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ANIMAL-FRIENDLY
HOUSING
Right now in New Jersey there are thousands of animals
housed in shelters and foster placements while they
await adoption into permanent homes. Many of these
animals have been abandoned or surrendered because
their guardians were unable to find rental housing
that permits animals. In fact, one of the leading reasons
given for abandoning companion animals or surrendering
them to shelters is the inability to find rental space
where animals are allowed. There are many people who
are eager to keep or adopt a companion animal but they
cannot find rental housing where they can keep them.
Meanwhile, research has
shown that rental property owners have much to gain by opening
their properties
to tenants with companion animals. These tenants stay
longer, have stronger ties and more loyalty to their
immediate community, and make stronger bonds with their
neighbors than tenants without companion animals. Plus,
it is estimated that one-half of renters have animals,
so allowing them in rental units doubles the applicant
pool. The result is less turnover and increased profits
for landlords who open their properties to animals.
Tenants with animals can be a real asset.
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Everyone
Wins When Rentals Include Companion Animals
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In
Montclair there are some apartments where tenants enjoy sharing
their lives with companion animals and where landlords have benefited
from the increased revenues that result. Unfortunately, there are
also many rental properties where animals are flatly prohibited,
and that prohibition contributes directly to the large number of
homeless animals and shelter overcrowding right here at PAWS. It
also means that many Montclair residents who desire the pleasure
of living with a companion animal are denied the benefit of increased
morale and overall happiness.
Kate
Post, a 2005 graduate of Montclair High School,
volunteered at PAWS in Montclair this past summer. She wrote: “Although
I’ve only been a volunteer at PAWS on an everyday basis for
about two months, I have already seen more than 7 cats brought back
to the shelter by owners citing the reason of moving and not being
able to bring along their feline friend. This is not only the case
for cats; many dogs are abandoned on the streets or dropped off at
shelters because owners could no longer keep them in their new homes.
It is upsetting to see these animals go from loving homes to small
cages. Some animals even go into depression and will not come out
of hiding or eat.” |
It
Is The Goal Of HUMANEmontclair To:
Come On
Montclair!
Let's Get This Right! |
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Help
landlords take advantage of the increased profits
available when they open their properties to companion
animals, |
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Help
tenants by offering tips and resources so they
can maximize their attractiveness as renters, and |
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Help
animals find permanent homes. Overcrowded shelters
are a sad replacement for a loving home. |
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If
You Are A Landlord
If You Are
A Renter With
A Companion Animal (Or Want To Adopt)
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Please
consider opening your property to companion animals.
(see Landlord Section below)
Take the time to look for housing where you can
relocate with your companion animals. Call local
real estate atgents and rental agencies, check ads,
and be prepared to promote yourself as responsible.
(see Renter Section below).
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For
Landlords:
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In
an effort to address the shortage of animal-friendly
rental housing, The Foundation for Interdisciplinary
Research & Education Promoting Animal Welfare (FIREPAW),
a charitable nonprofit, established the Companion Animal
Renters Program (CARP). FIREPAW, which can be accessed
at www.firepaw.org,
offers assistance ENTIRELY FREE to rental property owners
and managers. This free program is available to all rental
property owners from independent landlords with a small
number of units to rental management groups overseeing
major complexes. FIREPAW will work one-on-one with owners
and/or managers so they can maximize the benefits of
accepting tenants with companion animals while minimizing – and
in many cases, eliminating – the key problems commonly
associated with permitting animals. The free services
provided include, for example, economic assessment of
the property owner’s situation, development of
a customized pet policy and pet agreement, training,
and free advertising.
FIREPAW will assist rental property owners to identify
responsible pet guardians and will help them to tailor
and develop a well-structured pet policy that holds tenants
accountable for their behavior and the behavior of their
animals. FIREPAW
will assist rental property owners to develop and implement
a well-rounded, animal-friendly community within the
confines of the rental property. Each custom-designed
package will enhance tenant satisfaction while costing
the rental property owner little or nothing. To read and download more information
about the CARP Program for Landlords, you can go to www.firepaw.org/CarpLiterature.html
and download the Brochure and Additional Packet Materials
for Landlords, the second and third documents listed. To take advantage of this free
program, owners or managers of rental property simply
need to contact FIREPAW for an appointment. FIREPAW’S
phone number is: (518-462-5939. The email address is firepaw@earthlink.net. The Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS) has also published a brochure for landlords
called “Profiting from Pets, A Guide for Rental
Managers and Property Owners”. This brochure includes
Recommended Pet Policies and a Sample Pet Addendum to
a Rental Agreement. This brochure can be read at www.rentwithpets.org or
you can order a copy online or by writing to: Pets for
Life, HSUS, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. |
For
Renters With Pets
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There
are ways to approach landlords in order to secure an
affordable animal-friendly rental. Even where units are
not listed as “pet friendly”, that does not
necessarily mean that the landlord is opposed to all
tenants with animals. FIREPAW’s Tenant Packet offers
important advice on “How to Find, Keep and Enjoy
an Animal-Friendly Rental.” You can read/and or
download this Packet at www.firepaw.org/CarpLiterature.html.
The Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS) also offers a publication called “13
Steps to Finding Rental Housing That Accepts Pets”.
This brochure can be read at www.rentwithpets.org.
or you can order a copy online or by writing to: Pets
for Life, HSUS, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Please
check out both sources.
Note
to renters who wish to adopt an animal: consider
inviting the landlord to meet the animal you would
like to adopt. |
Renters,
Briefly, FIREPAW Advises You To:
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Create
a resume that helps to “sell” you and your
animal to a potential landlord. You can show that you
have thought through your responsibilities by indicating,
for example, the animal’s health history and
record of obedience training along with names of prior
landlords and neighbors who can attest to your animal’s
good behavior, and |
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Be
prepared to negotiate on details such as special deposits
or type, size, and weight of animal. |
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MORE:
The
FIREPAW Tenant Packet offers a sample resume and
more details on negotiating with landlords.
The HSUS brochure offers
additional tips such as making sure that once
you get permission to have an animal in your
rental unit, you get that in writing. There are
also tips on Moving Your Pet Safely and Settling
Into Your New Home.
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