Why There May Be an Inaccurate Pet Amenity Selected on a Listing

When using the site, there may be instances where the pet amenity is selected on a listing but when reaching out to the listing agent they let you know that the unit does not allow for pets. This can happen due to a few different reasons, and it is important to understand why such discrepancies may occur.

Building Policy vs. Owner Preferences

According to StreetEasy site logic, whenever an amenity is selected at the building level (such as "Pets Allowed"), it will also appear on the listing itself. This amenity is recorded at the building level when the building allows pets for owners; however, the decision to allow or prohibit pets in a specific unit is up to the owner who is renting out their unit on the listing level. While the building policy may permit pets, individual unit owners have the right to establish their own rules regarding pets.

Importance of Listing Description & Role of Listing Agent

To ensure clarity and avoid any confusion, the listing agent is required to highlight the pet policy set by the unit owner in the listing description. If the owner chooses to prohibit pets in their unit, this information should be explicitly stated in the listing. The responsibility of accurately representing the pet policy lies with the listing agent and is the agent's responsibility to communicate and highlight any restrictions or allowances regarding pets that the unit owner has established. By doing so, potential renters can make informed decisions based on the pet amenities provided. 

Reporting Listing Inaccuracies

You may still encounter some instances where the listing description does not accurately reflect the actual pet policy of the unit. If you find yourself in a situation where the pet amenity is inaccurately represented outside of the above circumstances mentioned in this article, please report the listing to our Compliance team for further review. To report other listings that you believe were/are in violation of our policies, feel free to click the "Report Listing'' button on said listings. That'll lead you to a form that you can then submit to our team to be reviewed.