Enforcing pet policies in manufactured home communities

Reduce liability by enforcing pet policies

Insurance coverage for mobile home communities includes specific requirements to protect park owners from risk.
These requirements include pet policies that must be adhered to, including breeds, size, leash requirements and more.
Park owners, it’s up to you to communicate and enforce the pet policies as outlined in your insurance coverage. Here’s how.

Provide a safe and enjoyable environment

As a manufactured home community owner, it’s always key to find ways to maintain a pleasant community atmosphere – a place where people can enjoy their surroundings and their neighbors. An important element of an enjoyable environment is safety – a key aspect of risk management and financial protection.

Liability landscape of enforcing pet policies

From a safety and liability perspective, it’s critical that manufactured home community owners carry insurance to protect their property and the safety of their residents. Typically included in that coverage are specific policies concerning pet ownership. When it comes to having pets, it’s no secret that pets provide their owners with loads of happiness, companionship and joy. Let’s face it, they’re part of the family. But when pets (particularly dogs) live with their owners in mobile home parks or manufactured housing communities, where there is shared community space, they can sometimes present serious risks. Even a single dog bite or attack can lead to severe injuries, property damage and costly lawsuits. This is why it’s vital for park owners to enforce the pet policies that are in place.

Enforcing policies helps you to maintain coverage AND provide safety

To ensure you maintain your liability coverage, it’s important to enforce pet policies that align with your insurance requirements. These requirements may include:

Implementing and enforcing breed and weight restrictions.
Requiring proof of vaccinations and registration for all pets.
Mandating that dogs be leashed in specific common areas.
Communicating effectively with residents.
Establishing clear consequences for policy violations.
Conducting regular inspections to ensure compliance.

What are the consequences of not enforcing pet policies?

Here’s an example: Imagine you have a pet policy that states no dogs over 30 pounds are allowed in the park, and a particular resident has a dog that is 60 pounds and that dog bites someone. In that case, you as the park owner are liable, as it was your responsibility to enforce the pet policy. What’s more, due to the fact that you did not enforce that specific insurance requirement:

You may lose coverage.
You may not be able to find coverage elsewhere.
You may be exposed to a policy that now has an animal exclusion on it, so you will have to communicate to residents that they will not be allowed to have pets at all.
You may not be able to get coverage in the future.

It goes without saying that failure to enforce pet policies can cause significant financial risks. The potential costs associated with pet-related incidents are astonishing. Recent data states:

According to Consumer Shield, the average dog bite claim in 2023 cost $58,500.
According to Insurance Journal, U.S. insurers paid out $1.12 billion in dog-related injury claims in 2023, based on information from the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) and State Farm.

For a manufactured home community owner, a single uninsured incident could be financially devastating. This highlights how important it is to not only have comprehensive liability coverage but to also enforce the policies that align with insurance requirements.

Communicating with residents

When enforcing strict pet policies, it’s important to communicate clearly and regularly with residents about the specifics of the policies and the insurance-related reasons behind these rules.

It’s helpful to explain that:

The rules protect all residents, including pet owners, from potential liability.
The policies are necessary to maintain insurance coverage for the entire community.
Without proper insurance, the park could face financial ruin from a single incident.

Handling exceptions

While enforcing pet policies is essential, manufactured home community owners must also be aware of legal requirements regarding service animals and emotional support animals. These animals may be exempt from certain restrictions, but owners can still require documentation and enforce reasonable rules to maintain safety and cleanliness.

The value of enforcing pet policies

For manufactured home community owners, enforcing pet policies is not just about community standards—it’s a critical component of risk management and financial protection. According to Jackie Miller, senior vice president of Manufactured Housing for Arrowhead, “Putting the proper pet rules in place, but more importantly ownership/management enforcing all aspects of the rules, is crucial. Rules are great, but if they are not enforced, they are not useful.” By aligning your pet policies with insurance requirements and consistently enforcing these rules, you can maintain valuable liability coverage, protect your investment and create a safer environment for all residents.

Remember, it’s worth commitment to enforcing these policies to avoid the potential financial devastation of an uninsured pet-related incident.