Pet-Friendly Housing Toolkit

More than 23 million families added a pet during the pandemic, making pets part of nearly 87 million U.S. households in 2022. At the same time, the bond between people and pets grew stronger than ever. In fact, 81% of pet parents said increased time spent with their cats and dogs during the pandemic made their pets feel even more like family.*

Despite this powerful bond, too many people struggle to find a place to live with their pet. Our survey of shelters and rescues in 2021 found that a lack of pet-friendly housing was among the top five most significant issues driving pet surrenders to shelters.** Even where pets are welcome, there may be restrictions on pet size or breed, or high fees for pet owners.

To keep people and pets together and end pet homelessness, communities need pet-friendly housing policies, welcoming places to live, and support to succeed as renters with pets.

This toolkit offers resources to help, including model legislation and best practices for cities, tools for rental property owners, and tips for pet parents who are looking to rent.

Model Ordinances for Cities

Tools for Cities

Tools for Rental Property Owners

Tips for Pet Parents who Rent

* KRC Research online survey of 1,003 U.S. pet parents from July 28 to August 8, 2021.

** KRC Research online survey of 273 representatives of U.S. shelter and rescue organizations from August 9 to August 25, 2021.