It can be frustrating for potential rents when they come across the perfect apartment, only to later find out later about the “no pet policy”, and in turn, your apartment complex could be losing a valuable lease and angering potential renters.

I’ve experienced this first hand myself. I work for a niche student housing developer specializing in apartments in Gainesville . Only 2 of our 23 apartment complexes allow pets. Last week, two students came into our office and toured a model apartment for Savion Park, one of our newest and most upscale apartments near UF sorority row. They loved the apartment and decided to lease it the next day. Just before lunch, an angry leasing agent from the Savion Park office called me on the phone to say that the renter had searched for pet friendly apartments in Gainesville and seen an ad for our property. Since she was specifically searching for pet friendly apartments and our apartment complex came up in the search, she never asked whether or not our community was pet friendly. During the lease signing, when the leasing agent asked her to initial next to our no-pet rules, the renter became very angry and said that she had been tricked. Needless to say, they stormed out without leasing, and later they put in a negative apartment review of our company online, saying that we had been deceptive. Our apartment complex website very clearly states that we are not pet friendly, but the prospective renter had assumed that we were pet friendly, and she never inquired about our pet policy during the apartment tour.

According to the Los Angeles Times, back in 2014, nearly 70% of apartment renters owned pets. Therefore, the question that arises is whether or not property management companies should consider allowing pets in order to fulfill the needs of more renters in the market. Often, as shown in my example, their online reputation depends on their decision.

While the demand for pet friendly apartments remains high in 2016, from a profitability standpoint, there are many reasons not to change a no-pets policy.

1. The potential damage to the apartments

Animals can chew expensive flooring, like wood or carpet, as well as have accidents. In many cases, the repair will require complete carpet replacement, which may be in excess of the security deposit. No matter how clean your renters keep their animals, there is more than likely some sort of pet odors left behind when they move out.

2. Noisy neighbors

In Gainesville and other college towns, it’s already a given that your renters might have noisy neighbors, but pet noise is completely different. Animals running around or barking and squawking all night may drive a poor tenant crazy, and it can be difficult for a property manager to enforce noise violations caused by pets.

3. Difficulty with roommate matching tenants could lead to leasing problems

When roommate matching tenants together, it can be tricky if one is allergic or doesn’t want a pet inside his/her living space. Pet allergy sufferers could potentially be miserable, despite the fact that they may be an excellent match as a roommate in other ways. Having a pet around, in general, may be disruptive to a tenant, causing them to move out. In many cities, it is difficult for an apartment complex to recover lost rent if a tenant moves out of the apartment.

These are just some examples of why it can be difficult for apartments to allow pets. Losing potential tenants can be tough, but with these key points, it may make it even harder to have a pet policy depending upon the apartment complex.