Here's one that may come as a surprise to many . . . "Our apartment community is pet-friendly."
Not so much, actually. There's a BIG difference between how the industry defines pet-friendly, and how a prospective renter defines pet-friendly. Yes, we have the amenities and we take some pets, but weight and breed restrictions actually rule out a large number of pets - and therefore renters. Think about it: about 70% of U.S. households have a pet, and most apartment communities have far fewer units with pets (the average I've seen is between 25% - 40% of units with a pet) - largely because only 8% of units are free from restrictions. So, the industry may be "pet-friendly" because some pets are accepted, but it is far from being "pet-inclusive" - meaning companion animals are not restricted. Then throw in the fact that we now not only have pet deposits, pet owners are also greeted with non-refundable pet fees as well as pet rent. Pet rent???? This can add hundreds of dollars a year to the cost of an apartment. Again, not very pet-inclusive.
Let's be more pet-inclusive! Which, by the way, is pretty good for the bottom line since pet-owners tend to stay longer (21% longer), which means lower turn costs and better NOI.