A guide to keeping pets in rental homes

I think I speak on behalf of all pet owners when I say that none of us could imagine having to live without our pet, or having to give them up because a landlord has a no pet policy. Unfortunately, this is sometimes a sad reality for those who rent.

Recent research shows that if you’re looking for a rental that will accept a pet, you’ve got about 2% of all available properties to choose from. London has proven itself to be the most pet-friendly city for renters, but pet owners still only have 8.4% of the market available to them – that’s fewer than one out of ten properties.

 

Why are landlords refusing pets?

   

It’s a huge shame that so many landlords are not open to pets – although it’s no secret that pets in the home do often raise one or two issues. They’re issues that are easy for us, as pet owners, to overlook but for the one who owns the property and relies on it as a money-maker, things like damage and odours can become a real worry.

Animals aren’t particularly house proud and have no problem entertaining a bit of scratching here and a bit of biting there – particularly a dog that’s untrained or bored. This is arguably the biggest turn-off for landlords who would much rather rent to the many tenants who don’t come with furry add-ons and save their carpets and table legs.

Another big issue is allergies. If you are a fellow pet-owner, you’ll know that fur can be really difficult to get out of carpets and sofas. It gets everywhere. A house covered in fur could trigger those with allergies and make finding future tenants pretty difficult for a landlord. Plus, pet odours tend to stick to soft furnishings – not something that many non-pet lovers will be able to overlook.

 

But things are changing

With the property ladder becoming further and further out of reach for many, more people than ever now have no option but to rent into their 30s. Should this mean that they should be deprived of having the companionship of a pet?

   

It’s something that Dogs Trust are trying to improve. They’ve recently introduced a scheme called Lets with Pets, that provides plenty of information, guidance and advice both for tenants looking for pet-friendly rentals, and for landlords considering allowing pets into their properties.

If you’re hoping to secure a rental property for you and your pet, it’s recommend that you chat to your landlord and explain your situation. Offer to arrange a meeting between the landlord and your pet so that they can get an idea of the pets behaviour. It could be all they need to put their mind at rest.

If you’ve been renting from your landlord for a little while and you’d like to bring a pet into your rented home, you might have built up enough trust and rapport with your landlord to encourage them to agree to it. After all, if you have found a nice place to rent with your pet, it’s unlikely that you’ll be moving out and leaving your landlord to find new tenants anytime soon. That’s a big plus-point for both parties.

No one deserves to have to give up a pet, or the dream to have a pet, just because they rent; our animals are as part of the family as much as anyone else. The most we can do is ensure our cats, dogs, rabbits and birds are the model tenant and too cute for any landlord to refuse and hopefully, landlords will realise that renting to the huge market of pet owners is both profitable and rewarding.