In rental housing today, pets are the new kids as 97% consider pets family and pet-friendly rental policies play a major role in which apartment communities residents want to live.
By Victoria Cowart, CPM
The property advertised itself as pet-friendly, so the couple with a dog moved in. Upon
arriving, the couple discovered that pet-related fees were a bit higher than market value
and that the property’s pet spaces were small and limited.
The couple eventually wanted to add a second dog, but that wasn’t an option because the
property had a one-pet limit. Essentially, the property was pet-friendly only in that it
allowed pets.
That situation underscores the disconnect that often occurs between pet-owning residents
and rental properties. While 71% of U.S. households owned a pet in 2025 and an
overwhelming 97% consider them part of their family, renters often encounter various
restrictions at rental properties, including breed, weight, age (some don’t allow puppies or
kittens, for instance), and per-unit pet limits.
While many properties consider themselves pet-friendly, such as the one in the example
above, it doesn’t necessarily reflect in the experience of pet owners. According to an
Apartments.com survey, 60% of renters struggle to find a genuinely pet-friendly rental and
truly feel the market is only pet-tolerant.
“Clearly, pets are a deal-breaker for many, and apartment buildings with more flexible pet
policies will attract this growing group of pet-owning renters — and possibly keep them
for a longer period of time,” an Apartments.com spokesperson said. “Nearly all pet owners
surveyed said pet policies play a major role in their decision of where to live.”
In practice, pet-owning residents want pet-passionate policies.
Benefits for rental communities
When executed effectively, a truly pet-passionate community yields a vast array of benefits.
This includes a competitive advantage in attracting the market’s pet-owning renters,
boosted revenue and elevated retention rates. The undertaking, of course, must include more than simply allowing pets.
Properties can also consider easing or eliminating breed and weight restrictions, evaluating
pets on an individual basis, allowing exotic pets and raising pet limits to two or three per
household. They can also ensure any pet fees are reasonable and not potential
dealbreakers. Along with the pet-passionate initiatives, properties should strive for a pet-
responsible environment, as well.
This can include strict vaccination requirements, standardized operating procedures to
handle behavior-related complaints, and defined rules for visiting pets. Residents should be required to formally acknowledge a property’s pet policies, and teams should be equipped
with the tools to accurately track the onsite pet population and reduce the chances of
unauthorized pets on the property, which can help decrease liability risks.
This also helps ensure a pet-responsible experience for all residents while supporting the
efforts to reduce turnover, improve overall occupancy, and increase property values.
Supporting the efforts
Transitioning to a pet-passionate community is a bold initiative, and the undertaking
requires some effort. To ensure a smooth process, properties can consider inviting pets on
resident tours and ensuring basic pet amenities—such as shaded pet parks, water stations
and pet relief areas—are easily accessible.
Properties should also ensure that team members and residents are fully trained and aware of the community’s pet policies. To further create a pet-inclusive environment, properties can consider supporting pet-adoption initiatives, hosting pet events, enhancing pet-related services and further cultivating pet-centric amenity spaces. Teams can also offer pet-relocation tags—such as those offered by FidoAlert—to ensure any missing pets can easily be reunited with theirowners.
Remember, 97% of pet owners consider their pets family. What could be more
meaningful than helping a pet find its family?
Happier residents, happier community
The advantages of allowing pets are not only for the property, naturally. Pets provide a
multitude of benefits for their owners, almost all of which lead to increased happiness and
mental health.
Having a pet promotes physical exercise, reduces stress, alleviates depression, and reduces
the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks. They reduce the potential for loneliness,
elevate oxytocin levels, and help create a sense of community when residents can connect
and bond over their pets.
Ultimately, pet-passionate communities lease homes more quickly because they are
appealing to a wider pool of potential residents. Those residents renew at higher rates and
stay longer, because if their pet is happy, they’re happy. Properties that offer a truly pet-
centric environment are already reaping the benefits.
About the author:
Victoria Cowart, CPM, NAAEI Faculty, is the VP of Education for PetScreening.
