AIBU to be upset with my Landlady.....

[MsToni]

.....for saying we can't have a puppy?

My little man and I fell in love with a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and we have everything ready for him.

I made the mistake of telling my L'lady about it last night (we are renting) and she was very dissuasive saying it was hard work, he'd need constant care and attention bla bla bla.

10 minutes later, she sends a text saying she and her husband discussed it and "its not a good idea, by the time its trained, it could damage the wooden floors, they open their bowels on the floor, its impossible to get the smell and stain out, they are unhappy with the idea of a dog in the house...."

I understand the demands of having a puppy, and I was prepared to accept the early settling issues, have a trainer in, get a comfy "doggy space" in the (huge) kitchen, ensure he's fully trained before settling him in his "area" in the lounge, dog sitter/walker when I'm at work etc.

My partner says I've OCD because I'm excessively clean and like everything spanking neat and clean so I'd be the last person to allow a puppy ruin the house.

Now, I'm so upset. I just want to go ahead and get him and tell her it was too late to change the plan. We have a good relationship and I don't want to ruin it but I'm just so upset with her now, I can't / don't even want to speak with her (yet).

I'm really not happy with her.

(Sorry for venting) :( :(

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Is it in your Tenancy Agreement that you can (or can't) have a dog? On a very basic level I do think it's a bit off that people who rent can't have animals when, frequently, the people who rent to them do. Seems unfair.

[takewhatyoucan]

oh that is a shame! However, from what I remember when I was renting, no pets was written in to the contract. No pets in rental seems common place to me..

[squeakytoy]

Its not just the mess, its the damage a pup can do too.

Maybe get a rescue dog that is house trained and doesnt chew? She might be more negotiable on that.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

YANBU for being upset, but YABU for being upset with your LL. Puppies piss everywhere, and she's right I'm afraid.


Puppies also chew.. a LOT. Our kitchen was destroyed by a small cocker spaniel. We had to put up guards to stop him chewing the door frames.

[LoopyLoopsChupaChups]

YABU.

Why one earth did you get all the stuff and get your son excited before checking with your landlady?

We have a house that we rent out, because we moved and couldn't sell it. Exactly this happened. She (mother of toddler) wanted a dog, we said no. She got one anyway. Rather than upset things, and as she appeared to be very neat and tidy, we allowed her to keep the dog.

The house is now ruined. The beautiful garden is a mud pit with no plants :( (I loved that garden), original doors are chewed up and neighbours are thoroughly pissed off, as the poor creature was kept outside (no kennel or anything) most of the time and howled.

We will definitely stick to the "no pets" rule in the future. I don't want to go back to my lovely house as her stupid decision has ruined it.

I'm not saying that you will be the same, but it isn't your house, so you need to abide by what the owners say. If you can't do that, find a different property.

[scottishmummy]

yabu,thats your LL investment and not everyone wants to rent a property a pissy puppy casting hair everywhere leaving dog smells.i have lived in rentals that were no smokers no pets and i wouldnt rent where pets or smokers had been

if you defy her she could give you notice to quit.dont lose your home over some sentimental notion about a dog

and stop being such a drama queen dont want to speak to her,you have a business relationship.thats all.shes not there to pander to your puppy demands

[Vallhala]

"I made the mistake of telling my L'lady about it"

And THAT is where you became unreasonable. Had you/were you to bring a pup into the LLs house without her permission and she found out, what would you do?

Leave the house, search for another, possibly move the DC into a new school/nursery, increase the distance to work, pay a higher rent, the cost of removals, carpets, curtains and the like in order to keep your pup?

Or get rid of him in order to keep your house?

Because I can tell you what the vast majority would do in that position and it isn't put the puppy first.

If you're on good terms with the LL try to negotiate taking on an older rescue dog or FOSTERING a rescue dog - the rescue pays for food and any vet treatment ever needed, you get all the fun and no obligation - which, if you go via a reputable rescue and the dog is matched to your needs, will ensure as much as anyone can that the problems which *inevitably( come with even the best behaved of puppies are not an issue in your landlady's house.

[Mandy2003]

I have bought my flat leasehold and the lease says "No Pets" so it's not that uncommon. Why not give yourselves something to look forward to when you no longer rent or have moved to another property. I see that you do not mention having a garden to let the dog go out. An essential I would think?

[haggis01]

Maybe you could talk to her again - explain how clean you will keep the place, replace/repair any damage etc. She may not want to lose a reliable tenant. It is often written into a contract that there can be no pets - could check on your agreement but I think I read recently of someone taking their case to court about no pets clauses and winning as there is a right to have pets.

