Chicago Among Best Metro Areas To Rent For Dog Owners

CHICAGO, IL — Wondering if the Chicagoland area is a place you'd like to rent an apartment in, but unsure if it's dog-friendly? A new study revealed that Chicago is actually among the country's highest dog-friendly apartment availability.

According to a new study released Thursday by ApartmentAdvisor — an apartment rental search platform — metro areas where dog-owners are most likely to find a place that will accommodate their pet has Chicago ranked at number six, with a 61 percent "dog-friendly" rating.

The release states that 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 49 percent of the total units were advertised as “dog-friendly” and only 30 percent were advertised as “large-dog-friendly.”

"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."

Some metro areas had a much higher proportion of availability than others. The Austin, Texas area topped the list with 83 percent 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.

According to the release, those among the large metro areas with the lowest proportions of dog-friendly inventory were Washington, D.C., Providence, Rhode Island, San Jose, California and Boston, Massachusetts.

The release states that a surge in dog ownership was "a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic," with increased dog adoption rates at animal shelters. The company said that for new dog-owners, finding an apartment that is dog-friendly can be extra challenging, since not all property managers welcome pets.

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, the release states.

ApartmentAdvisor's 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.

Methodology

ApartmentAdvisor reviewed thousands of apartment rental listings at the end of June in the top 50 most populated greater metro areas across the United States (per Census Bureau Statistical Area) to find the proportion of apartments advertised as “pet-friendly,” including which were “dog friendly” and “large dog friendly.” The metro areas were ranked according to the proportion of “dog-friendly” rentals compared to all rentals advertised in that area.