There was a time when high-end apartment buildings frowned on noisy, furniture-destroying dogs and cats.
Now they’re rolling out the red carpet for furry tenants.
A past emphasis on human amenities such as fitness centers, swimming pools and rooftop grills has given way to critter-friendly perks such as pet “yappy hours,” rooftop dog parks and furry fashion shows.
There’s a good reason: Americans adopted millions of dogs and cats during the pandemic, and landlords know that if they want to attract such folk, they need to please their animals.
“From the moment you start thinking about your business plan and start thinking about the design, you’re thinking about pet owners,” Raul Tamez, a senior director for Greystar Real Estate Partners, the largest U.S. apartment manager, told the Wall Street Journal.
One Greystar luxury high rise in San Diego features a “bark bar” in the lobby serving up treats and bowls of water.
The building also maintains lists of all five-star dog walkers in the vicinity.
More than a third of U.S. apartment residents had a pet as of last year, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council.
A survey of nearly 1,200 apartment renters this year by developer Cortland found that dog owners place as great an emphasis on pet amenities as they do on rental costs and location.
This is all a good thing.
Dogs and cats are no longer just add-ons for a living situation — they’re family. And it’s important that some landlords recognize this.
That’s not to say there shouldn’t be no-pets buildings for people with allergies or who prefer not to have daily encounters with the leash-and-collar set.
But it strikes me as a mark of a more thoughtful and caring society that critters are getting the luxe treatment at some buildings, particularly at the higher end of the economic spectrum.
You can judge people by how they treat animals.
Pamper away, I say.
