According to a new Zillow analysis, the top three U.S. cities for the number of pet-friendly rental listings in 2025 were all in Texas: Austin (80 percent), Dallas (79 percent) and San Antonio (78 percent). Texas’s pet-friendly laws for renters and landlords mean that more tenants will rent with pets. Unfortunately, this may lead to a subsequent rise in dog bite incidents in the state. Make sure to speak with a San Antonio personal injury lawyer for legal guidance and support.
How Many Renters Today Have Pets?
Zillow data shows that the percentage of renters with pets has increased from 46 percent in 2019 to 58 percent in 2025. The modern-day renter is in an older age bracket than before, and is more likely to be established enough to own one or more pets. The demand for pet-friendly rental spaces has led to an increase in property owners altering their rules to meet this demand.
In addition, the findings posted by Zillow encourage more landlords and property owners to make their listings pet-friendly in the future. Zillow found after analyzing more than 11 million rental listings that those permitting pets are typically leased eight days faster than those that don’t. Pet-friendly listings also earn 9 percent more views, 11 percent more shares and 12 percent more saves.
Zillow rental trends expert Emily McDonald stated in the press release that “Allowing pets can be a strategic edge for landlords competing to fill units.” The data points to an upward trend in pet-friendly rentals in Texas and around the country, which will most likely continue in upcoming years based on projected data.
Texas Is the Second-Most Pet-Friendly State for Renters
The data from the Zillow analysis matches a separate study conducted by Dog Friendly Co., which also analyzed Zillow rental listings across the country to determine which state offers the most opportunities for pet owners. This study concluded that Texas ranked second in the country, with 72.1 percent of its rental market allowing all pets.
While Texas came in second to Colorado in terms of percentage of rental properties that allow pets, Texas had the largest number of pet-friendly listings in terms of volume. As of 2025, Texas had 123,212 properties accepting pets out of 170,858 total listings. This data shows that Texas has a large number of pet-friendly landlords compared to most other states.
What Does This Mean for Public Safety?
While most pets won’t injure anyone in their lifetime, there are always exceptions. Texas is one of the most pet-friendly states for renters, but it’s also consistently at the top of the list in terms of dog attacks, dog bite injuries and dog-related fatalities. An increase in the number of short-term and long-term rental properties in Texas that allow pets will most likely correlate with an increase in dog bite incidents.
If you get attacked by a dog that belongs to a tenant at a rental property in your area, contact the San Antonio dog bite injury lawyers at Hill Law Firm Accident & Injury Attorneys for a free consultation about your legal rights and options. The pet owner, landlord or property owner may owe you financial compensation for your medical expenses and other losses. Our attorneys can help you bring a case against the correct parties in pursuit of justice.