THE PROPERTY BLOG

By Annie Cope

Tenants with pets are often dismissed out of hand by landlords who are worried about potential damage to their property.
This is very understandable. However, opening up your property to tenants with pets will maximise its rental potential and by excluding pet owners, you are missing out on a huge part of the rental market.

In some circumstances it’s a definite ‘No’! An agreement on a leasehold property may state that pets are not allowed. Consideration should also be given to the type of property in question. Does its age size accommodate pets properly. A large dog in a brand new, fully furnished property is probably not a good idea.

Almost half of the UK population own a pet accepting pets into your property may well be advantageous.

Advantages

Increase demand for your property. With so few pet friendly properties out there, they are much sought after and may command higher than usual rents.

Encourage tenants to stay longer. Pet owners know how difficult it can be to find pet friendly rental properties and are more likely to have a longer tenancy.

Attract responsible tenants. Pet owners often take much more care of their home so not to jeopardise their tenancy making them ideal tenants!

So, why is it that many landlords instinctively say they do not want pets due to the possibility of damage or noise? Landlords instantly reject tenants with pets when they apply for property. Is it really a sensible approach?

Steps To Take

If you do wish to accept pets into your property, there a a number of things you can do to further increase your protection:

● Insert a Pet Clause into the Tenancy Agreement setting out the responsibilities of the owner.
● Increase the rent to allow for any additional work that may be required at the end of the tenancy. Additional deposits are not allowed under the Tenant Fee Act 2019.
● Insist that the tenants pay for a professional clean at the end of the tenancy.

A landlord can look at each case on it’s own merits. You may accept a small Terrier but not accept a large Alsatian. Every application can be treated individually.

We await the outcome of a Private Members Bill, which has its second reading in January 2021, aimed at changing the rules by which tenants are allowed to have pets in rental properties…