Is Dream Big Property Management Pet-Friendly? | Our Pet Policy Explained

Resident FAQ: Bringing a Pet Into Your Rental Home

Yes, Most of Our Properties Welcome Pets — Here’s How the Policy Actually Works

The following is general information, not legal advice. Pet policies vary by property and are subject to change. Consult with your property manager for the specific requirements on any individual rental.

By BRIAN BEAN
Rental Home Advocate | Property Manager | Real Estate Broker

Is Dream Big Property Management pet-friendly? Yes — most of our rental properties allow pets, with restrictions on the number of animals, as well as type, size, and breed.

Here’s why we take this approach. Nearly 60 percent of renter households identify as having a pet, according to data from Zillow. That’s up from about 46 percent before the pandemic. To put that in perspective, more renters report having a pet than having a child in the household. Pet-friendly filtering is also the single most-used search filter for renters looking online, ahead of amenities like a pool or covered parking, according to Zillow.

So we encourage our property owners to allow pets, because it’s a genuine competitive advantage in finding great, long-term residents. And it will have a real impact on a rental owner’s vacancy rate and overall profitability.

How the Process Actually Works

Whether a specific property accepts pets is decided case by case, ultimately set by the property owner and sometimes influenced by their insurance carrier. For properties that do accept pets, the standard is up to two pets, typically a cat or a dog. (Sorry, no exotic pets allowed.) There may be additional rules per property, such as a weight limit, a minimum age for puppies, or breed restrictions. We specify upfront exactly what applies to each available home listed for lease.

Screening for Every Applicant

To standardize the process, every applicant, and each animal, goes through an evaluation at PetScreening.com, an independent third-party service provider. PetScreening also handles the screening for service animals and emotional support animals, which are not considered “pets” and fall under their own special classifications and screening rules.

PetScreening charges a screening fee for pets, but there is no fee for service animals, ESAs, or for applicants with no pets at all. The provider compiles the relevant information: animal photos, vaccination history, and emergency contact details.

Pet Damage Insurance

For approved pets, residents must carry an approved pet damage insurance policy with coverage of at least $1,500 for pet-related damage. Residents who don’t already have a qualifying policy can access coverage through an insurance carrier contracted by Dream Big, at $35 per month per animal.

Service animals and emotional support animals are exempt from this insurance requirement.

Resident Responsibilities

All animal owners are responsible for any damage to the property caused by their pet, as well as any actions their animal takes. Residents are expected to care for and clean up after their animals, keep them leashed whenever outside, and be respectful of neighbors when it comes to noise and odor.

You can find our complete pet policy on our website if you’d like all the details before you apply.

Pets are members of your family, and we welcome them. But all members of a household, two-legged and four-legged, are expected to take care of their rental home and be good neighbors.

If you have questions about pets or applications for any of our available rentals, give us a call at 951-778-9700. You can also find our rental requirements and our complete pet policy on our website: dreambigpm.com.

It’s not just a house. It’s your home. And home is where you build a life.

 

About the Author
Brian Bean is the Broker and founder of Dream Big Property Management, serving residents and property owners across Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, and the greater Inland Empire. CA DRE #01346382.

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Full Transcript

Transcript of the video above — Brian Bean, Broker/Owner and Rental Home Advocate, Dream Big Property Management. CA DRE #01346382. Lightly edited for readability.

Is Dream Big Property Management pet-friendly? Hi, I’m Brian Bean, founder and broker of Dream Big Property Management here in Riverside, California. And yes, most of our rental properties allow pets, with some having restrictions on number of animals as well as type, size, and breed.

Here’s why. Nearly 60% of renter households identify as having a pet, according to data from online provider Zillow. That’s up from about 46% before the pandemic. And to put that in perspective, more renters in that survey said that they have a pet than said that they have a child in the household. Online, pet-friendly is the most common rental search filter, ahead of things like pool or covered parking. So yes, we encourage our property owners to allow pets, because it’s a real competitive advantage in finding great long-term residents, and it will have a real impact on a property’s vacancy rate and profitability.

Here’s how our process actually works. Our clients’ properties are pet-friendly on a case-by-case basis. Ultimately, it’s set by the property owners, and possibly it’s influenced by their insurance companies. For properties that do accept pets, the standard is up to two animals, typically a cat or a dog. Sorry, no exotic pets are allowed. There may also be additional rules per property for such factors as weight limit, a minimum age for puppies, or dog breed restrictions. We specify upfront what rules apply to each available home listed for lease.

To standardize the process, every applicant and each animal goes through an evaluation at PetScreening.com, which is an independent service provider. PetScreening collects the data on a pet, and they also screen service animals and emotional support animals, which are not considered pets but have special classifications and screening rules.

PetScreening charges a screening fee for pets. There’s no fee for service animals or ESAs, or for applicants with no pets. The provider compiles the information: animal photos, history of vaccinations, and even emergency contact info.

And for approved pets, our residents must have a pet damage insurance policy with coverage of at least $1,500 for pet-related damage. Those without a policy can access coverage through an insurance carrier that we’ve contracted, at $35 per month per animal. Service and emotional support animals are exempt from the insurance requirement, but all animal owners are responsible for damage to a property or any actions of their animals. They’re also expected to care for and clean up after their animals, keep them on a leash whenever outside, and to be respectful when it comes to noise and odors.

If you have questions about pets or applications for any of our available rentals, give us a call at 951-778-9700. You can also find our rental requirements and our pet policy on our website, dreambigpm.com. Pets are members of your family, and we welcome them. But all members of a household are expected to take care of their rental home and be good neighbors. Because it’s not just a house, it’s your home. And home is where you build a life.