At HARP we understand that having furry family members can make it much harder to find good-quality affordable housing. Use our resources to find housing assistance programs, identify insurance companies that do not discriminate by breed, build a pet resume, and learn about assistance animals (Service dogs and ESAs).

Most landlords with no-pet policies don’t hate animals! They just want to protect themselves from liability and their property from damage. If you are working with an individual landlord, they are often willing to be flexible if they think that you and your pets pose minimal risk to the property.

Public Assistance Programs:
Community Support Services:

An Assistance Animal is one that does work, performs tasks, provides assistance, and/or provides therapeutic emotional support with respect to the individual’s disability. An Assistance Animal can be a Service Animal or what is commonly called an Emotional Support Animal and their handlers are entitled to certain housing protections. Learn more.

Most renter’s and homeowner’s insurance policies unfortunately will not cover all dog breeds. Despite a lack of evidence that certain breeds are inherently more dangerous, if you own a dog who is even mixed with a restricted breed you will need to verify that the dog is covered by your insurance. If you have insurance that covers canine liability, this can help convince a landlord that you are a responsible pet owner! The most common breeds that insurance will not cover are any pit bull or bully breeds, but Akitas, German Shepherds, mastiffs, Rottweilers, and Doberman Pinschers are also frequently excluded, and every provider’s list is different!

Homeowner’s and Renter’s Insurance:

Insurance that can cover dog-related liability either without a homeowner/renter policy or when the dog is not covered by that policy due to the dogs breed, history, etc.:

Show your landlord that your pet will not be a problem by making sure they are up to date on vaccines and spayed or neutered (our low-cost clinic can help!), and by creating a pet resume with references – especially previous landlords! Use our Microsoft Template here or create your pet’s resume online.

It can be harder to get around breed restrictions because those are often imposed on landlords by insurance companies. Let your landlord know if your renter’s insurance policy covers liability for your dog or ask if purchasing supplemental dog bite liability insurance would make a difference.

Let your landlord know that the research says pets are good for business! According to the Pet Inclusive Housing Report, on average, residents in pet-friendly housing stay 21% longer than those in non-pet-friendly housing. This translates to residents staying about 10 additional months. In addition, 83% of owner/operators say pet-friendly vacancies are filled faster.

Fewer than 10% of all pets cause damage of any kind, and only 2% cause damage that requires a security deposit deduction. The average cost of repairs when pets do cause damage is only $210, which is more than covered by the average pet rent and fees. For more information on the benefits of pet-friendly housing check out the Pet Inclusive Housing Initiative

For further assistance please contact the admissions team via our Pet Helpline at 412-345-0348 or pethelpline@humaneanimalrescue.org

This list is intended for information purposes only. All policies are subject to change and Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh does not guarantee their accuracy or endorse any of the companies listed here.

Tier 1 – No Breed or Size Restrictions

Landlord Location Policy
Costello Management Various, mostly East End
All of the properties are pet friendly for friendly pets with a two-animal maximum. We require up-to-date rabies vaccination records (and licenses for dogs) before they can enter the property, but Costello Management does not require additional rent or deposits for pets. There are no breed or weight restrictions. However, all of the tenants are required to carry renter’s insurance, so your agent will need to be aware of any animals in your home.
Howard West East End
Most of the rentals are pet-friendly, and there are no size/breed restrictions, as long as the pet is friendly and controlled.
Mozart East End
They have many pet-friendly properties! There are no breed or weight restrictions; however, there is a maximum of two (2) pets allowed (cats and/or dogs).
Nexus Real Estate Various – mostly Moon, East End, South Side, South Hills
Cats and dogs allowed with no breed or weight limits – monthly pet rent $35 + one-time pet fee $295
Regent Square Rentals Regent Square
The pet policy is as follows. All of the units are cat-friendly and most of the units are dog-friendly. There is no pet deposit. There is a $25 pet fee per month with a limit of 2 pets per unit. There are no breed or weight restrictions, however, they do require the tenants to insure their pets on their renter’s insurance.

Tier 2 – Some Restrictions

Landlord Location Policy
Aion Management South Hills, Downtown, North Hills, Aspinwall
All animals must be housebroken. No breeding of any permitted animal is allowed. Additionally, the following breeds of dogs are not permitted or any mix of these breeds of dogs where the following breeds are 50% or more in your dog and verified by veterinary report: German Shepherds Akitas, Chow Terriers or Chow breed mixes, American Bulldogs, Bull Staff or Staffordshire Terriers, Doberman/Doberman Pinschers, (mini pinschers are permitted) Rottweilers, Wolf-dog hybrid, Pit-bull terriers, Presa Canario or any variety of Canary dogs.
Berger Communities Jefferson Hills, Downtown, North Hills, Monroeville
Cat and dog-friendly community. Maximum of 2 pets allowed per apartment with no weight limit. There is a one-time non-refundable pet fee of $350 for the first pet and $500 total for two pets. The monthly pet rent is $45 per pet. Breed restrictions apply. All pets must be up-to-date on all vaccines, and be spayed or neutered.
Birgo Realty North Side, South Hills, Suburbs
Second Avenue Various
Number of Pets: Each home allows a maximum of three (3) pets, subject to compliance with local laws and HOA Rules and Regulations.
TREK development group North Side and Downtown
Walnut Capital East End
Cats and Dogs Allowed
Restrictions: Pitt Bull, German Shepard, Doberman Pincher, Chow and Rottweiler Pet Limit 2 Weight limit 100 lb, Monthly pet rent $30, One time Fee $250