Pets and multifamily

While some of the 2022 pet scene pertains to new concepts and evolving renter demands, the idea of how to responsibly implement some of the existing trends also figures to be a prominent theme. Here is a look at some of the primary storylines as the year begins.

The term “pet-friendly” is often used as a marketing chip in the rental-housing world, but simply allowing pets at a property no longer qualifies as being genuinely pet-friendly. That’s because many restrictions often accompany an apartment community’s pet policies.

Call it the hidden variable of an apartment community’s pet population—visiting pets. While community teams have steadily gravitated toward crafting pet policies more reflective of the modern resident, these policies oftentimes omit this crucial component.

There are many benefits to multifamily communities being pet-friendly, including happier residents, an improved reputation and more homes available for pets that don’t have one. But the residual effects don’t stop there. Another major benefit is that it widens the pool of prospective residents.

Apartment communities across the nation are making concerted efforts to strengthen their pet-friendliness, which is both uplifting and necessary. Residents consider pets to be part of their families, and the pandemic-fueled adoption boom has added even more pets to the rental-housing landscape.

When non-pet owners were asked what their top three pet-related concerns are, it wasn’t fear, aggression or biting that topped the list. It was nuisance issues such as pet waste, excessive barking and unleashed dogs that perturb them the most.

While 76% of operators identify their property as being pet-friendly, a staggering 72% of renters say that pet-friendly housing is hard to find. As these numbers seem to contradict one another, finding the cause of this disconnect is crucial to creating a community that is pet-inclusive.

This week's top multifamily storylines include ways to make housing more affordable, product knowledge in leasing, addressing the package management burden, construction delays continue, questioning the suburban push and caring for pet-owning residents.