New Research to Assess Effectiveness of Pet Rental Deposit Assistance Program

Human Animal Bond Research Institute Awards Grant to University of Denver

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) today announced a new grant to assess the effectiveness of pet rental deposit programs for low-income tenants with pets as an intervention for increasing housing security and supporting pet retention. This grant, awarded to the Institute for Human-Animal Connection at the University of Denver, will be led by Kevin Morris, PhD, Research Professor at the Graduate School of Social Work and Executive Director, Institute for Human-Animal Connection.

"Studies have found that pet relinquishments due to loss of housing have been on the rise, putting tenants in the devastating position of having to choose between their pet and a roof over their head," explained study co-investigator Lauren Loney, Public Policy and Evaluation Consultant for the University of Denver's Institute for Human-Animal Connection. "While government and non-profit entities have been utilizing pet deposit assistance programs as a relinquishment intervention tool for some time, our study will be the first to assess how these programs impact tenants and pets over time and identify their cost-benefit compared to traditional relinquishment and rehoming pathways."

This study will examine the results of two surveys taken one year apart by tenants who have received pet deposit assistance. Researchers aim to better understand the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of pet deposit assistance programs, in jurisdictions with and without laws regulating pet deposits, to increase perceived housing security for tenants with pets and prevent pet relinquishment due to housing insecurity.

Researchers will also compare pet deposit assistance cost to "cost-of-care" data from animal shelters and rescues to determine the extent to which pet deposit assistance is a cost-effective alternative to relinquishing and rehoming pets. Researchers then plan to assess the relationship between state and local regulation of general security deposits and pet deposits, where applicable, and overall changes in tenants' perceived housing insecurity, prevention of pet relinquishment, and perceived ability to keep their pet over the study period.

"The difficulty in finding pet-inclusive rental housing is a significant barrier for many pet owners," said Steve Feldman, president, HABRI. "HABRI is proud to support this first-of-its-kind research, which will add necessary and important data to the push for more policies and programs that keep pets in loving homes."

About HABRI
HABRI is a not-for-profit organization that funds innovative scientific research to document the health benefits of companion animals; educates the public about human-animal bond research; and advocates for the beneficial role of companion animals in society. For more information, please visit http://www.habri.org.

CONTACT: Hayley Maynard
614-701-8205
[email protected] 

SOURCE Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI)