Benefits Of Allowing Students To Have Pets In Their Apartment

By Francine Fluetsch on November 17, 2015

Let me tell you about my best friend. She is loyal, independent, sassy, and someone I can count on. She has the greenest eyes you have ever seen in your life, and is someone I can tell anything to.

image via www.huffingtonpost.com

My best friend is a cat. Yes, you read that right: a cat. Now, I cannot have my best friend up at school with me because my apartment doesn’t allow pets, and that’s no fun.

A lot of housing managers don’t want pets for allergy reasons, or because animals can cause damage and noise, and I get that, but I’m here to lay out all the positives of letting your tenants have their furry friends live with them in their apartment.

Animals are de-stressors

Students are under the constant stress of their classes and full time jobs, so having a pet around is not only fun for them, it has a positive impact on their health. At UC Santa Cruz, dogs are brought to the library around finals so students can get some interactions with animals and de-stress for a bit.

Animals provide free therapy for people, and this is a definite plus to having them around. Happy tenants means a good experience for them as well as you. If they enjoy how you run things, they will recommend the place to their friends when they move out/graduate, so you will have a good network of people constantly coming in.

Since most places don’t allow pets, your place would be getting constant applications, and you would be very competitive.

Pet deposit

If you are worried about the damage an animal might cause, you can have an additional animal security deposit that can be refundable to the student if their pet doesn’t cause damage. This encourages the student to take great care in making sure that their animal doesn’t make a mess, and if some damage is caused, you’ll have the extra funds to fix it up.

This eliminates the need for having restrictions on breeds, species, or weight of the pet, because the owner will take responsibility of them and you won’t have to worry because you have a back-up if something goes wrong.

Resident and pet socials

This article, by Vanessa Naranjo, suggests that you should have events where pets and residents can mingle. This is a great way to avoid conflict, since both pet owners and non-pet owners will be able to meet the other animals living in the area, and will be able to nicely address any issues to one another.

Promoting communication is key. Some owners might not realize that their dog is barking and scratching while they are away and that it is bothering other neighbors, so if the neighbors can meet and discuss it in a friendly manner, conflicts will be taken care of and no pets will have to move out.

The vibe of your place

Having pets around means that owners will be out and about with their pets, and the atmosphere of your houses/apartments will be very positive. Other people walking through the neighborhood will take notice, and this vibe will be another way that you will be able to attract new tenants.

Animals, especially dogs, promote active lifestyles for individuals, and students really need that after studying all day. Their perception of you will be held in a positive light because you allow them to bring their furry friends along for the college ride.

Shows tenant commitment

When a student tenant wants to have their pet with them, it usually means they have a great sense of responsibility because animals take a lot of time, care, and effort. This is not true of all animal owners, but it can be a good indicator of their character, and this can possibly help you decide who you want to be living in your place.

A pet owner is less likely to throw parties in your place since they don’t want the animal to be distressed, and they are usually home with their pet so it encourages them to get their homework done and such.

Some students need animals

Service animals sometimes make it hard for students to find housing because there are restrictions on animals. This makes their house hunting process much more stressful than regular house hunting already is, which really isn’t good for them.

Many students suffer from anxiety, and actually need their pets as a service animal, and animals also serve in many other aspects as well. If you are already pet friendly, you will be really helping some students out that would have no other option. They will be really grateful of your decision to allow pets, and will definitely recommend your place to their friends.

These are just a few reasons why you should let pets live in your places. Pets are family; don’t break families up!

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