Multifamily data: breed restrictions

Many landlords have breed restrictions for dogs allowed in their apartments. However, is this a good practice? We’ll explore the multifamily data regarding pet breed restrictions for rental properties in this article.

Multifamily data: why landlords have breed restrictions

As you may know, many pet-friendly communities have restrictions on the types of pets tenants can keep. Also, it’s common to include breed restrictions for tenants’ pets. Landlords typically have the legal right to ban dog breeds from their communities.

Some breeds commonly restricted for multifamily communities include:

• Pitbulls
• Rottweilers
• Dobermans
• German shepherds
• Chow Chows
• Great danes
• Akitas
• Malamutes
• Huskies
• Boxers
• Presa canarios
• Mastiffs
• Cane corsos

Multifamily data shows that landlords frequently restrict breeds for several reasons, with insurance requirements, liability concerns, and local laws as some of the top reasons.

Insurance requirements

Many insurance companies will not cover multifamily communities that allow certain dog breeds. Of course, each policy is different. However, many include at least some restrictions on dog breeds allowed in communities they cover. In some cases, landlords must pay higher insurance premiums to allow restricted breeds in their communities. Therefore, apartment data research suggests this is a major factor to consider if you plan to allow pets in your multifamily property.

Typically, insurance companies ban dog breeds based on trends like being frequently bred as fighting dogs, dogs with territorial or aggressive traits, or having a history of causing severe injuries or death. For instance, pitbull breeds are the number one most deadly dog breeds, with rottweilers coming in second for deaths due to dog attacks. Of course, many advocates argue that upbringing can negate these issues. Nevertheless, insurance companies pay millions of dollars every year on dog bites and attacks, so they frequently won’t cover breeds that account for the largest number of these claims.

Fear of liability

Also, many landlords choose to restrict breeds for their property due to fear of liability. In many cases, property owners may be liable for any injuries from dog bites or dog attacks. Therefore, like insurance companies try to reduce the risks of having to cover injuries and damages from these issues, landlords may also feel the best way to reduce risks is to restrict breeds on their property.

Local laws

In addition, many multifamily communities restrict breeds due to local laws. For instance, some counties and cities in the U.S. have banned certain breeds of dogs like pit bulls. They may have fines for anyone who owns dogs of those breeds. Therefore, landlords may include breed restriction language in their lease agreements as well to show that they follow these laws and don’t allow the banned breeds on their property.

Of course, there are also laws in some areas that actually prevent landlords from restricting dog breeds for their multifamily properties. So, it’s important to check your local laws to determine if you are able to use these restrictions in your leases.

Get the best multifamily data for your property’s success

Our team at MRI ApartmentData offers the best quality multifamily data to help you successfully manage your property. Our property management data offers information on your competitors for a wide range of factors, from rent and rent concessions to popular community policies. We are here to help you compete in your multifamily market. Contact us now to request a demonstration of our data reports and tools!