By veterinary standards, all of the vets around here consider them exotic. For an apartment though I'm not sure... They don't mention hamsters or anything either and they're pretty common as well. I think it might depends on the owner of the condo... I can't say for certain though.

 

They're a pretty common animal so in reality they aren't really "exotic" but in a way they are? Since you have to go to an exotic vet to get them treated... I'm honestly not sure, you'd have to ask them about it.

 

Maybe you could ask them if "rodents like hamsters and guinea pigs and stuff are exotic"

 

I shot them an e-mail asking if I need to register fish and rodents like hamsters. I suspect the answer is that they don't need to be registered, and I don't see rats being more problematic than hamsters (unless some prude freaks out because of a possible rat infestation if rats got out). They also are horrible about answering e-mails, so I'm just going to take their silence as an answer that I don't need to register them. It's not like they'd find out I have pets anyway, and I'll argue that if the remote possibility happens.

This is one of those situations where interpretation is important. I'm going to go by the legal definition of exotic and not the veterinary definition. It's not like I need to license rats.

 

I think by exotic they mean any animal that you need to have a license to own. Under my vet's standards rats are considered exotic because they are not the something that usually walks through the office doors: dog, cat, or bird. However, under state laws an exotic animal is an animal that you need a license to own: fox, alligator, or a certain pecentage of wolfdog. I think they might be referring to state laws since you need a license to own the animal. I would double check and ask though. At my vet fish are even considered exotic because they are not seen every day, and not a lot of vets know how to treat fish.

 

For veterinarians, there are cats, dogs and exotics. For anyone else (like landlords, etc) its best to ask because there's no standard.

 

I consider them pocket pets or small animals, personally.
Especially in this situation. If I was Googling a vet I might use the term exotic, but that's about it.

 

I tend to believe that by-laws are intentionally left vague so that they can be more loosely applied later. My university had a very strict no pet policy. There were dogs, cats, rats, tarantulas, fish, snakes and all kinds of animals living in the dorms and apartments. As long as no one complained no one enforced the rules... but the rules were there none the less so that if an animal ever became a problem, it could be expeditiously dealt with.

One of my classmates, was a Bo Derek kind of a "10" with a magnetic charismatic personality, and when she brought her rat home from the psychology lab, it became the floor and dorm mascot... To be honest, if she brought a squid home it might have become the dorm mascot too... But if people like you, you can get away with a lot... If people don't like you, for sure your rats will become 'exotic' and become a problem. Remember some rules are left intentionally vague so they can be deferentially enforced... The super model's rat is especially cute while the creepy guys rats are particularly disturbing. Officially, I doubt the management company is going to officially approve of rats, but that doesn't mean they would ransack the building looking for them if they weren't bothering anyone. If your neighbors complain your rat will be an exotic and you can prepare for trouble, so be extra nice to your neighbors.

Best luck.