Pet-Inclusive Housing

FIND HOUSING THAT ACCEPTS PETS

Housing Navigator Massachusetts is the state’s leading search engine designed to help residents find income-restricted, affordable housing. Operating similarly to mainstream sites like Zillow or Apartments.com, it simplifies the process of finding lower-cost housing options. The site filters provide “pet-friendly” as an option but always confirm the exact policy with property management at the time of application.

AvalonBay Communities is a pet-friendly housing company with 35 developments across 24 cities and towns in Massachusetts. Their Wag the Pet Program offers pet-friendly policies across all developments, including special pet-related amenities and benefits for residents. 

Equity Residential operates a large portfolio of pet-friendly units, primarily in Boston and the Greater Boston area but are subject to breed restrictions. 

UDR apartment communities in Massachusetts are pet-friendly. Each location welcomes domestic cats and dogs, but breed restrictions apply.

APPLY FOR EMERGENCY HELP SUCH AS RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE

Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) – Mass.gov 

The RAFT program provides short-term emergency funding to help you with eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies. RAFT provides up to $7,000 per 12-month period so your family can stay in your current home or move to a new one. You may use the money for rent, utilities, moving costs, and mortgage payments.

You may be eligible for RAFT if: 

• You’re at risk of homelessness or losing your housing (for example, you received a Notice to Quit or an eviction notice; you’re behind on your mortgage; you received a utility shutoff notice; or you can’t stay in your home due to health, safety, or other reasons)
• Your income is less than 50% of your city/town’s Area Median Income (AMI)  
• Your income is less than 60% of your city/town’s AMI AND you are at risk of domestic violence

HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT

If you are experiencing homelessness, or are at risk of homelessness, there are several  pathways to receive help depending on your situation. Homeless Shelters in MA are required to accommodate Assistance and Service Animals, including Emotional Support Animals.  Contact Our Housing Specialist jblackburn@mspca.org If you need help accessing emergency shelter.

Click here for a list of all shelters for individuals 18+ without children

Adult Homeless shelters that are *PET FRIENDLY*:
Pine Street Inn Women’s Shelter – Boston, MA
Father Bills and Mainspring – Quincy, MA
Lifebridge – Salem, MA
Clinical & Support Options (CSO) – Northampton, MA
The Boston Night Center

Shelters for Youth up to age 24

Y2Y Overnight shelter (ages 18-24) *PET FRIENDLY*
1 Church St (Middle Entrance) Cambridge, MA 02138
617-864-0795

Bridge Over Troubled Waters Overnight shelter (ages 14-24)
47 West Street, Boston, MA 02111
617-423-9575

Families with children are provided shelter via the Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter Program

You may be eligible for the EA shelter program if:

• You’re a resident of Massachusetts
• Your family’s gross income* is at or below 115% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG)
• You’re pregnant or have a child under 21

and if the reason you need shelter is one of the following: 

• No-fault fire, flood, natural disaster, condemnation, or foreclosure
• At risk of domestic violence
• No-fault eviction
• Your children are exposed to a substantial health and safety risk

The simplest way to apply to the Emergency Assistance (EA) Family Shelter is to apply online. You can do this by visiting the Massachusetts Housing Help Hub, registering with your email address to create an account, and starting an application.

EVICTION SUPPORT

If your landlord is threatening eviction due to the presence of a pet, surrender to the MSPCA is not the only option in most cases. Massachusetts has strong tenant protections and strict requirements for landlords to pursue eviction, even when a tenant does not have an active lease. A landlord cannot seize or remove pets, lock a tenant out, or remove belongings without a judge’s order.

Tenants Guide to Eviction – Mass.gov

This guide helps you understand the eviction process, from the notice to quit and mediating with your landlord to finding legal help and the eviction court process.

Greater Boston Legal Services – Massachusetts Defense for Eviction (MADE) Self-Guided Help Tool

Northeast Legal Aid 

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EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND SERVICE ANIMALS IN HOUSING

A service animal is a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. 

An emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that provides emotional support to a person with a disability, just by its presence.

Both emotional support animals (ESAs) and service dogs meet the definition of an assistance animal under the Massachusetts fair housing law. Assistance animal owners in Massachusetts are not required to possess any certification or identification. 

If an individual has a disability-related need for an assistance animal, they must ask their housing provider for “reasonable accommodation”. This process will then exempt their assistance animal from any restrictions, policies or fees that would otherwise pose a barrier to their equal enjoyment of their housing. You must formally request accommodation, do not wait until you are in violation of your tenancy or receive a notice of violation from your landlord.

Click here to access the Massachusetts Office on Disability resource page that explains basic rights, what documentation you need and what your landlord is legally allowed to request from you.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Assistance Animals in Housing:

• Can my landlord ask for documentation to verify my Assistance Animal?
  • Yes, but only for Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). Landlords may not ask for documentation for service dogs that are trained for specific tasks (such as seeing eye dogs). For an ESA or other type of assistance animal that is not a service dog, the housing provider can require the resident to provide a reliable letter from a medical provider, verifying their disability-related need for the animal. Click here to see an example letter for ESAs in housing.
  • An assistance animal can be denied if it is a direct threat to the health or safety of others. This determination cannot be based on the housing provider’s assumptions about an animal due to its breed or size. Instead, this determination has to be based on the behavior or history of behavior of the animal itself, and whether there are ways to mitigate the threat, such as a dog wearing a muzzle. If there is any question whether the animal is a threat to safety, it is a good idea for the resident to actively demonstrate that they take this concern seriously.

