Looking for a home for you and your fur baby?

You’ve probably heard the line: There are more dogs than children in San Francisco. Well, it’s actually true. According to U.S. census data, children make up just 14% of San Francisco’s population—which equals about 114,000 children. It’s impossible to know exactly how many dogs there are in the city. Estimates range from 120,000 to as many as 500,000. One thing that makes estimating hard is that only a small percentage of dogs are registered with the city, even though pet owners are supposed to license any dog over 4 months old with Animal Care and Control and renew every 1-3 years.

One of the biggest reasons people cite for wanting to buy a home is having space for a dog. This was certainly a motivating factor in my own family’s case when we bought our home in the Richmond District after renting for many years.

Many buyers in San Francisco will purchase a condo or TIC (tenancy-in-common) unit, rather than a single-family house. This can raise some questions for pet-lovers. Most homeowner associations have pet restrictions or limitations, so buyers should always review the CC&Rs (covenants, conditions, & restrictions) or TIC agreement before buying. For example, it is common to see limitations on the number (often 2) and types of pets allowed, as well as weight and breed restrictions for dogs. If an owner violates the rules about pets, the HOA can go to court and get an injunction ordering him or her to get rid of the animal.

While HOAs can prohibit certain types of pets, they cannot ban pets entirely. Under California law (the Davis-Sterling Act), no condo association can prohibit an owner from keeping at least one pet, subject to the HOA rules. “Pet” is defined here as ‘any domesticated bird, cat, dog, aquatic animal kept within an aquarium, or other animal as agreed to between the association and the homeowner.” (The Davis-Sterling Act does not apply to TICs, which are private contracts and governed by general contract law.) Furthermore, under California law, a resident with a physical or mental disability generally must be allowed to have a service dog or emotional support animal in any type of housing.

Please reach out to me if you have any questions about finding a new home for you and your furry family!

Lisa Auer

REALTOR / JD / Certified Probate & Trust Specialist

415-876-5580

[email protected]m

Instagram: lisa.auer.sf

auersf.com

DRE# 02162218

Sources:

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/sanfranciscocountycalifornia; https://www.californiacitynews.org/2019/11/report-san-francisco-has-more-dogs-children.html; https://www.nar.realtor/magazine/real-estate-news/consumers-are-moving-for-their-pets; https://money.com/millenials-homes-dogs-children-marriages/; https://homeguides.sfgate.com/condo-association-pet-rules-71790.html; https://www.davis-stirling.com/HOME/S/Service-Therapy-Emotional-Support-Animals; https://www.sfanimalcare.org/services/licensing-your-pet/