Oral Presentation The International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ): 27th Annual Conference 2018

Searching, settling, and staying put: Rental housing in the (dis)placing of dog owners. (#42)

Taryn M Graham 1 , Katrina J Milaney 1 , Cindy L Adams 1 , Melanie J Rock 1
  1. University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Previous research has shown that housing-related issues contribute to animal relinquishment (Coe et al., 2014) and that tenants with dogs face disadvantages in the rental market (Carlisle-Frank et al., 2005; Power, 2017). Still, little is known about how dog owners navigate rental markets, nor how landlords and property managers perceive dogs and other pets.

To help address this gap, we surveyed 24 landlords and 6 property managers about their perspectives toward pets in rental housing. Also, because younger adults are disproportionately tenants (Hoolachan et al., 2017), we interviewed 28 dog owners, aged 21-31, about their recent experiences in the rental market. Our relatively small sample is not meant to be representative of all younger tenants with dogs, nor all landlords and property managers, but rather to generate new insights in relation to scenarios that may be encountered when it comes to pets and rental housing.

Majority of landlords and property managers indicated that listings advertised as "pet-friendly" tend to receive more applicants than listings in which pets are prohibited. This high demand helps to explain why dog owners, in their searches for rental housing, reported feeling powerless in negotiations and feeling discriminated against. Where properties did accept pets, many dog owners spoke to the substandard quality of these rentals in comparison to the entire pool of available listings. So-called pet-friendly properties were not only of poorer quality, they were often located in less desirable neighbourhoods and subject to higher fees. And yet, dog owners reported staying put in these rentals, given how difficult it had been for them to find a place that would accommodate their pets. Majority of landlords and property managers confirmed that pet owners tend to stay longer in their rentals as compared to tenants without pets. Suggestions for improvement, as provided by landlords and property managers and as supported by tenants, included: meeting pets prior to signing the lease; getting everything in writing; steering clear from furnished units; charging utilities to tenants; and speeding up the pet approval process when dealing with condominium boards. These suggestions offer implications for research, policy, and practice.

  1. Coe, J. B., Young, I., Lambert, K., Dysart, L., Nogueira Borden, L., & Rajić, A. (2014). A scoping review of published research on the relinquishment of companion animals. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 17(3), 253-273.
  2. Carlisle-Frank, P., Frank, J. M., & Nielsen, L. (2005). Companion animal renters and pet-friendly housing in the US. Anthrozoös, 18(1), 59-77.
  3. Power, E. R. (2017). Renting with pets: A pathway to housing insecurity?. Housing Studies, 32(3), 336-360.
  4. Hoolachan, J., McKee, K., Moore, T., & Soaita, A. M. (2017). ‘Generation rent’ and the ability to ‘settle down’: Economic and geographical variation in young people’s housing transitions. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(1), 63-78.