Technology is assisting rental properties in providing better service to pets and their owners.
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In the midst of the pandemic's apex, Americans sought distractions by participating in sports and other activities. Many people choose to get a pet as a result. People from the Millennial and Generation Z generations said they planned to adopt by 2021, according to the survey results. However, life has been everything but steady since those dogs and their owners formed a link. For starters, many pet owners returned to work, leaving Fido and Fluffy at home, where they were likely to suffer from severe separation anxiety. As Covid's latest variation blazed out of control, homo sapiens were forced to return to their homes and return to work. Following that, those owners may be gone again, returning to their offices and becoming once more estranged from their dogs.
What should a pandemic pet – or its human partners – do in this situation?
However, although the next stage of the drama is still up in the air, many people think that the United States needs more rental housing that allows dogs to live with their owners.
Increase the availability of resources.
The Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative was founded by the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Michaelson Found Animals to encourage the development of more pet-friendly housing. The Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative advocates for apartment communities to rationally and strategically relax onsite pet restrictions.
There is evidence that limitations on pets in rental housing create difficulties for pet owners, according to the 2021 Pet-Inclusive Housing Report published by the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative. Increasing the availability of pet-inclusive accommodation, on the other hand, may assist families in finding the housing they require, provide economic advantages to owners and operators, and assist in the placement of more than 8.2 animals over time, according to the report.
However, that aim appears to be a long way off. Millennials account for the vast majority of renters in the rental housing market. According to Statista.com, that generation also accounts for the biggest percentage (33 percent) of pet owners in the United States, exceeding Baby Boomers (27 percent) and Generation X (24 percent), respectively.
However, according to the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative, 72 percent of multifamily households have difficulty locating pet-friendly housing. Many rental houses do not allow pets in their entirety. They either forbid or severely restrict tenants' ability to keep their pets in their residences totally or insignificant part. Low-income pet owners – who may stand to profit the most from having a furry buddy or two – are disproportionately affected by the scarcity of pet-friendly residences.
What's the irony here?
Although 72 percent of people feel it is difficult to locate pet-friendly accommodation, 76 percent of owner-operators consider themselves to be pet-friendly, according to the research. Pet restrictions are not permitted in only 8% of rental housing units in the United States. Residents who live in pet-friendly housing, on the other hand, remain 21 percent longer than those who live in non-pet-friendly housing, according to the survey.
The advantage of being pet-friendly
A diverse range of resources — including businesses, tools, and campaigns — are being deployed to bridge the gap that exists between pet owners and non-pet-friendly buildings. A good example of this is Bark Buildings, a lifestyle brand that was created to assist apartment owners in creating better communities for pet owners and their pets, while simultaneously encouraging responsible pet ownership.
Bark Buildings, among other things, provides activation kits that assist onsite staff in efficiently engaging with pet owners, as well as community microsites where pet owners can communicate with one another while learning about local pet care providers. Bark Buildings is based in New York City.
Pet friendliness, according to the firm, is a valuable quality for apartment complexes in a culture where 87 percent of pet owners state that the demands of their dogs are important considerations in their leasing selections. Bark Buildings asserts that pet-friendliness has the largest impact on rent hikes, using numbers from the National Apartment Association Amenity Report as evidence. "Increase the value of your home with a cost-effective amenity that pays for itself," according to the company's website.
PetScreening is another useful resource, as it is a tool that assists owners and operators in determining the level of danger provided by a certain pet and its owner. Another option is PooPrints, a business that employs DNA fingerprinting of pets' No. 2 excrement to aid with waste management in the pet industry.
