Image provided courtesy of Helena Lopes
The essentials
- Be proactive — Getting ahead of minor problems within the community helps prevent them from snowballing.
- Common sense isn’t always common — Spell out requirements, rules, and regulations for pet owners in case they don’t know.
- Safety and security matter — Having a secure living environment is a net benefit for all residents, pet owners or not.
Living in a pet-friendly community can be wonderful, but only if everyone does their part in following the rules. After all, these communities are for pet owners and non-pet owners alike, and mutual respect for common areas goes a long way in building trust.
How to set pet policies for your rental property: Pet policies can include species, breed, weight, and behavior restrictions while also outlining general rules to follow and any pet deposits necessary. Before announcing that you accept pets, you should have an enforceable, established pet policy. Look over our guide to creating a pet policy for vacation rentals for inspiration when developing your own.
1. Observe designated areas
Pets need to relieve themselves, but it should be in designated community areas. That means that dogs shouldn’t go to the bathroom on maintained garden areas or grass patches that people lay out on, and owners should clean up all pet messes. It also means that if your pet does relieve themselves, you pick it up. Many properties provide pet waste cleanup stations to make this easy, but those stations running out of poop bags isn’t an excuse not to pick up after your pet.
This also includes amenity spaces where pets aren’t allowed, like pools, gyms, or other clearly marked spaces.
Be respectful of other tenants
Not all tenants will have pets or even want to be around them. Ensure that there are pet-free spaces for those individuals and that pet owners know to steer clear of them with their pets.
2. Make sure dog walkers know the rules
If tenants have a dog walker, they should know the community rules regarding where to take pets out, noise level restrictions, and how to safely and securely access the building. After all, just because you know and trust your dog walker doesn’t mean your neighbors feel the same way. Also, ensure that dog walkers or pet sitters know their pets aren’t welcome on the property, especially if it goes against the lease.
3. Mind the noise ordinances
Plenty of areas have noise ordinances. A disruptive, barking dog can sometimes violate those rules. Not only that, but many apartments have rules about noise levels and quiet times. Ensure that all noisy pets are addressed promptly to be respectful of neighbors and prevent issues.
4. Institute elevator etiquette
Not all tenants have pets, and not all of them will like dogs. Some may be allergic, scared, or otherwise unwilling to interact with other people’s pets. With that, pet owners should be able to keep their pets controlled and on short leashes while around others to be respectful. Training your dog to obey commands like sit, stay, and quiet go a long way.
5. Clean up
Pets can make a mess, but it’s a pet owner’s duty to clean up after them. This isn’t just at potty time—during inclement weather, pet owners should clean up muddy paws as much as possible to prevent a mess in common areas and their apartment. Doing this alleviates additional cleaning for building staff, and it’s good for your pet’s hygiene.
6. Post rules clearly
Rules are great, but only if people know they exist. Make sure to post rules around the property that are relevant to that area. For example, you don’t necessarily need to post rules about bathroom habits in the pet grooming room, but you may choose to in the dog run. Have these rules accessible via the website and social platforms, in the lobby, and in all dog-friendly spaces throughout the property.
Cats and apartment living
Like dogs barking, cats yowling can be extremely loud and disruptive to neighbors. As such, there should be noise rules for cats the same as for dogs. While cats are often not traipsing around the halls or other common areas the way a dog might, there does still need to be awareness about how they exist in an apartment.
Some owners may let their cats loose as indoor/outdoor cats in an apartment complex, which can lead to a few problems. One way to prevent any issues is by having rules against letting cats out unsupervised. TabbyAlert is a great option to recommend to tenants to ensure if a cat does run away—sometimes it just happens despite your best attempts—it’s easier for them to make their way home. Apartments can also offer screened-in patios for pet owners, or allow tenants to put up temporary ones to prevent runaways. That way, cats can have their necessary enrichment without fear of disruptive behavior or damage.
Designing a comprehensive and well thought out pet policy is a great first step in allowing pets onto your property, but having a larger set of rules for the entirety of the property is a good idea in fostering a harmonious living environment.
