Half the adult population in Britain currently owns a pet. And with adults in their mid-30s and mid-40s three times as likely to rent today as they were 20 years ago, there are a lot of tenants who need pet-friendly homes.
Traditionally, many
landlords and letting agents have been hesitant to allow tenants
to keep pets in their properties. Only 7% of landlords currently
advertise homes as suitable for pets.
But with animal shelters and
charities reporting surges in demand for puppies and kittens during lockdown,
and an estimated 9.9
million dogs and 10.9 million cats living in the UK, finding suitable
long-term shelter for both humans and their furry friends has become a hot
topic.
The housing secretary,
Robert Jenrick, has called on landlords to make it easier for responsible
tenants to have well-behaved pets in their homes.
He unveiled government plans earlier this year to revise the model
tenancy contracts for renters, which can be used as the basis of lease
agreements made between tenants and landlords, to remove restrictions on
well-behaved pets.
"Pets bring a huge
amount of joy and comfort to people’s lives, helping their owners through
difficult times and improving their mental and physical
wellbeing," Jenrick said.
"So, it’s a shame that
thousands of animal-loving tenants and their children can’t experience this
because they rent their homes instead of owning property."
A revised model tenancy
agreement is expected to be published by the government later this year.
Top tips for finding a suitable rental for you and
your pet
1. Start planning early
Decent pet-friendly rental
properties can be challenging to find. Not only will the tenancy agreement need
to permit pets, your new home will need to tick certain boxes.
For example, if you have a
cat, you’ll need to make sure the property is away from a main road and has a
cat flap. For dog owners, making sure your new home is big enough and close to
a park is likely to be a priority.
It makes sense to crack on
with your property search a good eight weeks before you need to move out of
your current home.
Try to be flexible in your
search too. Expanding your search area or the type of property you want to live
in should increase your chances of finding a new place for you and your pet to
call 'home'.
The Zoopla search tool can help. Simply
put in the area you want to live in and then click "filter
results" to select "pets allowed". You
can also add keywords such as “park” or “quiet” to your search
criteria using the advanced search.
2. Make a good case for your pet
If you’ve found a landlord
that is open to pets but needs a bit of persuading, there are things you can do
to put them at ease.
For example, provide them
with your pet’s medical details, such as latest vaccinations, flea and worming
treatments and microchipping and neutering confirmation.
You can also pass on the
contact information of your vet and someone who can look after your pet in the
event of an emergency.
If you’ve previously rented,
ask your former landlord for a reference to prove that your pet has been well
behaved and caused no issues at the property. This will reassure prospective
landlords that you are a responsible owner.
3. Amend the contract
The vast majority of
rental contracts are Assured Shorthold Tenancy agreements. These
set out basic details such as the start date and length of the tenancy, the
cost of rent and the notice you will be required to give if you want to leave.
The contract will also set
out what you can and can't do in the property, for example decorate – or
have a pet.
The beauty of Assured
Shorthold Tenancy (AST) agreements is that they can be amended to suit both
parties before you sign.
In this case, you could
suggest that, while the tenancy agreement is amended to allow a pet, it
also includes specific obligations around it such as keeping the property clean
and free from unpleasant smells.
It could also include an
agreement that you will cover the costs of a professional clean of the
property when you move out or that you will allow regular inspections of the
property during the course of the tenancy.
Alternatively,
you could suggest paying a bigger deposit to cover potential costs of
damage caused by your pet.
For example, if the landlord
is asking for four weeks' rent as a deposit, suggest upping it to five weeks as
this is the maximum they are permitted to take from you since the
Tenant Fees Bill came into effect.
As long as the contract is
an AST, whatever deposit you pay will be safeguarded in one of the government's
three Tenancy Deposit Schemes.
Lastly, you may even
agree to pay a slightly higher rent. Although, the landlord will need to
specify clearly what the rent is with a pet, and without.
4. Introduce your pet to your landlord
Another way to put your
potential landlord’s mind at ease is to have them meet your pet in advance,
although this is really only relevant with dogs.
Once the landlord has met
your dog they can see how your animal interacts with strangers and how well
behaved they are. If you are comfortable doing so, you could invite the
landlord to your current home to prove you’re a responsible tenant and your pet
has a good nature.
Even if you are dealing
with a letting agent and not the landlord direct, their job is to find the most
secure, reliable and appropriate tenant for the property.
A tenant who pays the rent
on time, is reasonable and looks after the property is the ideal
scenario – even if they do have a dog.
5. Don’t keep a pet without consent
Always be upfront with your
landlord about keeping pets in a property.
If they discover, through
property inspections or, worse, through complaints from neighbours, that you
are keeping a pet without consent, you could find yourself in trouble.
This is a breach of
contract which is grounds to start an eviction process.
Thanks for reading.
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