Steering group suggests changes for more pet-friendly rental housing

Nearly half (45%) of U.S. households have dogs and 26% have cats, according to the AVMA 2022 Pet Ownership and Demographic Sourcebook. However, the affordability and availability of rental housing remain challenges for many people, including pet owners. About 72% of renters said pet-friendly housing is hard to find, and 59% said it’s too expensive, according to the 2021 Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI) Report.

On June 23, Steven Feldman, president of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), moderated the session “International Steering Group on Pets and Housing Issues” at AVMA Convention 2024, held June 21-25 in Austin, Texas.

The panel featured Dr. Zenithson Ng, a clinical associate professor of small animal primary care at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine; Lynette Hart, PhD, a professor of population health and reproduction at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine; and Jen Naitaki, VP of programs and strategic initiatives at the Michelson Found Animals Foundation.

They are members of the International Steering Group on Pets and Housing Issues, which was developed in 2021 to understand the data and research explaining issues surrounding pets and housing. Using a global perspective, the group considers ways to address common challenges and gains insights into the role veterinarians can play in supporting clients with housing-related needs.

Ross Barker, president of the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative, said it’s important to collaborate with the rental housing industry “to show them why it's important to provide homes for more pets, and how to make it happen. We need to provide data and stories to show rental housing operators that there is a benefit to them from allowing more pets.”

Barriers for pet-owning tenants

More data from the 2021 Pet-Inclusive Housing Report show that while 76% of property owners or operators say their properties are pet friendly, only 8% are free of all breed, weight, and amount of pet restrictions.

Restrictions on dog sizes act as a proxy to traditional breed restrictions and make it harder for pet owners to find somewhere that allows their dogs. Landlords are legally entitled to ban breeds from their rental properties, however, as fair housing laws apply to humans, not to dogs.

In addition to restrictions, some landlords are wary of potential damages or liability issues pets can cause and request additional fees to cover costs, disproportionately affecting lower income households. One study, published in 2021 in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, found that less expensive pet-friendly listings were more likely to have pet fees charged on top of rent than rental units that were more expensive.

Reducing these barriers can help landlords, tenants, and pets. For the former, pet owners are often more likely to stay in a rental for longer, as it allows them to keep their pets with them and avoid the stress and expense of finding new pet-friendly housing. This can lead to a more stable tenant base and less turnover for landlords, thus reducing costs.

Pet-owning renters can continue benefiting from the human-animal bond which can positively impact their mental, physical, and social health by encouraging exercise and combating loneliness.

Not to mention, losing a pet due to relinquishment can have a detrimental effect on the owner's mental health, and vulnerable groups, such as elderly people and those with disabilities, are more negatively affected by prohibitions or pet relinquishment, said Hart, such as when they are moving into assisted living facilities.

Maintaining this mutually beneficial relationship also supports the welfare of pets, who can remain with their families through housing transitions.

That’s why veterinarians are a key piece to the conversation about pets and housing, Feldman said.

“Veterinarians are seen as credible community leaders who are knowledgeable on anything involving animals,” said Hart, a past member of the AVMA Steering Committee on Human-Animal Interactions. “They can play an important educational role in speaking out on the importance of people being able to have their pets in rental housing.”

There is evidence that landlords would be more willing to allow pets if pet owners provided evidence of responsible ownership or training, or if pet owners submitted a “pet resume” that included references from previous landlords and proof of regular visits to the veterinarian.

Veterinarians can support clients by suggesting they tell the potential landlord that they would seek behavioral assistance with their animal if needed, Hart said. At the same time, veterinarians can advise on common behavioral issues and provide pet training classes or refer clients to others providing behavior training.

With cats, clients can be advised to reduce the likelihood of male urine spraying by neutering the cat and reduce inappropriate scratching by teaching the cat to use dedicated scratching surfaces, frequent nail trims, and meeting the cat’s other mental and physical health needs.

“Veterinarians should not be held responsible for predicting an animal's behavior in a home environment, as they have not observed the animal in that particular setting,” said Dr. Ng, a past member of the AVMA Steering Committee on Human-Animal Interactions. “While veterinarians may offer insights on an animal's behavior and temperament based on observations in the clinic, it is important to recognize that behavior in the clinic may significantly differ from behavior at home and therefore may not be reliable.”

Future recommendations

The International Steering Group on Pets and Housing Issues developed recommendations for the future of pet-inclusive housing. These suggestions include the following:

• Governments should enact laws that encourage landlords to rent to those with pets, either by shifting liability for pets entirely to owners or requiring insurance providers to insure pet-friendly buildings.
• Companion animal policies should be established to ensure the welfare of pets.
• Landlords should remove no-pet clauses and should allow pets for the health benefits they provide the tenants.
• Policies should be put in place to protect the rights of tenants, and special allowances should be made for the elderly and people with disabilities or mental health issues.
• Landlords should enroll in training on the human-animal bond and pets in housing.
• Pet owners should take coursework about pet care and behavior to help prevent some of the problems that contribute to negative attitudes towards pets.

Taryn Graham, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at York University’s Faculty of Social Work, has been conducting research that takes a population health perspective on housing access for pet owners.

“In Toronto, Ontario, where I’m located, there is a shortage of available housing to begin with, which impacts affordability and means it’s a landlord’s market. What this means is that people who are able to pay are privileged in securing housing,” Graham said. “While a landlord can’t discriminate based on pet ownership status, if Person A has a pet and Person B doesn’t and all other things are equal, it’s likely a landlord will select the person without a pet, and that’s hard to prove.”

Emma Power, PhD, a professor in geography and urban studies in the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University in Australia, suggested that rules and regulations should aim toward any pet policies being tenure neutral. That is to say, homeowners, renters, and people who live in various condo contexts should have the same rights to make decisions about whether they live with companion animals or not.

“There should not be an approval process beyond that, so long as the animal’s welfare needs are met and there are not adverse impacts on others,” Power said, who is also a steering group member.