Zillow Finds Austin Top Pet-Friendly City for Renters
The most pet-friendly city in the country for renters is Austin, TX, with more than 4 out of every 5 rental listings allowing pets. What’s more, cities in Texas claimed the top three spots and four of the top six. According to Zillow’s latest Consumer Home Trends Report, 59 percent of renters in 2022 reported having at least one pet, up from 46 percent in 2019.
“As more people started working from home, pet ownership soared during the pandemic,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert. “Pets are widely considered part of the American family, so it makes sense that they factor into moving decisions and impact housing preferences. Renters with pets who are planning to sign a new lease this year face even stiffer competition because they are limited to apartments where their furry friends are allowed. This data shows us that in certain cities, pet-friendly apartments are easier to find.”
Pet-friendly filters are some of the most used among renters on Zillow.com. Twice as many potential renters filter for pet-friendly listings than for any other amenity on the site, underscoring the high demand for rental homes that allow pets.
As of January, more than half (55.1 percent) of rental listings on Zillow indicated they allow pets. The company analyzed thousands of its single-family and apartment rental listings to find the cities with the most available units that allow renters to live with their animal companion.
Of the top 100 cities with the most rental listings on Zillow, Austin has the most pet-friendly rental housing stock in the country, with 80.8 percent of listings allowing pets.
Top 10 pet-friendly cities for renters, according to Zillow
- Austin, Texas – 80.8 percent of rental listings allow pets
- Dallas, Texas – 78.0 percent
- Fort Worth, Texas – 77.2 percent
- Charlotte, North Carolina – 76.6 percent
- Denver, Colorado – 76.5 percent
- San Antonio, Texas – 75.8 percent
- Indianapolis, Indiana – 74.7 percent
- Kansas City, Missouri – 73.4 percent
- Seattle, Washington – 73.1 percent
- New York City – 72.2 percent
Beyond using Zillow’s search filters to ensure they’re seeing properties that welcome their pets, pet parents can turn to Zillow’s new Moving with Pets page, which lets them enter an address to explore pet-friendly spots, including veterinarian clinics, groomers and parks, in hundreds of neighborhoods around the country.
Zillow’s Renter Hub keeps renters organized during their search. At a glance, renters can see the rentals they’ve saved, shared or contacted and stay up-to-date on all messages with prospective landlords — all in one place on the Zillow app.