Renting With a Dog?
ApartmentAdvisor Report Highlights U.S. Metro Areas with Highest and Lowest Availability of Dog-Friendly Rentals
ApartmentAdvisor (www.ApartmentAdvisor.com), an apartment rental search platform, released a report showing the metro areas where dog-owners are most and least likely to find a rental that will accommodate their pooch.
The company studied the availability of pet-friendly rentals in the top fifty most populated metro areas of the United States, analyzing tens of thousands of apartment rental listings. Overall, just under half (49%) of the total units were advertised as “dog-friendly” and only 30% were advertised as “large-dog-friendly.” However, some metro areas had a much higher proportion of availability than others. The Austin, TX area topped the list, with 83% of all available rentals listed as dog friendly.
Other Texas metro areas including San Antonio, Houston and Dallas also showed high availability of dog-friendly listings. Among the large metro areas with the lowest proportions of dog-friendly inventory were Washington, D.C., Providence, RI, San Jose, CA and Boston, MA metro areas.
A surge in dog ownership was a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic, with increased dog adoption rates at animal shelters, and many people enjoying the companionship of their new canines while staying socially distant from other humans. But for new dog-owners, finding an apartment that is dog-friendly can be extra challenging since not all property managers welcome pets. A recent survey conducted by ApartmentAdvisor of urban renters* showed that the majority (58%) of dog-owning city dwellers described the process of finding a pet-friendly rental as somewhat or extremely difficult.
“Since dog policies can vary greatly among property owners, it’s always been a bit more challenging for dog owners to find the right apartment rental,” said Tom Gilmore, CEO of ApartmentAdvisor. “However, it’s clear from our data that dog owners in some areas are facing better odds than others of finding a place that will welcome their pooch. Still, even for dog owners that are apartment hunting in the most dog-friendly rental cities, we recommend building in a lot of extra time for your search, using the right online search tools and budgeting for additional pet fees and pet rent.”
ApartmentAdvisor analysts say that while every apartment community has their own specific pet policies, generally smaller properties and individual owners tend to have more restrictive pet rules. Larger and newer apartment communities tend to be more pet-friendly, as property managers seek to attract a larger pool of prospective residents and increase revenue through pet fees and pet rent. Some newer buildings even offer specific pet amenities including on-site dog parks and community dog wash stations.
Tips for Renting with a Pet
Once dog-owners find their perfect pet-friendly place, ApartmentAdvisor recommends taking the following important steps when signing their lease:
Get your pet agreement in writing: Be sure to review the lease carefully to be sure any “no pet” clause is removed. Ask the owner for a pet addendum that includes all pet fees and pet rent details, and any pet-specific policies that you have discussed. Putting everything in writing will protect you and the property owner from any misunderstandings in the future.
Clarify the pet policies: Ask the property owner to outline specific pet guidelines for the building in writing. Are there public areas of the building that pets are prohibited (such as elevators or patios)? What is the policy on cleaning up after your dog when using outdoor space at your building? Having clear written guidelines on pet policies will not only help you but can also be useful when navigating any issues or concerns that arise with neighbors in the future.
Get renter’s insurance: Whether or not you have a pet, renter’s insurance is a good idea. If you have a pet, having an insurance policy with liability coverage becomes even more important. Your landlord might even require it if you have a pet. Contact your insurance company to learn more about your liability coverage, and whether it covers you for damages caused by your pet. In some cases, you may want to consider additional pet liability insurance.
Renters looking for pet-friendly apartments can use the pet-friendly rentals filter at ApartmentAdvisor, and they can also find additional tips for finding a pet-friendly rental here. For the full ranked list of all metros, contact pr@apartmentadvisor.com.
About ApartmentAdvisor
ApartmentAdvisor (www.apartmentadvisor.com) helps renters easily find the right apartment. The company is building a rental search platform that combines rigorous rent price analytics with neighborhood insights from local residents, empowering renters with a more transparent way to compare prices, features and locations of available apartments.
ApartmentAdvisor was founded in 2020 by a team of founders and engineers from TripAdvisor and CarGurus, including Langley Steinert (co-founder of TripAdvisor and founder and executive chairman at CarGurus); Tom Gilmore (founder and CEO of VacationHomeRentals, sold to TripAdvisor); Josh Arnold (engineering at TripAdvisor and director of data science for MineralTree); and Oliver Chrzan (former chief technology officer at CarGurus). The company is based in Cambridge, MA.
