How Comfortable Are Property Managers With Pet-Related Liability? A New Survey Reveals the Truth

_{By Kathleen Hannon, Senior Director of Communications, Cloudastructure. A former agency director, Kathleen has led messaging strategy for tech, security, manufacturing, and higher ed brands for more than a decade. Kathleen writes and produces Cloudastructure’s educational content for multifamily property professionals, including blogs, webinars, campaigns, case studies and white papers. She’s also the award-winning author of two young adult novels.}

‍

‍

How risky are pets when it comes to property management?

That’s the question The Multifamily Crime Poll set out to answer in its latest survey of multifamily professionals about their views on pets, risk, and legal exposure.

‍

📝 What We Asked

The poll included three key questions designed to gauge:

• Perceived liability related to pets on the property
  
• Confidence in existing pet policies and enforcement
  
• Experiences with pet-related incidents (bites, damage, complaints, etc.)

‍

📊 What We Found

The majority of pet issues weren’t from the pets themselves, but from their owners: failing to deal with barking, cleaning up, and/or bringing unauthorized pets onto the property. 

‍

‍

The majority of property managers said the pet waste issue is a constant. 

‍

‍

But when it comes to risk management, property managers considered dog bites the most formidable problem. Only 16% of property managers expressed confidence in their case management systems and their staff’s ability to adhere to protocol to protect the community from a liability lawsuit.

‍

‍

Early trends show:

• A majority of respondents expressed concern about being held liable for pet-related incidents.
  
• Nearly half said they felt their current pet policy was insufficient to protect them in court.
  
• Only a small minority had formal training or legal resources to guide enforcement of pet restrictions, breed bans, or insurance requirements.
  

In short: property managers are managing pet-related risks, but many feel like they’re doing it without a net.

‍

⚠️ Why It Matters

Pet-related liability can take many forms:

• Dog bites or attacks
  
• Unauthorized animals or fake ESA claims
  
• Noise complaints and property damage
  
• Insurance loopholes and exclusions
  

A single incident can lead to a costly lawsuit or brand-damaging event. A recent dogbite lawsuit cost one property management firm $20 million. And yet many multifamily properties lack the tools, documentation, or training to proactively manage the risk.

‍

🔐 How to Minimize Pet-Related Liability

Security platforms like Cloudastructure’s AI Surveillance and Remote Guarding can help:

• Verify unauthorized animals in restricted areas
  
• Document tenant behavior and disputes
  
• Support insurance claims and protect against false allegations
  

Combined with clear pet policies, resident education, and legal compliance (such as HUD’s ESA rules), technology offers a powerful way to turn risk into resolution.

‍

✅ Key Takeaways

• Property managers are deeply aware of pet liability, but not always equipped to mitigate it.
  
• Simple policy updates aren’t enough—proactive monitoring and documentation are essential.‍
• Surveillance with AI analytics can offer critical protection against claims and confusion.

‍

🔎 Looking Ahead

As pet ownership continues to rise—especially post-pandemic—multifamily operators will need to evolve their pet policies, enforcement tools, and documentation strategies. The results of this poll make one thing clear: risk tolerance is low, and support is urgently needed.

‍

Watch the Webinar

Paws & Policy with attorney Amanda Podlucky and pet specialist Victoria Cowart CPM about how to reduce liability and risk.

‍

Would you like access to the full results of the Multifamily Pet Poll?
Contact us here

‍