Tips for renting with pets

Pet in Lets

This article is about Pets in Lets and offers a few facts and tips that we thought would be useful for Landlords and why it might be worth considering tenants with pets.

We all know most Landlords are concerned about pets due to a bad experience but in my personal experience, children can cause just as much damage as pets, if not more!

Luckily for pet owners, in January 2021 the government made some changes due to the increase of pets during lockdown to try make things easier for those looking to rent. It is not mandatory for Landlord to except pets but they should be considered and given a valid reason as to why they are not considered, for example an apartment with no outdoor space may seem unfair to keep a dog.

There are some positives to take off the back of this, according to Goodlord there has been an 120% increase in demand for pet friendly properties. This means there could be more interest in your property rather than limiting the audience of tenants. Landlords are still capped at the maximum of 5 week’s deposit due to the tenant fee ban however you are within your right to ask for a higher rent.

There are also alternative checks you could do to ensure your home will be looked after;

Ask for a CV & References.

Tenant:
A CV and references for your pets will help your case. Send over information such as your pets age, breed, behaviour, training, vaccinations, flea treatment. References from your vet and/or previous Landlord will help paint a picture of what your pet will be like in the property. I’ve also had tenants send a small videos of their dog on top of the above which ended up securing the property for themselves and are still today enjoying that home.

Although this is more common for cats and dogs, other animals will benefit from a good reference which reassures the landlord too. It’s also good practice to provide your vet’s contact details and someone who can care for your pet in an emergency. You should also define, as best you can, when you’ll be away from the pet during the day or night.

If you can, I would also recommend offering to meet with the Landlord as this might be the deciding factor on them accepting your offer, this will give a good insight on your pets behaviour.

Landlords:
Ask for the above! You are within your right to ask for as much or as little information you would like about the prospective tenants pets. It’ll also put your mind at ease having all of the above information on records in case anything was to go wrong during the tenancy.

In Tenancy and would like to introduce a pet

If you are in tenancy and would like to introduce a pet then you must get written consent from your Landlord first. There will most certainly be a clause in the tenancy agreement stating you cannot keep pets. Breaking this clause can be used as grounds for eviction.

Please Note:
If you have a pet, your Landlord may also add additional clauses to your tenancy agreement relating to the pet. Examples might include, what to do around fouling in the garden or inside the property and not leaving it alone in the property for too long.

Any damage or extra cleaning caused due to pets may lead to deductions from deposit.

Whilst Landlords can request higher rent payments for pets, you cannot insist on a professional cleaning or de-flea treatment service at the end if your tenancy. Professional cleaning services are a prohibited payment under the legislation, however they must return the property in the same condition as it was at the start of the tenancy

If you have any questions regarding this blog or would like some advice then please do not hesitate to reach out for a free & discretionary chat.

Tristan Lee | Lettings Managing Partner