Renting with Pets – Do’s and Don’ts

In recent years, the number of people looking to move house with pets has dramatically increased, especially since the lockdown of 2020. From Gov.uk, just 7% of rented properties in the UK are advertised as ‘pet friendly’ and this can be a huge worry to tenants looking to move house.

As it stands, there must be a ‘good reason’ for landlords to object to pets in their properties, but there are no explicit guidelines about what these reasons can be. It can vary from people with allergies to specific licenses on apartments or even that there are new carpets in the property or there is limited space.

In HMO properties (shared houses), landlords are less open to the possibility. With shared houses being such short tenancies, this is not sustainable for such Landlords. Landlords are more open to it should they have wood flooring, older carpets (that would need changing at the end of the tenancy), unfurnished (in case of damages/allergies) and a longer-term tenancy where they would be able to make up the cost of recarpeting at the end.

 

Here’s what you can do!

Landlords are under no obligation to accept any of the applications they receive, so the best way to sway their opinion is to stand out.

-Give as much information you can about your pet

-This could be breed, temperament/personality, age, size and anything else you would like to include!

-Add in photos - this really helps landlords have a good idea of your animal.

-References – have they lived in rented accommodation before? If they have, let the agent know.

- Let us know how long you want to stay for – often landlords will be more open to pets if you are planning to stay for more than a year.

- Ask the agent. They may know if there are any pet-friendly properties, and can check with the landlords ahead of making an offer.

-be prepared to offer a pet rent if necessary – Landlords cannot ask for a bigger deposit to cover any potential damages, but they may still consider pets for an additional sum of rent each month.

 

What not to do

Don’t expect to be accepted just because of the legislation change – if there are ten applicants for one house, it is less likely an application with a pet will be considered which is why it is good to stand out.

Don’t try and sneak pets into a home you are renting. Property visits will pick up on this and you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement and therefore unlikely to be offered a renewal.

Don’t be too vague – let us know all the details about your animal. The more we can tell the landlord about your pet, the better chance you have in being accepted.

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Don’t expect to be accepted just because of the legislation change – if there are ten applicants for one house, it is less likely an application with a pet will be considered which is why it is good to stand out.

Don’t try and sneak pets into a home you are renting. Property visits will pick up on this and you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement and therefore unlikely to be offered a renewal.

Don’t be too vague – let us know all the details about your animal. The more we can tell the landlord about your pet, the better chance you have in being accepted.