PETS AND RENTING

 

I am not really a pet person, I am ‘that’ person who pats the air around someone’s beloved new pet, and who can’t stop thinking of wayward dog hairs on my black trousers. I have (just in case you think me an awful person) sponsored a donkey for many years, and regularly buy my sister’s dog a stocking for Christmas.

I gather that pets become part of the family, and as such should be able to relocate when you do. The main problem in this instance is that many landlords do not allow pets of any kind into their rented properties. This is not the case on the continent, where rental properties really are treated as your home; this includes taking your furry family member with you! Not all landlords are amenable to the idea of taking on tenants with pets, fearing that they will damage furniture, fixtures and fittings, or leave flea infestations when they depart. It can pose a serious challenge to pet-owners looking to rent, especially in properties in popular urban areas. So how do you go about finding a home where your pet will be welcome?

Since the Office of Fair Trading published a welcome set of guidelines on fair and unfair terms in rental contracts in 2001, it's no longer quite so common to come across upfront 'no pets' specifications in lettings ads.

Many reputable letting agencies have added to their contracts words to the effect that landlords will not withhold consent for a pet unless it's unreasonable.

And although many landlords still won't entertain the idea of dogs inside their properties, it at least gives you the chance to ask. The best approach is to be upfront and honest from the start, when someone waits until they get the contract that says 'no pets', to say that they have a dog, it looks like they've been trying to hide something. And that makes it more difficult to negotiate.

 

           
TOP TIPS FOR TENANTS WITH PETS

 

Give yourself plenty of time to look for a property, and be prepared to move fast if you find somewhere suitable that will accept your pet.

 

House-training is a must and obedience-training, for dogs, is an added bonus. Make sure that fleas and ticks are under control, and let a prospective landlord know about all of it. The more they feel you are a conscientious pet-owner, who takes their concerns seriously, the more likely they are to agree to let to you.

 

Ask if you can introduce your dog to the landlord. Once they see how well-behaved it is, even a landlord who has said 'no' to pets just for an easy life may come to reconsider.

 

Expect to pay a higher deposit - and be prepared to offer to do so, if you sense reluctance on the landlord's part.

 

Offer to remove every trace of your pet's presence when you leave, and suggest that you add a clause to the contract saying so. It's probably a good idea to specify from the start what that will involve, and could include deep cleaning of the carpets, flea treatment if necessary and deodorising.

 

If you want to put in a cat-flap, approach the landlord/agent in a way calculated to get a 'yes', by offering to sign a rider to your contract that you will put things back the way they were when you came. It might be as easy as simply replacing the bottom door panel, or replacing a pane of glass for window cat-flaps.