News & Events Archive
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Animal Companionship: Challenging Stereotypes, Expanding Access for All
Rather than thinking of pet ownership as a privilege, shouldn’t the ability to have a pet be a fundamental part of life?
Meet the Champions of Pet-Inclusive Housing: The 2024 Pets & Housing Awards Winners!
Pets are family, and Michelson Found Animals & the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative are thrilled to champion the winners of the 2024 Pets & Housing Awards! These incredible individuals & organizations are making a huge difference by creating welcoming communities for pets & their humans.
Cracking Down on Junk Fees: What Could It Mean for Pet Fees?
An in-depth look at how the junk fee initiative may impact one area – the various pet fees that have become the norm in recent years.
Watch the 2024 Pets & Housing Awards – Congrats to all the winners!
A huge round of applause to everyone who joined us for the 2024 Pets & Housing Awards – an event dedicated to celebrating the incredible organizations championing pet-inclusive housing!
Relive the excitement and get inspired by the amazing work being done across the pet-inclusive housing landscape here.
Celebrate Pet-Inclusive Rental Housing at the 2024 Pets and Housing Awards
Join us on June 12th to celebrate the 2024 Pets and Housing Awards and rental housing operators who are leading the way in pet inclusivity!
Is Marketing ‘Pet-Friendly’ Enough?
A deeper dive into the perception divide between “pet-friendly” and pet-inclusive rental housing marketing to pet owners.
Pet Legislation Activity, Like California’s AB 2216, Could Spur Big Changes
Proposed pet legislation, like AB 2216, reminds housing operators of potential changes in the pet landscape and some proactive steps to take.
The Premier Pet Awards Opportunity for Rental Housing Operators
Michelson Found Animals is pleased to present the Third Annual Pets and Housing Awards as the premier pet awards opportunity.
Nominations for the 2024 Pets and Housing Awards are now Open!
Nominations are now open for Michelson Found Animals’ 2024 Pets and Housing Awards, the premier pet awards opportunity for multifamily.
Are You Capturing the Right Data to Optimize Your Pet Strategies?
See the profound impacts of tracking relevant pet data and how it can propel rental housing communities towards greater inclusivity of pets.
Pet Legislation: How Operators Can Meet These Challenges Proactively
With sweeping legislative proposals introduced recently in both California and Arizona, it seems like a good time for a reminder as well as some proactive steps.
Beyond Pet-Friendly: How Does Your Property Score When It Comes to Being Pet-Inclusive?
According to the Pet-Inclusive Housing Report, while 76% of rental housing operators call themselves pet friendly, 72% of consumers say pet-friendly housing is hard to find, and 59% say pet-friendly housing is too expensive.
Renting, Pets, and the Gen Z/Millennial Mix; Are You Poised to Welcome Them?
Gen Z and Millennials are renting longer, have more households with pets, have more pets per household, and will only continue to grow as a component of multifamily renter households. Are you poised to welcome this growing market group?
Finding Home – A Dog’s Tale
Emily faced a new challenge—finding an apartment of her own. Simon, with a heart as big as his 70-pound frame, knew he wasn’t just an integral part of Emily’s life—he was family. But in the world of rental homes, their bond was facing an unexpected hurdle.
So Much Fraud in Rental Housing . . . But is ESA Fraud Something We’re Actually Creating?
Fraud is on the rise, as any rental housing operator knows only too well. With the digitization of many renter-facing processes, it has become very easy for bad players to game the system.
Who Are You Really Saying “No” To? – Exploring the Unseen Faces Behind Pet Restrictions in Rental Housing
When a rental housing operator says no to someone’s beloved pet, you’re not just saying no to the animal. You’re saying no to the person who loves that animal and considers them a member of their family.
Breaking Breed Barriers: Pawsitive Insurance Providers
Many multifamily operators who have lifted breed restrictions initially assumed that their insurance coverage would present an obstacle — only to find out that no such obstacles existed.
What’s the Score? Leveling Up the Rental Housing Pet Game
A seemingly innocuous question – ‘is your property pet-friendly?’ – becomes quite provocative viewed through the lens of a pet owner who is challenged to secure housing that accepts their large dog, welcomes their ‘restricted’ breed, or embraces pets without additional fees. The Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI) has developed a scorecard to help operators have more insight when answering this question; but more on that in just a bit.
Best Friends Animal Society and Michelson Found Animals Partner to Offer Resources to Increase Pet-Inclusive Housing
Best Friends and Michelson Found Animals aim to empower renters to educate owner/operators about why allowing all good dogs, regardless of their size or breed, is good for the owner/operators, the renters, and animal shelters.
Embracing the Future: Why Rental Housing Operators Must Stay Informed of Legislative Trends Toward Inclusive Dog Ownership
As the housing landscape continues to evolve, so do attitudes toward pets and their place in our lives. Today, not only do more people have pets than ever before, they generally consider their furry friends to be integral members of the family; and as a result, the demand for pet-inclusive rental accommodations is on the rise.
