Abolish pet fees, improve memory
Another way to make rental property more attractive in a competitive market
It’s difficult to blame a landlord for wanting to protect her property against unruly pets. They may urinate on the carpet or walls, scratch at the floors and doors, sound like a stampede to residents on lower floors, and bark and howl at the worst hours. An untrained dog or moody cat can be a headache.
The problem with that mindset is there are also trained dogs and cool cats who may be so well-behaved that the property owners and neighbors forget that they’re even in the building. And pet owners who have taken the time to either adopt or train their pets into being good roommates are usually more rigid about finding pet-friendly rentals.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I know some consumers are choosing to boycott Amazon for its DEI removal. However, after thinking about this thoroughly, I choose to continue promoting intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and (specifically) Black-owned businesses who still feature their items on Amazon. All five of my Substack publications now include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a Black-owned business. (I have visited the seller’s official site, not just the Amazon Black-owned logo, to verify this.) If you still choose to boycott, I 100% respect that decision.
Recommended Read: “No dogs allowed? When to bend the condo rules ~ Is your no-pet policy doing more harm than good for condo owners?”
But outside of just loving that four-legged family member, there’s another perk for pet ownership. According to an upcoming study from the Health and Retirement Study (made up of 1,300 participants ages 50 and over), long-term pet companionship (of five years or more) may delay memory loss and help with memorization of word lists. In the final sample made up of those who hadn’t already experienced cognitive decline, over 53% owned pets.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage for every purchase with my referral link.
As one broker mentioned in a Go4Rent Magazine interview (“Can Pet-Friendly Homes Bring Better Tenants?”), “Pet owners do responsible things.” And in this study published via CNN, that’s a reasonable conclusion for property owners to come to. Pet owners usually have a higher socioeconomic status, meaning they can afford the vet bills and pet supplies. They also want to find steady housing for themselves and their pets, so they may be far less likely to want to skip out after a one-year lease only to have to fish out the next pet-friendly rental.