A pet-friendly approach is commendable and does wonders for an apartment community. It makes the property more appealing to a wider pool of renters and gives residents a chance to connect through their pets.

It also means more wear and tear.

Pets not only are present in designated pet areas—they'll also regularly traverse a property's other outdoor spaces and common areas. Naturally, they also spend many hours within the apartment home in which they reside. More pet activity in those spaces creates more chances for damage.

Fortunately, properties can take steps to mitigate some of the damage and gradual wear and tear with a strong preventive maintenance program.

Utilize pet-resilient surfaces and materials
Property teams can consider pet-resistant flooring in high-traffic zones, such as hardwood, laminate, vinyl and porcelain tiles. They can also consider high-performance, stain-resistant carpeting and semigloss paint, which is more resilient to any wear and tear.

Maintenance teams can also reimagine their home-turn process at homes with pets by amping up the carpet-cleaning regimens and engaging in more robust cleaning protocols after a pet-owning resident moves out. 

Schedule regular maintenance inspections and initiatives
Properties can avoid many impending pet-related issues by remaining a step ahead of any potential problems. By proactively monitoring the pet-centric areas of the property, teams can identify potential areas of damage early in the process, such as a developing gap in the dog park fence. Likewise, teams should always be on the lookout for chewed fixtures or scratched flooring during the turn process, as catching it early can potentially save on costly repairs.

In addition to the official inspections, property teams should regularly perform walkthroughs to make sure that any pet amenities are properly equipped and functional, and to ensure all pet waste stations are stocked. This helps keep the community clean and reduces the potential for residents to have a bad living experience, as unattended dog waste across a property can anger non-pet owners and pet owners alike. Teams should be aware of seasonal-related challenges and adjust maintenance initiatives accordingly, such as preparing for increased dog-park activity in the summer.

Track the onsite pet population
By regularly monitoring the onsite pet population, teams can verify that any pets onsite are authorized to live at the property. This helps reduce potentially liability issues and preserves any rightful revenue in the form of pet rent, fees or deposits—which should be reasonably priced, but that's a topic for a different time. Maintenance teams can more accurately devise preventive measures when they are aware of the true pet population.

By ensuring residents have gone through the proper channels to have their pets at the property, it creates a level playing field for all residents. Properties can lean on tech not only to accurately track the onsite pet population, but to help ensure that all residents formally acknowledge the community guidelines regarding pets—whether they own a pet when they move in, or if they acquire or host a visiting pet during their residency.

Provide residents with resources
With pets increasingly considered an integral part of the family, pet-owning residents often seek out local pet services. Property teams should make it easy for them by having this type of information readily available. This ensures residents are aware of the veterinarians, trainers, groomers, dog walkers, dog parks and pet concierge services in the area. Equally important, a property's pet policy should also be readily available, easy to find and written clearly. This provides residents with a clear understanding about noise expectations, pet-related fees, pet restrictions and any other guidelines specific to the community.

The resident education measures could also include the potential damage component. Residents oftentimes are shy to report pet-related damage within a home for fear of incurring fees. Part of a proactive maintenance approach can be to incentivize residents for reporting damage in its early stages, which allows teams to make repairs before it gets worse.

It is no secret that pet-friendly communities can result in increased maintenance measures. But properties that take a proactive, preventive approach can limit any potential damages and ensure the pet-friendly experience remains positive.