Harrisburg and Philly Rank High for Pet-Friendly Renting in Northeast

In the Northeast, Harrisburg and Philadelphia rank high for cities with the biggest shares of pet-friendly apartments for rent, according to an analysis by RentCafe.  

In Harrisburg, approximately 92% of apartments are pet-friendly, with the average pet rent costing $35.91. The average pet deposit and fee there is $311.82, and there are about 1.1 pet-friendly apartments per 1,000 people. Notably, RentCafe ranked Pennsylvania’s capital fifth nationwide for pet rental availability and affordability.  

In Philly, approximately 83% of apartments are pet-friendly, making for a ratio of about 0.3 per 1,000 people – fairly lower than in Harrisburg. Pet owners in the City of Brotherly Love are also likely to pay more, with the average pet rent at $40.84 and the average pet deposit and fee at $601.79. With both availability and affordability in mind, RentCafe ranked Philly at no. 117 nationwide. 

Both Harrisburg and Philly have higher shares of pet-friendly apartments for rent than Pennsylvania overall, which has 81%.  

More Stats on Pet-Friendly Renting 

What does pet-friendly renting look like nationwide? 

RentCafe found that dogs face more rental restrictions (97%) than cats (1%) and other pets (2%) – the most common restrictions being that only small dog breeds are allowed (52%) and no aggressive breeds are permitted (48%).  

Although restrictions for cats are much less common, the top rules are that they must be litter box trained (56%) and no exotic breeds are allowed (28%). 

The top three pet-focused amenities in apartment communities include: 

1. Pet park (58.44%) 
2. Pet wash stations (11.95%) 
3. Pet-friendly community (11.34%) 

Most recent data shows that 94 million U.S. households own at least one pet, with 51% owning dogs, 37% owning cats and 12% owning others. These numbers highlight Americans’ love for their pets, as well as the need for pet-friendly rental options.