Creating A New Pet Policy

In looking to convert a community to being pet friendly, I was wondering what thoughts people had. What to watch out for? What to keep in mind when crafting a pet policy? Anyone have a pet policy that they'd be willing to share with me? Any other thoughts or advice welcome...

Thanks!

As someone who has had a dog in the family for as long as I can remember; here are my thoughts on the topic, in no particular order:

1) You need to understand that a service/companion animal (even one in training) is NOT to be considered a pet and is to be exempt from any additional deposits/rent monies collected so long as the animal (and the need for it) is documented.

Now, specifically regarding PETS:

2) You need to establish a fair amount to consider as a Pet Deposit and keep it with DEPOSIT monies. Should you decide to collect "pet rent" also; you need to spell it out. Any monies collected relating to pets need to be accompanied by a lease addendum that outlines what you expect from the human residents as to how the animals are cared for as detailed below.

3) You need to set a maximum number of pets per household (2 is reasonable, with deposits/rents collected for each).

4) You need to ask for veterinary documentation detailing if the animal has been 'fixed' and had it's shots. This also indicates that the animal is under a vet's care. You also need to have a copy of the city pet license on file. This is a potential cross marketing venue for referrals that costs little to nothing.

5) You need to ask the residents to provide a picture of the animal to use in the event that the animal gets separated from the owner. Have the resident provide detailed emergency contact information to use in that event. Print 3 copies of the picture and information; place 1 in the resident file along with the pet addendum; give one to the resident; and maintain a 'pet directory' that all staff has easy access to in the event of an emergency that requires the identification of the animal. Getting this started can be an easy community service project for a young person in need of one for whatever reason. A digital camera and color printer that can do photos work for this purpose.

6) You need a clause that defines a maximum allowable size for the animal at full grown; usually in the 25-35 lb range.

7) You need a clause that outlines consequences when an animal turns on another resident or staff member. You may want to consider breed restrictions as well.

If you do not already require renter's insurance; you need to consider doing so and making sure that the insurance plans include clauses for pet caused damage.

9) If you have the 'green space' you may want to consider allowing a fenced in 'free play' area on site and posting pet cleanup stations throughout the property (these are available from Peachtree).

10) your pet addendum needs to require residents to clean up after their animals when outside the resident units and establish a small fee when they are witnessed not doing so. Alternatively, you might consider a weekly service your landscapers may be able to provide or refer you to. If you choose the latter, a pet rent to pay for this would need to be established. It also needs to address noise complaints and care for the animal while the resident is away.


11) If you do this; you need to train your staff to ask one more question when taking maintenance requests: 'If you are not at home; is there a pet that we need to know about? We do not want to accidentally let it out.'

Does this help???

Johnny's suggestions are all excellent ones, although I would suggest eliminating a maximum weight limit. I own a 80-lb Shepherd/Chow mix and our last apartment search was made so difficult by the number of apartments who listed themselves as "pet-friendly" but would not accept dogs over 25 pounds! "Pets Welcome With Restrictions" was more like it. I'd talk to Eric with Urbane Apartments, they've got some awesome pet policies (and I don't even live there!) - maybe he's got some pointers for you.

Also re: breed restrictions - if you must implement them, make sure your staff are appropriately trained in enforcing them, especially if your restrictions include mixes of any kind. It can be difficult to identify dog breeds by sight alone, so make sure you have a way to "prove" an animal's breed/pedigree if in doubt. Most vets provide doggy DNA testing that will help suss out their particular mix, and if the animal is purebred it may have the documentation to prove it. Shelter adoptees usually go out with an adoption history that includes the breed mix.

Good luck! And from a happy dog mom, thanks for thinking of our furry families!

Most of the pet friendly properties I have been at have had ALL of the restrictions I mentioned; so 'Pet friendly with restrictions- Ask for details' is an appropriate marketing tagline.

I was even at a property that restricted dog owners to downstairs apartments; which I understood was for safety reasons, but under fair housing I disagreed with. This was a short term temporary assignment for me and while I was there, I did not have the need to discuss the subject simply because it never came up in any of my conversations with prospective residents.

Johnny - thanks!! I appreciate the time you spent in detailing so many things that I need to think about regarding pet policies. The information you provided will be VERY helpful...

Sara - thanks for your thoughts! We've always had big dogs (and some little dogs) in my family so I can appreciate the weight limit issue. As you suggested, I'll get in touch with Eric as well to see what his policy is!