Choosing Your Battles on the ESA Front
There’s probably not a single rental housing operator who hasn’t felt like they’re constantly in the midst of one battle or another in the day-to-day operation of an apartment community. And lately, one of those recurring struggles is the onslaught of emotional support animal (ESA) accommodation requests from residents.
The 2023 AIM Pet Awards – Presented by Michelson Found Animals
Held at the 2023 Apartment Innovation and Marketing Conference in Huntington Beach, the Pet Awards honor those making a difference in the industry by implementing pet-inclusive policies across rental communities.
AI Has Gone to the Dogs – Really!
Enter Companion, the first AI-powered, always-available playmate for your dog. By Judy Bellack, Industry Principal, The Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative.
PMG Maintains Long Standing Pet-Inclusive Policies Amidst Change Management: Case Study #5
PMG Property Management is a leading multifamily housing operator focused on asset management and commercial real estate investment throughout the western United States and specializing in well-located, Class B, and Core Plus multifamily housing with high value-add upside.
Unleashing the Benefits: Exploring the Case for Easing Pet Restrictions in Apartments
Welcoming more of these cherished family members will involve reevaluating current restrictive pet policies, which typically limit size and contain multiple breed restrictions. Easing or lifting these restrictions can be beneficial for apartment operators in several ways.
The AIM Pet Awards, Recognizing the Trend Toward More Pet-Inclusive Rental Housing
For the second year running, Michelson Found Animals Foundation is proudly sponsoring the Apartment Innovation and Marketing Pet Awards at the upcoming conference this May in Huntington Beach, California.
Applications for The 2023 Pet Awards are Now open!
Applications for the 2023 Pet Awards are now open! Michelson Found Animals is proud to be presenting our second annual Pet Awards at the Apartment Innovation & Marketing Conference on Tuesday, May 9, in Huntington Beach, CA. This event is your opportunity to showcase what you have done to build pet-inclusive communities.
Recognizing an Early-Adopter in Rental Housing Pet Inclusivity
Eric Brown, a long-time maverick in the rental housing industry, discusses how he recognized the importance of pets and their people without restrictions as an important element of their marketing program – as well as building strong communities.
The Industry-Changing Work of Judy Bellack
Meet Judy Bellack, our Industry Principal for the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative, and learn how she went from supporting animals through donations and volunteering to supporting them with her time and expertise.
Keeping Pets and People Together, the Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative is Leading the Way with the Housing Industry’s Best
Meet the PIHI team and some of today's industry leaders interviewed here, including Oculus Realty and The Management Group, and learn how easing restrictions and becoming more pet-friendly leads to better business and happier communities. The Pet-Inclusive Housing...
MFA’s Judy Bellack Promotes Pet Inclusion on The Amenitize or Die Podcast
Industry Principal Judy Bellack breaks down why pet inclusivity is valuable to renters and owners, misconceptions about pet ownership, and what Michelson Found Animals Foundation is doing to help.
Milhaus Opens Its Doors (and Its Arms) to Pets: Case Study #4
Milhaus, an Indianapolis-based mixed-use development and property management company that oversees 5,000 apartment homes at 20 Class A properties across the U.S., saw such an opportunity in its pet policies.
Helping Rental Residents Become the Best Community-Friendly Pet Parents
Happy, healthy pets are good neighbors; and well-informed owners are great neighbors. Here are some great tips for property managers to share with residents, setting them — and their pets — up for success!
Building Stronger Communities by Welcoming More Pets – Thoughtfully and Responsibly
Lifting breed and weight restrictions for our four-legged friends and generally becoming more pet-inclusive can create significant financial gain for multifamily communities, such as increased NOI and higher resident retention rates.
J.C. Hart Expands Pet Inclusivity and Adoption Awareness: Case Study #3
Indiana-based multifamily housing operator, J.C. Hart Company, earned the most successful pet-adoption event award at the inaugural Michelson Found Animals 2022 AIM Pet Awards. Most J.C. Hart properties currently have no breed and weight restrictions, and the company has a measured approach to becoming completely pet-inclusive and spreading awareness about adopting pets.
Oculus Realty’s No Pet Restrictions Policy: Case Study #2
Oculus Realty, a Metro D.C. area multifamily housing operator, is one of the industry leaders regarding pets in its communities. In Spring 2019, Oculus Realty decided to implement a no-pet restrictions policy and dropped breed and weight restrictions for dogs.
Emotional Support Animals and Renters – Are Your Pet Policies Actually Contributing to Fraudulent Requests?
It’s no secret that Emotional Support Animal (ESA) accommodation requests are on the rise in the multifamily housing industry.
You Feel Your Property is Pet Friendly, But Do Your Renters?
