love, living here should be a lifechanging experience, and should feel like a bargain (for San Diego) because of the features you get here that you literally can't find anywhere else.

However, even without a cat, the regular features of the homes are enough to make them a great place to live and a good value compared to other options in the area.

International students love it.

• Extensive furnishings mean visiting students don't need to bring much or waste money on home goods they'll use only for a semester.
• The flexible layout of Highgate + The Quarters is ideal for a large group that doesn't know each other well, because it lets them share a home knowing they can reconfigure it later if needed.
• Being walking distance from SDSU makes it easy to live without a car.
• Although I can't make any specific promises, I'll do what I can to help students enjoy their stay in America. (For example, I brought the first group of tenants to several local restaurants and to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.)

Management is close by.

I, your landlord, live two houses away.

Having a house between us is nice for privacy—and the neighbors between are lovely—but if you need me, I'm almost always there because I work from home.

This means that it's quick and easy for me to come over to fix things or help with whatever you need.

(This also means that if you break the rules and have a loud party, I'll be over there before the first song ends.)

Lion Canyon is a laboratory.

These homes are very new, and although they are perfectly ready to live in, I don't know if I'll ever stop trying to improve them.

During your stay, I will likely ask if you want to try out new products for your home. Furthermore, if you have any ideas for improving your home experience, I'll be eager to hear them.

All profits benefit animals.

To have any chance of convincing larger developers to copy the model, the homes developed through this project must operate profitably. However, all profits will go toward promoting animal welfare.

Charity begins at home (or, in this case, at Haven Homes), so the first animals to benefit will be those living at Lion Canyon through the following benefits, provided at no cost to the tenants.

Your promise to me

You'll follow the rules.

Read the site policies.

You'll take good care of your home.

These aren't typical rental homes.

You won't make me evict you.

Please don't make me evict you.

Misc.

I'm sorry it's not more affordable.

I'm sorry I even have to charge at all. Show chart of costs, illustrating how land, fees, and minimum construction costs would have made even the most modest homes expensive. Since I couldn't make them truly affordable, I decided instead to make the extraordinary at a reasonable price. However, larger builders with their much larger economies of scale can copy this strategy and execute it much more affordably.