CREJ - Multifamily Properties Quarterly - October 2015

Have your apartments gone to the dogs?

With the U.S. Census reporting homeownership at an historical low of 63 percent, more people are living in apartments than ever before. Colorado is no exception. Which begs the question, exactly who is living in these apartments?

According to the APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 54 percent of households with pets own dogs, and Colorado is ranked 13th for states with pet ownership, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. With many renters considering their pet a true member of their family, the apartment industry must embrace the need to cater to dog owners.

We own and operate nearly 2,000 apartments in Colorado and average a whopping 63 percent of dog owners in the Denver metro area alone.

To best serve residents with dogs, many apartment communities have beefed up petfriendly amenities by installing “Bark Parks” that range from simple to the extravagant. Amenities may include pet waste stations, benches, washing stations and playful workout equipment coined as “agility equipment.”

The pet-owner lifestyle must be embraced even for people living in an urban high-rise. Some Colorado high-rise apartments offer play areas with specialized waste management systems for owners to exercise their dogs. Other apartments offer walking, daycare and grooming services. Some properties offer a “Porch Potty” amenity that brings a patch of real grass to the patio, along with a fireplug and a miniature drainage system, which can be purchased online as well.

To further embrace the trend, BSB Design of West Des Moines, Iowa, is designing floor plans with “PetPods,” an area specifically set to kennel or wash your dog within an apartment unit. And some communities are hiring a service to pick up those little deposits that pets leave when owners are not responsible for picking up after their dog.

Other apartments are beginning to use services like Poo Prints, a DNA identifying service to track the dogs and their owners who are registered and forgot to pick up their deposits. Once identified, owners are notified and, if persistently in violation of policies, may be in default of their lease terms and, in some cases, evicted.

Of course, all these amenities have a price. Pet deposits range from $150 to $500 per pet. Monthly pet rent may range from $25 to $50 per pet per month, which makes sense because pets do cause more wear and tear on apartments interiors and throughout the community. Building owners and managers must appreciate dog owners, not just for the joy our furry friends bring to the communities, but also because pet owners tend to stay longer than those without pets, according to a report from the Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research and Education Promoting Animal Welfare.