Pet Households Outnumber Families with Kids

When it comes to renting a home, landlords may see many more applicants with pets than they do parents with children. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of households with pets is almost double the number of households with children. That’s a trend that impacts the rental market as well as the home buying market, as pet owners look for housing and neighborhoods that will accommodate the needs of their children, and their pets.   Hi, I'm Kathy Fettke and this is Real Estate News for Investors. Please remember to subscribe to this podcast and leave us a review.   Census data shows that the number of families with kids under the age of 18 has been declining over the past 20 years. Last year, in 2022, just 40% of households had children. That’s down from 48% in 2002. A RisMedia article suggests two reasons for the decline: One, because birth rates have been shrinking over the last few decades, except for an increase in just the last year; And two, because baby boomers still comprise a large share of U.S. households, but at this point, with no kids.   Pet Households Rise and Kid Households Decline   As households with children have dwindled, those with pets have been rising. The American Pet Products Association says that, back in 1988, 56% of households had a pet which was most likely a dog or a cat. Today, about 70% of U.S. households have pets. Although the number has been steadily rising over the years, many people adopted pets during the pandemic and continue to lavish time and money on their pet companions.    The BLS American Time Survey shows that the share of Americans who spend daily time with their pets grew from about 13% in 2003 to almost 20% in 2021, with women spending more time on pets than the men. Americans are also spending more money on their pets. The American Pet Products Association says the expenditure has grown from about $53 billion in 2012 to $123 billion in 2021.   The Importance of Pets in Real Estate Decisions   With that kind of time and money being lavished on our pet companions, it’s not that surprising to think that pet owners will place great importance on the well-being of their pets in their home buying process or their rental decisions. According to the National Association of Realtors, almost one-third of unmarried homebuyers will consider their pet when they decide on a neighborhood. About 14% of married couples will factor that in.   When it comes to gender, 25% of single women want a pet-friendly neighborhood compared to 16% of men. Pet friendly neighborhoods are ones with a high walkability score, access to parks and recreation areas, and homes with bigger yards.   Renting to Tenants with Pets   As a landlord, it has become more important to accommodate pets, but you should also have clear, comprehensive rules written into the lease agreement. The California Apartment Association offers a Pet Addendum that can help landlords and property managers protect their property and the safety and cleanliness of their rental community in general.   Among the key components of the addendum is a requirement that renters get a landlord’s written consent before they bring a pet onto the premises. The addendum also requires detailed information about the pet including type, breed, name, sex, age, size, and a description or photograph. This can help with record-keeping. If there are local pet ordinances, the tenant should agree to comply with those. There should also be guidelines for the disposal of any pet waste on the rental property and the maintenance of litter boxes.   We’ll have a link to the addendum, and the data on households with children and pets in the show notes at newsforinvestors.com. I also ask that listeners become RealWealth members to find out more about the creation of rental property income. It’s free to join at our website. And please remember to subscribe to this podcast!   Thanks for listening! Kathy Fettke   Links:   1 - https://www.rismedia.com/2023/05/08/stunning-stat-more-pets-than-kids-home/ 2 - https://caanet.org/allowing-a-pet-be-sure-to-use-caas-pet-addendum/