If you have ever searched for a rental with a dog or cat by your side, you know how discouraging it can be. But a new report from Zillow has some genuinely good news: the rental market has changed in a big way, and it is changing in your favor.
Three years ago, just over half of rental listings allowed pets. Today, that number has climbed to 77 percent. That is three out of every four rentals, a shift that Zillow Home Trends Expert Amanda Pendleton called nothing short of dramatic when she spoke with HGTV.
The Best Cities for Renters with Pets
Charlotte, North Carolina, tops the list. A remarkable 91.6 percent of its rental listings welcome pets, making it the most pet-friendly rental market in the country. Austin, Texas, came in just behind at 91.5 percent.
Denver, Dallas, and Nashville rounded out the top five. Sun Belt and Mountain West cities dominate the rankings, largely because newer apartment buildings in those areas were designed with pet-friendly policies from the start.
Salt Lake City posted the biggest improvement of any metro over the past year, jumping nearly eight percentage points. Louisville, Cleveland, Miami, and Indianapolis also showed meaningful gains.
Why Landlords Are Finally Coming Around
It comes down to simple demand. Nearly six in ten renter households now have a pet more than have children, and even more than have houseplants. Two-thirds of renters say pet-friendliness is essential when they are apartment hunting, up from 60 percent just the year before.
Landlords who welcome pets are also seeing real benefits. According to Zillow’s research, pet-friendly listings get more views, saves, and shares than those that ban animals. They rent faster, too.
Where It Is Still Tough
Not every city has kept up. Providence, Rhode Island, sits at the bottom of the list, with only 54 percent of rentals allowing pets. New York City is not far ahead, with just 61 percent of its listings open to animals, second to last among the country’s largest metros.
That reluctance may be hurting New York landlords. Pet-friendly units in the city rent a full 26 days faster than those that prohibit animals. That is the largest gap of any major market in the country.
If you or someone you love is looking for a rental that will welcome the whole family (four-legged members included), the landscape is friendlier than it has ever been. You just may need to pick the right city.
