Pets & Animals
Policies & Accommodation Requests (Required)
Brownstone Leasing is dedicated to creating a community where the well-being of all residents, their guests, and animals is a top priority. To achieve this, we require every resident, whether prospective or renewing, and regardless of whether they own pets or animals, to familiarize themselves with our comprehensive pet and animal policies. We've partnered with Pet Screening, Inc. (PetScreening®), a leader in animal service management, to handle all aspects of pet and animal documentation, including service and emotional support animals, as well as household pets. This partnership also aims to educate our residents without pets. By integrating PetScreening's services into our Rental Application and renewal processes, we ensure a streamlined and effective experience for all. Accessing PetScreening.com is straightforward via the Brownstone Leasing website, underscoring our commitment to the community's health, safety, and happiness.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has established three distinct classifications for animals. They are: Service Animals, Support Animals, and Pets.
Service Animals - In alignment with Federal housing law, a Service Animal is defined as any dog trained to perform tasks or do work for the benefit of an individual with a disability. This includes disabilities that are physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or mental. It is important to note that animals of other species, whether domestic or wild, trained or untrained, do not qualify as Service Animals under this definition. The tasks performed must be directly related to the individual's disability and do not encompass emotional support functions.
Support Animals - According to Federal housing law, Support Animals are animals that, regardless of training, perform tasks, work, or provide assistance or emotional support to individuals with disabilities. These include emotional support, companion, or comfort animals. Under the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), merely presenting registration or certification documents is not sufficient to qualify for accommodation; there must be clear documentation supporting the individual's disability and the need for the Support Animal.
Pets - Per FHA, any animal not meeting the criteria for a Service or Support Animal is considered a "Pet" under the FHA and is subject to the lease's pet policies, including rules, fees, and deposits designated by the housing provider.
REQUIREMENTS:
- All prospective and renewing residents shall complete a PetScreening® questionnaire or update their current profile, irrespective of pet ownership. For those without pets, there is no charge for completing the questionnaire.
- All pet owners must submit a housing request for each pet, with applicable fees paid.
- All service or support animal owners must submit a reasonable accommodation request, with PetScreening® approved animals exempt from fees.
The PetScreening® Platform offers a straightforward questionnaire designed to ease the submission or updating of profile information and, if required, the uploading of important documentation for evaluating, by PetScreening®, a pet or a service/support animal request.
Dog DNA Registration (Required for Dogs Only)
Brownstone is committed to ensuring that all residents can fully enjoy their rented apartments and create a genuine sense of "home." Among the common animal-related concerns we receive are issues such as dog waste in the yard and damage to grass, plants, and shrubbery. To effectively address these concerns, Brownstone has enlisted the services of PooPrints®, owned by BioPet Laboratories. PooPrints® plays a pivotal role in promoting the health and well-being of residents and approved animals, while also upholding the visual appeal of your home's landscaping. PooPrints® operates in seven different countries and employs cutting-edge technology to match dog DNA to waste found in yards. Their laboratories adhere to stringent FBI protocols, ensuring the utmost accuracy in results and swift processing. This initiative fosters a cleaner, healthier living environment for both humans and animals and encourages responsible animal ownership.
All residents with dogs must register each PetScreening®-approved dog with PooPrints® once per tenancy. This includes arranging a meeting with a PooPrints® technician to collect a DNA saliva sample from their dog. Pre-registration must be completed within two (2) days of signing the Residential Lease Agreement. Brownstone will facilitate coordination between the dog owner and the PooPrints® technician for the DNA sample collection.