pet policies

The top multifamily storylines this week include: how pandemic adjustments are reshaping the industry, how to create a synergistic company culture, remembering non-pet owners when crafting policies, how boredom in the burbs may help downtown rebound, property managers on the road to getting vaccinated, and why Facebook Pixel…

Many apartment operators have worked diligently to improve their pet-friendliness levels. And if pet friendliness wasn’t already a primary focus, it definitely should be now. New data indicates that the well-documented spike in pet adoption during the pandemic has made an impact in the apartment world.

At many apartment communities, rules pertaining to pet size are written as clearly as the “no parking” restrictions in handicapped spaces. But unlike the latter, the pet-size restrictions don’t make very much sense. The perception is that larger breeds will inherently cause more damage.

For decades, pet policies were something of a cookie-cutter concept at apartment communities: Only certain breeds, only certain sizes and a limit of one or two pets per household. Those standard policies, have become antiquated as pet owners constitute one of the fastest growing segments in rental housing.

While breeds are most commonly restricted due to their perceived propensity for aggression, restrictions regarding size are just as prevalent. Large breeds often find themselves on restricted lists simply because they usually exceed 50 pounds.

The multifamily world is using newfound data when exploring ways to modify longstanding practices for the benefits of pets, residents and the bottom line. Advances in pet technology have made this possible and things are trending in the right direction.

As apartment operators clamor to provide a happy and healthy living environment, the presence of pets at their communities should not be undervalued. 66% of pet-owning residents say that their pet has brought them closer to their neighbors.

There is no disputing that apartment operators have experienced a significant increase in emotional support animal accommodation requests in recent years. These can be a source of stress for onsite teams, but they don’t have to be. Policing these requests isn’t the best solution.