6 Things to Look for in a Dog-Friendly Apartment | Lindley Apartments Review

There are so many online sources to finding your next apartment. Many of these sources allow a pet friendly search option as well. But what exactly makes an apartment truly pet friendly?

It is safe to say that cities across the U.S. are making a push to be more pet friendly. As a result, more apartments complexes are opening their dogs to welcome pets. Property managers and landlords are starting to realize that pets are an important or even essential part of a renter’s family and making the necessary changes in their policies, facilities, and community to allow renters’ furry companions.

Renters in the Washington, DC area are truly blessed when it comes to finding a pet friendly rental. Many communities in the area pull out all the stops for their furry renters. But we understand this is not the norm across the country. After living in 3 different apartments with our puppy Navy, we made a list of the 6 traits to look for in a truly, dog-friendly property.

We collaborated with the Lindley Apartments in Chevy Chase, Maryland for this post. The Lindley is a brand new luxury apartment community in the heart of Chevy Chase.  Last month we had the amazing opportunity to visit the Lindley and check out their pet friendly amenities first hand. They even invited Navy to be the guest of honor at their open house celebration. Let me tell you, Navy had such a blast running around, playing with all the guests, and getting loved on by everyone there. 

After visiting the Lindley twice (yes we just had to go back a second time!) we are more than happy to report that the Lindley Apartments in Chevy Chase met and exceeded our expectations for a truly dog-friendly apartment community! 

1.  Pet Policy

The first and most important thing you want to review before selecting your next apartment with your pet, is the pet policy. Many apartment complexes have breed and size restrictions. A lot of times this is due to insurance and liability issues. With that being said, some complexes do make exceptions if your dog has references or has been through obedience training. 

I also recommend taking a look at a rental property’s policies on where dogs are allowed. Some properties may have limitations to where pets are allowed. In our first apartment dogs were banned from walking through the courtyard. If you were found walking through their with your dog, you could be fined! This was incredibly frustrating when training Navy because walking through the courtyard was our quickest access to grass. 

After visiting the Lindley Apartments and coming back for their open house party, we were pleasantly surprised to see that Navy was allowed virtually anywhere on the property. Yes, that includes the lobby!

2.  Onsite Pet Amenities

As we stated above, many of the new rental communities in the DC area absolutely spoil pet owners with pet amenities. Some however, do the bare minimum to accommodate pets. Now, when we say pet amenities, we are not talking about a treat jar at the front desk and a waste station outside . Dog bathing stations, private dog play areas, etc. are great amenities that apartments could include to make their properly more pet friendly. During our visit to the Lindley Apartments Navy was excited to play in the gorgeous rooftop dog park, a brand new onsite pet spa, as well as waste bags outside and treats at the front desk.

3.  Hardwood Floors, Tiles, and/or Dark Carpets

Let’s be honest, accidents happen. And when accidents do happy, you will want an easy way to clean up any messes left by your pet. We found that hardwood or tile flooring is the easiest way to properly clean up after an accident. Darker carpets are also great, whereas lighter colored carpets get damaged at the slightest touch of dirt…or poo (gross but so true).

4.  Accessibility to Grass

Simply, if your pet is trained to relieve himself on grass, you are going to want easy access to grass. One of the hardest parts of training Navy in our first apartment was carrying her from the 7 floor to the first floor, through a large lobby, and then 30 feet to the closest grassy area. She definitely had a few accidents in the lobby…

We loved that the Lindley had a gorgeous, open, grassy courtyard within a few feet of the building. Navy loved climbing up and down their granite slide!

5.  Location

Location is something to also keep in mind when searching for your next dog-friendly apartment. Having the ability to walk to dog parks, pet friendly restaurants, walking trails, etc. is something to keep your week and weekend adventures action packed. Also, having pet supply stores and doggie day cares close by definitely come in handy.

We did a quick google maps search and saw at least two doggie day cares and four pet supply shops within a 15 minute drive from the Lindley Apartments. 

6.  Community Events

Through our experience we’ve seen apartments increasingly get more involved in community events. Another way to determine if an apartment is truly pet friendly is to ask if dogs are invited to these events. Our current apartment hosts several events a month but pets are seldom allowed to join. However, some apartment communities will have events solely for pets! For example, we’ve seen a few apartment complexes that host end of the season dog swims in their pools. 

The Lindley Apartments definitely matched with our 6 things to look for in a pet friendly apartment. They had an amazing indoor pet spa, rooftop dog park, landscaped open park with granite slide and water features, within walking distance to a number of wooded trails, and even close by to some awesome dog-friendly restaurants and shops!

If you are in the area and looking for an amazing dog-friendly apartment for your pup, I recommend checking out the Lindley. Want to see cute photos of me from the grand opening party? Check out the Lindley’s Instagram!

What do you think makes an apartment community pet friendly? We would love to hear your thoughts!