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Renters with pets might want to look at the Lone Star State.
Using data from rental listings in its massive online real estate portal, Zillow found that the top three cities in the U.S. for rentals that allow pets are all in Texas.
That’s key information for both tenants looking for a temporary place to live and landlords seeking to fill their homes. Zillow found pets are the No. 1 most sought-after amenity by far, and more than half of all renters have at least one pet.
“Pet ownership soared during the pandemic,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert. “Pets are widely considered part of the American family, so it makes sense that they factor into moving decisions and impact housing preferences.”
Landlords who don’t allow tenants to have pets are effectively limiting their potential renter pool.
Fifty-nine percent of renters in 2022 reported having at least one pet, Zillow said, citing its Consumer Home Trends Report. That’s up from 46 percent in 2019.
Austin, Texas, topped the list with the highest percentage of rental listings allowing renters to have pets, according to the report. Four out of five listings in the Texas capital are pet-friendly, Zillow found.
That was followed by Dallas, where 78 percent of rental listings said the home allowed pets and Fort Worth, Texas, with 77.2 percent. San Antonio was also within the top 10 for pet-friendliness with 75.8 percent.
Just over 55 percent of rental listings on Zillow report allowing pets:
- Austin, Texas – 80.8 percent
- Dallas, Texas – 78 percent
- Fort Worth, Texas – 77.2 percent
- Charlotte, North Carolina – 76.6 percent
- Denver, Colorado – 76.5 percent
- San Antonio, Texas – 75.8 percent
- Indianapolis, Indiana – 74.7 percent
- Kansas City, Missouri – 73.4 percent
- Seattle, Washington – 73.1 percent
- New York City – 72.2 percent
Twice as many renters filter for pet-friendly listings than any other amenity on the site, Zillow said.
“Renters with pets who are planning to sign a new lease this year face even stiffer competition because they are limited to apartments where their furry friends are allowed,” Pendleton said. “This data shows us that in certain cities, pet-friendly apartments are easier to find.”
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