The bottom line is that attracting and keeping great renters means staying on top of evolving renter behaviors and prerequisites, as well as the actual data on reasons for any restrictions.
Affordability and Pets: Rising Costs are Forcing Tough Decisions for Renters
The rising cost of goods as well as rental rates underscores the need for innovative new strategies to keep people and pets together.
Marketing Pet-Friendliness to Renters; Do Your Campaigns Speak Pet?
As any good rental housing marketer knows, connecting renters with their apartment home “must haves” is critical to a good search experience and creating results that lead to signed leases.
Summertime, and the Living is . . . Well, Sometimes Challenging for Our Pets
Summer is almost upon us and that means rising temps, pools and cookouts, fireworks displays and afternoon storms . . . which also means making sure our beloved pets are safely enjoying a season that can present some particular challenges. Here are some tips for keeping our furry friends in mind over the summer months.
Case Study #1: The Management Group, Presented by The Pet Inclusive Housing Initiative
The Management Group (TMG), an Atlanta-based multifamily property management firm, aspired to become one of the most pet-inclusive operators in the Southeast United States. By eliminating breed and weight restrictions, adopting innovative pet technology resources, and elevating pet-friendliness to its full potential, TMG’s revamp of pet policies has led to a tremendous 80% renewal rate among pet-owning residents.
From Pet-Friendly to Pet-Inclusive: Michelson Found Animals Foundation Presents the 2022 Pet Awards
While most rental housing operators consider themselves pet-friendly, about the same number of renters find it difficult to locate pet-friendly housing, according to the national 2021 Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUbxrcbt6I4...
Lease Retention, Demand Marketing and – oh, yes — Pet Inclusivity
What can rental housing operators do to hang on to those higher retention numbers? Part of the answer lies in creating demand for your unique product offering, and that’s where pets come into the picture.
Growing Resident Retention with Pet-Inclusive Rental Housing
In Season 3, Episode 1 of The Leasing Highway Podcast (hosted by the Apartment Association of Metro Denver), Michelson Found Animals’ Industry Principal Judy Bellack and Jamin Harkness, former Executive VP and Partner of The Management Group (TMG), joined the series to discuss the benefits of pet-inclusive housing and how rental owners and operators can grow resident retention by alleviating restrictions such as breed and weight restrictions for pets.
A Year of Impact in Animal Welfare and Educational Equity and Setting Priorities for 2022
The Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative launched with the publication of a major research report in partnership with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, which led to Congressman Adam Schiff and a group of bipartisan congressional leaders introducing a bill supporting eliminating breed restrictions in public housing. The bill is called the “Pets Belong with Families Act.”
Comprehensive Pet Policies Are Difficult to Find Online
The apartment world is doing a commendable job of moving away from antiquated pet policies in favor of those more fitting for the modern renter. Trouble is, sometimes those policies are impossible to find.
Misconceptions Underlay Breed Restrictions
The fact is, there is no data to support that any one breed is more dangerous than another, and by banning certain breeds, apartment owners and operators are unnecessarily closing their doors to good renters and good pets.
MFA’s Judy Bellack Discusses Pet-Inclusive Housing on SullivanSays Podcast
Michelson Found Animals Foundation (MFA), together with the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), recently released their Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI) report, which found that rental housing owner-operators can benefit financially from enacting more pet-inclusive policies for their tenants.
Congress Members Cite MFA’s Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative Report in Introducing the ‘Pets Belong with Families Act’
Representatives Adam Schiff (D-CA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), and Cori Bush (D-MO) cited Michelson Found Animals Foundation’s recent Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI) report today when introducing a new bill to Congress that would allow families to keep their beloved pets in the home by prohibiting vague and sweeping restrictions against dogs based on breed or size.
Public Housing Should Remove All Pet Restrictions, Michelson Says at Pet Week on Capitol Hill
Michelson, co-chair of Michelson Philanthropies and founder of Michelson Found Animals Foundation (MFA), was joined by Steve Feldman, president of the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), for a discussion of MFA’s work on pet-inclusive housing policies and animal welfare.
Room to Grow: Multifamily Operators Have Opportunities to Become More Pet-Inclusive
Over the past decade or so, the multifamily industry has undeniably become more pet-friendly.
Rental Housing Owners Can Attract and Retain More Residents by Adopting Pet-Inclusive Policies, According to New Report
The vast majority of pet-owning residents and property owners and managers agree that pets are important members of the family, but progress is still needed when it comes to extending that sentiment to pet-inclusive policies for rental housing, according to a new data-rich report from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Michelson Found Animals Foundation.
New Report Highlights the Benefits of Pet-Friendly Housing
Non-profit organizations Michelson Found Animals Foundation and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) today announced the release of a new Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative (PIHI) Report, outlining the path to create more than 8 million new pet-friendly rental homes in the United States.