Finding pet-friendly apartments, condos on Long Island can be rough

When Tasha Lloyd decided to move from a garden-style Queens apartment to a Long Island house, she had certain things in mind. Many were for her pets, not herself.

"I wanted my dogs to be able to run," said Lloyd, an attorney in her 40s who works in Manhattan. "Had it not been for the dogs, I would have been comfortable in a condo."

Lloyd moved into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom Cape in Deer Park in November 2021. It has a finished basement and wooden stockade fence on a nearly half-acre corner lot with a doghouse.

Whether buying or renting a home, Long Islanders face high prices and low inventory. But experts and homeowners say bringing a pet into the mix can make it even harder to find a place to live, with added requirements and costs.

"My dogs are family to me," said Lloyd, who paid over $500,000 for the home. "I was willing to pay even $100,000 or more to accommodate the dogs."

Restrictions pet owners face

About 95% of American pet owners consider pets family, according to Spots.com, a pet product review and evaluation website. But many buildings have clear-cut pet restrictions, experts say.

"Usually, it's a yes or no to pets in general. If somebody comes with a gerbil in a cage or a small fish, they might allow that," said Antje Buelte Dolido, associate real estate broker for Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty in Locust Valley.

Anna Beigelman, a broker associate at Exit Realty Premier in Massapequa, said, "Everything is disclosed up front so there are no surprises." But, she said, it can be difficult to find pet-friendly condos and rentals.

Still, many dog owners find themselves persona non grata with condos and co-ops. Many of them bar certain sizes or breeds, such as Dobermans, German shepherds, Rottweilers or pit bulls. Lloyd has two pit bulls: Hannibal, who is 6 years old, and Zulu, who is 5.

"Most condos didn't allow dogs," Lloyd said of her home search. "Or they had questions as to the size of the dog, how much they weighed and if there were more than one."

John Torres and Lucy Garr-Torres, of Lido Beach, said they have come across many buildings with weight restrictions.

"He's part of the family," John Torres, in his 60s, who retired after about 20 years in information technology, said of their dog Burt, a 9-year-old coonhound/Border collie mix. "It's not like we're going to put him on Ozempic."

They found a pet-friendly building with no size restrictions on the Long Beach Boardwalk with a cramped dog-walking area.

"Dogs aren't allowed on the Long Beach Boardwalk, so it's almost like a tease," he said.

What costs and rules to expect if you have a pet

Landlords may request one-time refundable deposits related to possible damage by pets, typically $100 to $300, according to Rentspree.com, a tenant screening website.

While he didn't encounter higher maintenance fees due to pets, Torres said an "additional security deposit" is common and damage caused by pets to common areas could be subject to fines.

Pet fees, or nonrefundable charges, may cover possible costs from wear and tear. Lloyd said she encountered rents that included an additional $100 to $200 per month for pets.

Landlords can refuse pets, except service and support animals, which can't be charged additional fees. But a renter would have to show proof from a doctor or therapist that the animal is needed for personal reasons, Rentspree noted.

"It's become difficult for landlords to say 'no' to dogs after COVID," Dolido said. "A lot of people are now saying their dogs are emotional support animals or service animals."

An owner may be allowed to have a dog, but renters or subletters may not. Breaking rules can lead to fines or even eviction, Torres said.

While buildings may welcome pets, they also may have pet policies, such as pet quiet hours. Pet insurance may be mandatory, according to Rentspree.

Finding a pet-friendly place

If you have a pet, how do you find places that will welcome them? Lloyd said owners can tell real estate agents that pets are "nonnegotiable."

Beigelman said buildings indicate they are pet-friendly on the listing service. "It's often mentioned in consumer remarks, because that is one of the amenities," she added.

John Torres said real estate agents help, as well as apps, real estate websites and word-of-mouth. And pet-friendly buildings can be particularly friendly to people, Torres said.

"In our experience, dog people are most often people-people," he said. "Their dogs' interactions with other dogs compel the owners to interact as well."

A spacious interior also can be a big plus for a pooch. The Torreses moved in February 2022 into a roughly 1,000-square-foot, two-bedroom condo in the Towne Houses of Lido.

"It has some size to it, which helps," Torres said. "It's good for the dog."

A usable basement doubling as a pet playroom can be a plus. "When people come over, I can put them there, so they can decompress," said Lloyd.

Beigelman said older dogs may have special needs. "Some of my clients bought ranch homes because their dogs don't do stairs and they wanted them sleeping in their bedroom," she said.

Making a good impression

Torres said some buildings required interviews with dogs before being approved as a resident. Pet owners can take steps to make landlords more at ease with their pets, like getting references from former landlords and neighbors or prepping a pet resume, with vaccinations, whether a pet is neutered or spayed or details like breed and size, Rentspree advised. Before moving in with a pet, it can be wise to photograph or take videos to document conditions and prevent them from being attributed to your pet, the site said.

And pet owners can take measures to prevent damage, such as pet gates, mats or rugs and a pet crate.

Lloyd said as long as a dog is not left to live out in the yard of a house, "there should be no issues with barking," although neighbors may dislike free roaming cats. But barking can be more of an issue in multifamily buildings, with neighbors closer by, she added.

Torres said training can help. Some pet owners even get bark collars that vibrate or otherwise discourage barking.

"You can send them to doggy day care, which costs a lot. Or you can train them and crate them," Lloyd said. "A friend of mine leaves a stuffed animal with a heartbeat in the crate with her dog."

Landlords can be transparent and clear regarding expectations. "The best thing a landlord can do is to be specific and display all the rules," Torres said.

All rental and ownership agreements codify penalties for violating rules, he added.

Resale value and demand for pet-friendly places

When it comes to resale, ideally there are no signs of pet presence. "Most people wouldn't even know an animal lived somewhere," Lloyd said. "Advertising that a unit is in a pet-friendly building may even increase the resale value."

While it can be challenging out there for pet owners, Torres agreed that because there are relatively few dog-friendly properties, demand "exceeds supply." Pets, however, can leave problems.

"A dog owner could and would deal with any issues left behind," Torres said. "And would know how to."

When pet owners seek to rent their home, pets can be a negative for renters concerned about allergies.

"That's a deal breaker," Dolido said. "If they can tell a cat or dog lived there and they're allergic, they walk out."

Dog owners selling can face difficulties if pets damaged floors or furniture. "That takes down the price and makes it more difficult to show the house," Dolido said.

Deep cleaning sometimes helps remove odors, she added. "Usually it's embedded in the furniture or in the floors," Dolido continued. "And then you have a problem."

She mentioned a Locust Valley home she believes could have sold for $1.4 million, but listed for about a million and sold for under $1 million due to damage from dogs.

Priceless benefits

Pets change people's lives, adding cost and stress, but potentially improving owners' health.

"Pet ownership can significantly reduce anxiety, depression and stress. Pets can provide emotional support, reduce loneliness and increase physical activity levels," said Dr. Joseph Squitieri, division director for adult ambulatory psychiatry at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital. "I have seen pet ownership give people a purpose and sense of responsibility in their lives, which often benefits their mental and physical health."

Torres said most people in his complex walk their dog around the grounds, although he often goes farther for exercise.

"I go to the other side of Lido Boulevard or our old neighborhood," Torres said. "He needs a lot of exercise. I'm not walking around in a circle. I hike a lot with him."

Even the Torreses' vacations are more active and, they believe, healthy. Garr-Torres, who retired after 25 years as the Lido Beach Synagogue's office manager, said Burt enhances their happiness.

"Because of Burt," she said, "we've done more hiking and car travel vacations than ever before, which adds to our retirement."