• Who can write the letter of support for an Assistance Animal?
  • The letter of support needs to be written by a licensed health care professional. It is most compelling if written by someone who has expertise to diagnose and treat the disability or mental health symptoms the individual is treating using the ESA. Often this is a therapist, psychiatrist, social worker, or primary care physician who has been treating the individual for some time and has discussed the impact of their symptoms on their life and the suitability of available treatment options, including an emotional support animal.Click here to see an example letter for ESAs in housing.

• Do the guidelines apply to all categories of housing (apartments, duplex, triple decker, etc?)
  • Owner-occupied two family homes such as duplexes or a property where there are two units and the landlord lives in one and rents out the other is not required to provide reasonable accommodation for assistance animals.

• Can a person have more than one service dog or ESA?
  • There is no official limit saying a person can only have one assistance animal. The basic requirements for a reasonable accommodation would still be the same: the individual would have to explain the disability-related need for each and every animal.

• What happens if my request is denied by my landlord?
  • You can file a complaint at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) within 300 days of the last discriminatory conduct. Learn about MCAD’s complaint process.

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TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR RENTAL APPLICATION WHEN YOU HAVE A PET

The following guidelines may be helpful in your search for housing that allows pets. See below for some helpful links that will help you with your housing search.

• Give yourself enough time! Start your search as soon as you know you need to move.
• Find a realtor who will search for pet-friendly apartments for you.
• Look for online resources where you can search for apartments that allow pets and sites like Housing Navigator MA and Zillow that allow you to refine parameters to include pet-friendly options.
• Market yourself as a responsible companion animal owner. Here are some suggestions on how to put you and your pet’s best paw forward.
  • Write a pet resume. Include information about the age of your pet, whether the pet is spayed or neutered, and a behavioral description (e.g., training background, character traits). Be sure to include your veterinarian’s name and phone number along with other personal references.
  • Ask for a letter of recommendation from your veterinarian, former landlords, and neighbors to document that you are a responsible pet owner.
  • Show class certifications or proof of attendance if your dog has attended training classes.
  • Provide documentation that your pet is spayed or neutered, vaccinated against rabies, and up to date on veterinary care.
  • Offer to let your prospective landlord meet your pet and see your current apartment.
  • Offer to pay a security deposit or secure liability insurance to cover the cost of any pet-related damage.
  • Offer to accept a short term lease where your landlord can see if you and your companion animal are acceptable as long-term tenants. Make sure you get in writing the terms of the short-term lease and advance notification time requirements.
  • Offer to negotiate an addendum to the lease that indicates what the landlord expects of you and your animal.
  • Market yourself. Pet owners are more likely to stay put since pet friendly housing is difficult to find. Let prospective landlords know that you understand their concerns and agree that living with a companion animal is not a right but a privilege that you take very seriously.
  • Finding an apartment for rent that allows companion animals can be difficult, but the following resources can help aid your housing search.

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AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAMS

ONE Mortgage Program – Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities

Offered by over 40 lenders, this program is the most affordable mortgage for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers in Massachusetts.

ONE+ – MA Housing Partnership (MHP)

The ONE+ Mortgage Program builds on the affordable features of the ONE Mortgage Program to deliver affordable financing solutions for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers currently residing within 29 Massachusetts communities. Specifically, the ONE+ Mortgage Program adds a permanent interest-rate discount, down payment and closing cost assistance.

ONE+Boston Homebuyer Program – MA Housing Partnership (MHP)

Utilizes funds from the City of Boston to offer a lowered monthly interest rate, closing cost assistance, and down payment assistance to homebuyers currently residing in, or planning to buy, in Boston.

MassHousing Down Payment Assistance

Three Programs:

• Up to $30,000 for eligible homebuyers with household incomes below 60% of the area median income (AMI). This is a 0% deferred interest loan due upon sale, payoff, refinance
• Up to $25,000 for borrowers earning 60-80% of AMI. This is a 2%, fully amortizing second mortgage due upon sale, payoff or refinance. Payment Amount Example: A DPA loan in the amount of $25,000 would have 180 payments of $160.88.
• Up to $25,000 for borrowers earning 80-135% of AMI. This is a 3%, fully amortizing second mortgage due upon sale, payoff or refinance. Payment Amount Example: A DPA loan in the amount of $25,000 would have 180 payments of $172.62.

Working with Housing Management on a Pets-Allowed Policy
Download our Guidelines for Responsible Pet Ownership (.pdf), a model agreement between management and tenants about responsible pet ownership.

Assistance Animals in Housing
Visit our webpage to learn more about the laws that allow people with disabilities to keep pets in housing.

How You Can Help
Visit our state legislation webpage to stay up to date on bills we’re working on that relate to companion animals and housing.