PetScreening.com, a first-of-its-kind screening platform that empowers property managers to outsource their pet risk assessment and assistance animal validation processes at no charge, today announced it has partnered with JVM Realty Corporation to implement its platform at 4,512 apartment homes spanning 15 communities.
JVM is an Oak Brook, Ill.-based real estate investment and property management firm with an $850 million multifamily portfolio and a large presence in the greater Midwestern Region.
“When residents don’t acknowledge your pet policies upon move-in, they can fly under the radar and heighten a community’s liability risks while limiting the opportunities for pet-related revenue,” said Kortney Balas, vice president of information management for JVM. “We’re excited to adopt the PetScreening platform at 15 of our communities, which will ensure that all pets and their owners are properly registered and acknowledge our policies. It also allows us to determine the risk level of the pet and owner based on past behavior.”
Under the PetScreening platform, a pet-owning applicant pays a nominal fee at the time they apply for a rental home and enter information about their specific pet(s) into the only centralized pet-screening database to analyze rental housing-related risk. The platform weighs various pet-related factors, including a community’s specific restrictions, such as breed, weight and age. This serves as a simple way to comprehensively assess a specific pet and pet owner that wants to live at a rental property.
Each pet profile also reflects animal-related incidents that property managers record and report while a pet is living at their community. Examples include pet/animal bites, property damage or any owner issues, such as repeat noise complaints, off-leash offenders or failure to pick up pet waste. These recorded incidents will follow the pet/animal and its owner in perpetuity so that the next property manager can review the incident log and use it at their discretion.
Apartment operators can also require non-pet owners to formally acknowledge the applicable no-pet related policies at the time of application at no charge. Non-pet owners essentially agree to no-pet related policies that prohibit them from activities, such as pet sitting or walking non-residents’ pets on site. They also acknowledge that they will properly report any pet or animal they happen to acquire during their lease term.
“We’re thrilled to add JVM to the platform, and we know they are eager to offer the most pet-friendly and pet-accountable experience for their residents,” said John Bradford, founder of PetScreening. “An apartment community operates much more smoothly when no gray area exists within the pet policies and all residents actively acknowledge them. It’s a win-win for the property, which can mitigate liability, save valuable time and increase pet-related revenue. Our team looks forward to partnering with JVM.”
PetScreening also enables rental prospects seeking a reasonable accommodation request for an assistance animal (service/emotional support/companion/etc.) to submit the request through the platform at no charge to the requester (rental prospect) or property manager. PetScreening’s in-house legal review team individually reviews each accommodation request to ensure it complies with the FHAct/HUD guidelines. This standardizes the property manager’s reasonable accommodation request review process, saves time, and helps mitigate liability for a possible discrimination complaint.
