PETS
Closing the Loophole on
Unauthorized Pets
New pet screening processes account for
residents who acquire pets after move- in
BY KORTNEY BALAS
I
t is widely believed that one of the
most common pet-related challenges
for community management
teams is assistance animals and the
potential fraud surrounding them. While
managing assistance animal requests can
be cumbersome, it’s another issue that has
plagued property management to an even
larger degree for years – unauthorized pets.
This often occurs when pet-free
residents acquire a pet, pet sit or have pet
visitors after initial move-in and do not
report the pet activity to the community.
With the rising popularity of gig economy
businesses related to pet care, such as Rover
and Wag!, more residents engage in some
form of pet activity. To them, it might be
ambiguous whether an animal they bring
onsite is considered to be a pet at the
community, if only temporarily.
Oftentimes, whether it’s incident-
related, a matter of a resident avoiding pet
rent or simply the innocent act of adopting
a new pet, the resident claims they didn’t
know the rules. Even communities that do
provide non-pet residents with a clear pet
policy at move-in will find that the fine print
is often overlooked, as the resident often
concentrates on the aspects more applicable
to their lifestyle at that time.
Whether because of haste or oversight,
there are times when leasing professionals
don’t address the community’s pet policy
with residents who aren’t accompanied
with their pets during the application or
lease-signing moment. Making prospective
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JUNE 2019
residents aware of the policy during
their initial visit to the property,
including signing off that
they understand it, can help
matters later in the lease term.
Residents who might not have
acknowledged the pet policies
from the start are essentially
flying under the radar with
their newly acquired pets after
move-in – and, naturally,
this creates an increased
risk for the community.
For example,
if Jason
from 201-B
adopts or
pet-sits a dog
that ends
up biting a
resident, the
victim won’t
take long to
question the dog’s
presence at the
community.
Even if Jason’s dog
is as sweet as can be and
schmoozes nearby residents
into becoming regular treat
dispensers, the community
is losing revenue. Jason
certainly isn’t paying pet
rent if he acquired the
dog after his move-
in date and never
reported it and the
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