For a few years now I've been thinking about moving out of New York City. Maybe I could take advantage of the high rents in my Brooklyn neighborhood to rent out my co-op property, move somewhere cheaper, and make some money.
The first area I started to look into was Lancaster, PAwhich recently came in at number 14 Realtor.com Hottest Markets List.
I often visit a friend there and have fallen in love with the green and golden landscape, the rustic farmland and historic buildings, and the quaint beauty of regularly seeing Amish horses and buggies on the roads.
In addition, it Must be cheaper than NYCCorrect?
Is it cheaper to rent? Not if you have pets
When I researched places to rent, things looked promising at first glance. Lancaster The average was $1,600. Compare this Brooklyn's Average $3,800!
I was pleased to see that all of the new buildings had lots of amenities (decks, pools, gyms) and were described as “pet friendly.” Which was a necessity since I am the proud owner of three cats.
But upon closer investigation, this supposed pet-friendliness came with a price — and a hefty one at that: Most of the rental buildings I looked at asked for a non-refundable pet fee of $350 to $500, and also required me to pay a monthly “pet rent.”
What is pet rent?
According to Property Club, “Pet rent is an additional monthly fee charged by the landlord in addition to the regular rent.” Pet Rental Fee Guide for 2024. “Its purpose is to cover the increased wear and tear and potential damage caused by pets over time… Pet rent is non-refundable, as it is considered part of the monthly rent payment. It's an additional cost that many apartment complexes are charging their tenants more and more often.”
According to Property Club, the average rent per pet can range from $25 a month to over $100 a month for high-end buildings.
I looked at two campuses in Lancaster City, 202 Queen And FoundryThe fees were $35 and $50 per pet, per month, respectively, and this was in addition to a non-refundable pet fee of $300 for one pet and $500 for two pets. (All the buildings I looked at had a two-pet limit. Dogs were often more expensive than cats.)
The high cost of keeping a pet leads to abandoning the pet
Beyond the monetary costs, there is also a huge social cost of such expensive pet policies. Pets are being dumped on the streets at alarming rates. I know, because I am a longtime volunteer for animal rescue groups and often rescue abandoned pets on my own.
For the past year, not a single month has gone by when I haven’t found a friendly former pet desperately trying to survive outside – riddled with parasites and fleas, sometimes sick or injured, and usually emaciated.
Often a cat is abandoned by its former owner, who leaves it to fend for itself. Dogs are found tied to trees or fences, with a note saying the dog can no longer be cared for.
Then there's overcrowding in shelters. Across the country, animal shelters are in crisis. In 2023, according to National Animal Welfare Statistics6.5 million animals entered shelters in 2014-15, and the number of animals waiting to be adopted out of shelters increased by 177,000 in one year.
As the cost of home ownership becomes prohibitive, Americans are increasingly being forced to rent. And with higher rental fees for pets, it could be argued that these additional costs are contributing to the pet abandonment crisis.
“Most of us consider our pets part of the family; but sadly, these relationships are being tested by a tight housing market,” says Susan Riggs, senior director of housing policy for the ASPCA. “While most renters are impacted by rising rent rates, lower-income renters are particularly hard hit when life circumstances force them to move, as the cost of moving homes, increased rents and deposits leave pet-owning families with few options in the market. When landlords do allow pets, they often charge additional fees, deposits and/or rent for pets, forcing renters to make the difficult choice between keeping a roof over their head or giving up a furry family member.”
A small animal rescue group in Brooklyn often feels the burden of these policies.
“The most common reasons people give up their pets are high costs and relocation,” says Sean Casey, founder of . Sean Casey Animal Rescue“Pet rent includes both things together. The lump sum deposit for the pet should be sufficient to cover any potential damage caused by the pet. Adding the pet rent on top of that seems excessive.”
These pet-unfriendly policies not only put a financial burden on tenants — especially low-income tenants — but also discourage or make it impossible for people to adopt homeless pets. This makes it harder for rescue groups to take them in, increasing the likelihood of pets being thrown out on the street.
At least one state hopes it can mitigate some of the damage. Most recently in Colorado passed a law This limits the amount a landlord can charge for pets Refundable $300 deposit and $35 per month – per unit No Per pet – or 1.5% of rent, whichever is higher.
Goodbye, rent
I gave up on my Lancaster apartment search pretty quickly.
My cats are my family, and I can't keep any of them in my home, as most rental buildings have a two-pet limit. (Renters aren't the only ones told how many pets they can have. Increasingly, HOAs are mandating pet limits as well.)
Even if the building allowed three cats, paying $1,800 a year to keep my cats, on top of paying $500 upfront, is not an expense I am willing to afford.
