San Francisco Apartment Association

On the Level

Fido Finds a Home

by Terry F. Meany

Once upon a time, people owned dogs named Buster and cats named Tiger. Many were purchased by delusional parents who believed pets would instill some degree of responsibility in their children who, they further believed, would learn to feed and walk and groom their pets and come to love them. Ignoring the statement:“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it“, these parents forgot that their parents believed the same things about them when they were kids and were given pets that were promptly ignored in favor of after-school junk TV.

Nowadays in San Francisco, we have pet guardians who name their four-legged friends Aladdin and Reebok and expect entire city parks to be off-leash friendly and preferably limit human use to only the smallest, least-appealing, out-of-the-way areas and then only if those humans are properly restrained. The San Francisco Dog Owners Group estimates there are 120,000 dogs in the city, along with an untold number of cats. There is certainly no shortage of local candidates for spaying and neutering.

Many landlords will not allow pets in their buildings. They don't want to deal with the expected damages, the smells, the barking, or potential lawsuits when ever-so-sweet Fido takes a bite out of one of the tenants. These are relevant concerns, but do they stand up to scrutiny? Would you let a unit sit empty rather than allow a house cat whose biggest daily thrill is playing with a ball of yarn?

According to a nationwide research study conducted by the Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research and Education Promoting Animal Welfare (www.firepaw.org) or FIREPAW, renting to pet owners can be profitable for property owners. Among the study's findings:

  • even though almost one-half of their surveyed landlords were pet-friendly, 82% of tenants with pets had trouble finding housing;
  • tenants with pets occupied their units for an average of 46 months compared to 18 months for tenants in units prohibiting pets;
  • vacancy rates and advertising costs were lower in pet-friendly buildings;
  • landlords who allowed pets paid an average increased insurance premium of $150;
  • tenants without pets averaged $323 in damages while those with pets averaged $362, although the study suggests this could be a random variation in the data rather than a true statistically significant difference. Tenants with children averaged $150 more in damages (we really don't want to go here). Larger cleaning and separate pet deposits as well as premium rents more than made up for pet-caused damages; and
  • over 20% of tenants surveyed reported that they are keeping pets illegally!

Overall, FIREPAW believes given the higher fees and deposits yielded by pet owners, any damages caused by them and their pets are more than recovered. Additionally, a landlord has a larger pool of applicants to choose from when including pet owners, given the restrictions they face when looking for housing. Careful screening cuts down on problem pets the same way it should cut down on problem renters.

In San Francisco, the local chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals developed their “Open Door” program to help landlords and pet-owning tenants alike in their pursuit of pet-friendly housing. The SF/SPCA maintains a list of property managers and apartments that accept pets. And, in order to butter up landlords, the organization offers tips and examples for writing dog and cat resumes, procuring reference letters, and that all-important certification of completion from an obedience school. For more information, contact The Open Door Program at San Francisco SPCA: 2500 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 or call (415) 554-300.

Pro-animal types see nothing but mellow renters and pets that smell like mountain meadows, but is that realistic? One of the major reservations about pets is floor damage. Despite the higher reasoning powers animal owners attribute to their furry companions, it will be eons before dogs and cats, let alone iguanas, ever evolve to manipulate a flush toilet. And if a unit has previously had an animal living in it, house-trained or not, once a new dog picks up another scent, nature is likely to kick in and that means marking the territory. Not only will the carpet be stained, but the flooring underneath may be damaged. Scratched doors are another problem when Fluffy decides she really doesn't want to be cooped up in the bedroom all day regardless of the view and tries to claw her way out.

Discretion might be the better part of valor, but it also is a guiding principle to choosing which pets will live in your building. You can limit the size and type of animal, require dogs to be licensed (it's the law in any event), mandate leash rules, require spaying or neutering, and determine a maximum number of animals per unit. Before you start thinking one is plenty, consider that dogs are social animals and, if left alone much of the day, are often more content with the companionship of another animal. Be sure to establish by written agreement, secondary to the lease, the expected behavior and care of each pet, including cleanliness standards, emergency caretakers if a tenant can't be found for any reason, and disciplinary guidelines.

As a landlord, you try and balance the needs and living standards of a multitude of tenants while knowing that group living isn't any picnic. Some of your tenants won't want pets in the building; others will figure they can finally get the pony they never got for Christmas as a kid. A well-written pet policy can address most objections and requests. The SF/SPCA has guidelines available for landlord use, as does the SFAA.

Some landlords prefer pet owners, believing them to be more responsible and stable than non-owners. Considering how many pets are abandoned and abused every year in the United States, that sentiment is a bit of a stretch, but it comes back to choosing your tenants and their pets carefully and thoughtfully.

Parking Perks
Allowing pets is a big attraction to potential tenants, but parking appeals to just about everyone, even rabid bicyclists. Are you making the best use of your parking spaces? The simple act of painting parking stripes in a garage to assure tenants don't take up more than their space can cut down on complaints. Wrapping carpet or other sturdy padding around exposed posts or wall edges can save some paint jobs in tight spaces. Is your building in a neighborhood requiring residential parking permits? Think about providing a year's permit for each unit. Twenty-seven dollars buys a lot of goodwill.

Secure Bike Storage
And speaking of bikes, do you really want them being dragged in and out of your units? It's not as though bike riders carefully wipe down their tires before entering an apartment. Bicyclists are rightfully concerned about theft. If you have room in a basement or garage, consider installing a bike storage locker or at least provide secure hardware for locking up bikes. Granted, the owner of a $4,000 Colnago that weighs about as much as a bagel will never stray more than five feet from this Italian work of art, but others with less precious machines will often prefer keeping them out of their living space if they're assured storage space is safe and secure. Build your own or take a look at manufactured ProPark storage lockers from Cycle-Safe (www.cycle-safe.com) or one of their competitors. After you see their prices, you'll be driving down to Home Depot and making a beeline for the plywood department. This is the same Home Depot that cannot be built in San Francisco, but that's another story.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Terry F. Meany is a former contractor and landlord. He is now a full-time writer and author of Working Windows: A Guide to the Repair and Restoration of Wood Windows, published by Lyons Press. He's cost conscious, but not cheap, and knows deferred maintenance always costs more in the end. He can be reached at tfmeany@msn.com. Copyright © 2005 by the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.