Awesome suggestions already. Just wanted to add my thoughts on the weight and number of pets limit. If you really want to be competitive, step outside of the box. Allow dogs of any weight. We used to restrict them to the first floor so they didn't bother anyone. But by allowing them, we captured traffic that others just threw out the window. Same thing with pet limits. If the norm is 2, bump it up to 3. That's what my last company did and we got so many leases because of it. And honestly, what's one more? If there's damage, there's damage and the difference of 2 or 3 pets really isn't going to make much of a difference from my experience. It's certainly worth it from the extra leasing activity you'll see. I'm a locator now and I can tell you that those few communities in my area with flexible pet policies get the majority of my pet traffic.

Hello Matt,

The two best pet policies I have seen come from Kettler and Mark Taylor.

www.rentmet.com/pets.html this one spells it out for you

Hope this helps

Tami

I agree with throwing out the pet weight limit or at the very least offering a higher than 25-35lb limit... I've always owned dogs larger than 70lbs so when we went looking for an apartment it was difficult. The last company I worked for had a 75lb limit which seemed to work okay. Also as a pet owner a community with a "bark park" would have definately been my first choice!!

Every company I've worked for has had a $250 non-refundable pet fee and also pet rent. Mine is currently $15 per month per pet with a 2 pet limit.

While I agree with Morgan on the number of pets, many localities have a limit. My county only allows two dogs per address without zoning approval. Silly I know...

On a personal note- I am very active in pet rescues and work closely with our local shelters. I created a list of communities that accept pets to share with shelters and rescues. This has been a huge help when owners who think they have to surrender their pets due to a move, can be given a list of pet friendly communities. I also take $50 off the pet fee for spayed/neutered and rescued pets.

Notice everything I have mentioned refers to "pets" not service or working animals.

I would agree with you on the size limitation with one caveat.... unless you have outdoor space on property or nearby; you may be doing a disservice to the resident and their four legged friends. The bigger the animals; the more space they need to play.

The bigger the dog, the more space it needs to play is not necessarily true.
We have two Giant Mastiffs in our community who are the laziest things. They each weigh over 100lb. CHow Chows aren't very active dogs either....
As long as there is no noise, or damage issue ( a small dog can chew things up too), what does it matter what a person's dog does in their apartment? If they don't mind sharing 800sq feet with a 100lb Mastiff, then let them.
The issue should be that the dog is well behaved and doesn't cause problems for the rest of the community, and that should be standard for whatever size the dog is.

I have met a lot of calm large dogs.

I agree with you Annie, but how do you set an objective standard in this type of situation? What sort of guidelines can be in place that are feasible to be met prior to signing the lease that will prove the dog is well behaved. We end up with an 'all or none' type of agreement because someone's pet is their family - their child even. Even the most misbehaved children are still adored by their parents, so asking an applicant to be upfront and admit their dog is not trained and will likely ruin the property is not likely to happen.

What do you think of having a 'trial period' for having pets over a certain size, or even just in general? Make a requirement that for the pet to be allowed they have to be brought in prior to finalizing the agreement. Have the pet in designated space for whatever period of time you deem acceptable and see how they interact and respond to the commands on their owner. It may still fall under a subjective decision model, but it opens the door to new applicants and adds to marketing a property with no size restrictions on pets.

Annie; you are lucky... I have had dogs of all sizes in my life for most of my life and not ONE of them was lazy in the least; even the 120lb doberman could outrun Usain Bolt!

@ Ryan I like where you are headed with bringing the pet in. I would suggest a "pet interview" where the pet is brought in and you can interact. The only issue I see with that however is what happens when you have staff that is afraid of dogs? I am a certified dog trainer and my dog is trained for therapy. He comes to work with me on occasions and does wonderful...until my housekeeper who is petrified of all animals (even cats!) comes into the office. His whole demeanor changes when she comes in because he picks up on that fear.

@ Matt- You could partner with a local trainer and offer 1 or 2 free basic training classes a month. This would be an incentive for prospective residents to choose your community, and you'll have better behaved dogs too!

@ Johnny- Like you I've always had very active dogs, however the rottie x shar-pi I have now is the opposite. The summer after we rescued him I actually took him to the vet thinking something was wrong with him because he was so lethargic. The vet said he was just lazy lol! When it's hot and I go to let him outside he just flops down on the porch I have to push him off!!!

Another issue you may come across is staff or other residents with pet allergies. How do you respond to that?