Why We Created the Pet Program – Because We’ve Been There Too
The idea for the Renter’s Choice Pet Program didn’t come from a policy meeting—it came from a very real, very personal experience. When our founder, Amy Breznik, sold her home and needed to rent while building a new one, she faced a challenge many pet owners know all too well: finding a rental that would accept her beloved pets.
At the time, Amy had a dog and two cats. Despite being a responsible tenant and pet owner, she couldn’t find a single rental that would accept all three animals. The only option? Leaving her dog, Bella, in the care of the family who purchased her home while she waited for her new one to be finished.
Around the same time, Nicci—one of our long-time team members—was looking for a rental too. She had two large dogs and ran into the same frustrating dead ends. That’s when we knew: if we were having this problem, our tenants were too.
We sat down as a team and asked, How can we make it easier for responsible pet owners to find housing—and still give landlords the peace of mind they need?
The Pet Program Was Born
The result of those conversations is what we now call the Renter’s Choice Pet Program—a unique, in-house initiative designed to expand the tenant pool for landlords while creating a pathway for responsible pet owners to find homes.
Here’s how it works:
- Landlords who participate in the program aren’t charged any fees.
- Tenants must complete a specialized pet application where their pets are assessed and assigned a “paw rating.”
- The program includes a pet damage protection fund, built from pet fees paid by tenants.
- If damage occurs, Renter’s Choice will cover up to $3,000 in pet-related repairs after the security deposit is applied.
It’s not an insurance policy—we’re not insurance providers—but it is a practical, proven system that helps reduce vacancy time, ease landlord concerns, and support pet-owning tenants who would otherwise be shut out of the rental market.
A Win-Win for Landlords and Tenants
Allowing pets into rentals nearly doubles the eligible tenant pool, significantly lowering vacancy times and reducing the stress that comes with transition periods between renters.
For tenants, it means fewer heartbreaking decisions and more opportunities to keep their families—fur and all—together.
What started with personal struggles has become one of the ways Renter’s Choice continues to innovate for the communities we serve. Because at the heart of everything we do is this simple belief: great property management is about people—and pets—feeling at home.