Pets and multifamily

According to a recent study by apartment operator Cortland, 82% of Gen Z apartment renters say having a dog influences the decisions they make related to housing. Many operators have responded by modifying their policies to become exceedingly pet-friendly, including easing restrictions.

Simply allowing pets is a solid start to attracting today’s renters. Reducing or eliminating breed and weight restrictions is even better. But as part of an effort to increase pet-friendliness at apartment communities, operators must address another key facet—promoting responsible pet ownership.

A gaggle of websites are dedicated to creating paystubs that appear to be authentic. Potential renters who otherwise wouldn’t qualify for an apartment home sometimes resort to this tactic to make it appear like they make more money than they actually do.

In 2023, merely allowing pets at a rental community no longer qualifies as “pet friendly.” This has been a gradual trend, naturally, and not something that just sprouted up over the past few months. The response by apartment operators, however, has been mixed.

With wellness and sustainability at the forefront of many residents’ minds, it’s worth reexamining some of the best practices being implemented at apartment communities when it comes to keeping residents, associates and pets safe and healthy.

The top storylines in multifamily this week are the difference between pet-friendly and pet-inclusive, rebranding in 2023, centralization preferences and playbooks, the changing rules of operating efficiency, upcoming trends and tech and the best metros to make money in multifamily.

While most rental housing operators do allow some pets, there is clearly a significant disconnect between operators and pet-owning renters. There are very simple reasons for this disconnect: abundant breed restrictions, significant size and pets-per-unit restrictions, and ever-increasing pet fees.

To attract and retain pet lovers, forward-thinking operators are taking a wide-ranging approach that includes the elimination of breed and weight restrictions, the installation of onsite pet amenities and the support of animal organizations in the community.