Pet-friendly rental units in Boston are filled faster than units that don’t allow pets, according to a new analysis by Zillow.
In Greater Boston, rental units that allow pets find a tenant nine days faster than those that don’t. Across the nation, rental units that allow pets are filled eight days faster than those that don’t.
“Allowing pets can be a strategic edge for landlords competing to fill units,” Zillow’s Emily McDonald said in a statement. “Today’s renters are more established and more likely to have a pet, and we clearly see that pet-friendly rentals attract more interest on Zillow. In a market where renters have more options, allowing pets can make the difference in finding a tenant quickly.”
New York City was the market that saw the biggest impact across the United States. Pet-friendly rentals in the New York City market rented 26 days faster than units that did not accept pets, the biggest gap of any major market across the United States.
In 2024, 57 percent of rental listings on Zillow Rentals allowed pets. On average, those listings earned 9 percent more views according to Zillow.
Additionally, over half of renters have pets, according to Zillow. The company credits the increase in the age of average renters for also increasing the number of renters who have pets.




