No pets, no pets, no pets. So go the listings for the majority of rental housing in Los Angeles where, according to the American Humane Association, 62 percent of the rental units do not accept pets.
But the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted on Thursday to change this, in hopes of making landlords more open to accepting pets at their properties, with the eventual goal of reducing the number of animals who live in shelters. The motion dictates that the city will begin soliciting input from landlords and other stakeholders on methods to expand the number of people living in rental properties adopting animals.
The motion originated from Paul Koretz’ office, after councilmember met with ‘No Kill’ advocates who believe the propensity of Los Angeles landlords to refuse pets at rental properties leads to more shelter animals getting killed, according to KPCC.
Where 62 percent of Los Angeles rental properties refuse animals completely, 98 percent of Denver properties accept cats, and 93 percent accept small dogs, according to the city council motion.
"We want to see if we can get to the point where our shelter system is no-kill," Koretz said to KPCC.
In particular, the council motion lays the framework for a collaboration between Los Angeles’ Department of Animal Services and the Housing and Community Investment Department. On the table for consideration are programs to make tenants more aware of their rights to own animals in rental properties, while also keeping the potential damage concerns of landlords in view.
The council document cites instances where landlords have insisted existing tenants get rid of their animals or face eviction, despite the condition not being in the lease.
At the same time, the two departments are to also examine other cities that have developed programs to get animals out of shelters, and into people’s homes.
The goal is to reduce the number of animals living in “kill” shelters dramatically enough that Los Angeles can eventually consider itself a “No-Kill” city.