A flat I used to live in was leasehold and in the lease it said there could be no pets at all and no children making noise after 9pm!!! although adults in the other flats certainly made a lot.

[rockinhippy]

Sorry, but after seeing the state of a flat, that friends of ours rented on a short let, to be near Parents for a while - your landlady is right - their ADULT dog, trashed the wooden floor, all carpets, curtains, bed & sofa(shes a chewer & clawer) - & our friends thought losing the deposit would cover it

Another friends dog, regularly strips her wallpaper, up to above waist hight & chewed door frames

I bought a house once where the corner of the hall wall had been chewed back to & THROUGH the brick, not a small chuck but right up to almost the full length of the wall & all the door frames needed replacing too[shock[

& Puppies are often worse

I wouldn't let a flat to dog owners

I love dogs, but get yourself a Kitten - much less hassel:)

[Mandy2003]

Oh, plus I am not allowed to permit fencing or athletics inside the flat!

[LoopyLoopsChupaChups]

Sorry, but a tenant who would even consider not asking permission for such a big thing cannot be a "reliable tenant".

A dog owner who has a clandestine dog, waiting to jeopardise the future stability of the family home, is neither a responsible dog owner nor a responsible parent.

This has actually made me really cross.

[Vallhala]

Can I point out that we are not ALL bad tenants! I rent a lovely, well kept house in the country and I have three large breed dogs.

My Landlord has just renewed my tenancy.

[scottishmummy]

stop being so demanding and sentimental.a pup not worth breaching tenancy over or causing ill feeling. at moment in rental market more tenants than rentals,do you really want jeopardise that for a pissy pooch

and you are affecting her ability to market flat to other tenants if you get a dog.as i said other dont like flats dogs or smokers have been in,they stink and need deep clean

buy maramaduke and cats & dogs dvd and be done with it

[LoopyLoopsChupaChups]

Of course not Val, you are responsible. I assume you asked permission for your dogs, and that you never considered going against your landlord/lady's consent if they said no. You are an experienced dog handler, and are able to train to avoid damage to property.
Sadly, as you know, many people like the idea of a puppy but have no idea what it really entails, often ending up in the dog being rehomed (or worse).

[LessNarkyPuffin]

[Pancakeflipper]

You know you should have asked your landlady first for your sake and hers.

If you go ahead after she has said no and get the dog - the trust she has with you will be zilch. If it is a decent property in a good area and easy to rent out then you could be out at the end of your contract or even given notice.

You could try to speak to her and her husband face to face and see if there is any room to negioate like higher rent and her making regular checks on the house and you paying for repairs. But please don't get the dog on the quiet.

[FabbyChic]

Unfortunately it is not uncommon in rented properties to not be allowed dogs.

Although I am in a rented with a Westie, I go through an Agency though who are pretty relaxed.

There really isn't much you can do but resign yourself to the fact that you cannot have a dog.

Sorry.

[LoveLeonardCohen]

YABU.....did you check the tenancy agreement before you decided you wanted to get this puppy? did you ask LL first? Puppies can cause a lot of damage, I have been a LL and would not have allowed pets

[Vallhala]

Loopy my criteria for a house was:

1. One which accepts dogs
   

1. See 1
   

1. See 1
   

:o

There is NO WAY I'd have taken the house without permission for my dogs and NO WAY I'd have moved without taking them with me... I'd live in a cardboard box first!

I movved with 2 adult dogs and asked the LL if I could have the third, a long-term (read permanent :o ) foster dog six months later. To my delight my LL was fine with the third dog but had he said no then I wouldn't have taken him on... and the rescue wouldn't have let me foster him anyway.

[livinginthesticks]

well I am a landlady and have just spent nearly £2,000 repairing the damage the last tenants did to my flat - not trashing it just things like having to repaint the walls, new carpets from cigarette burns, broken radiator etc (all had been redecorated less than a year ago).

There's no way I would be happy to have a puppy in the flat and I can't believe you weren't going to tell her.

[GilmoreGeek]

Haha, I love that clause MANDY! I wonder what counts as athletics, your average Jillian Michaels video? Or only professional sports? Which makes me question how big your flat is...

BUt I agree with everyone else, a puppy is not a really good idea. You can't predict how he is going to behave and I wouldn't want one in my house. I know loads of people love dogs but I don't enough to be willing to let some of my house be ruined.

[Vallhala]

This reminds me just how hard it is for those with dogs to rent. As you can imagine, renting with 3 large dogs requires a minor miracle and yet why? Because some people screw us all up by having dogs they aren't allowed or by allowing them to damage the property.

Well thanks a bunch to all those people because you give the rest of us a bad name and cause us incredible problems when seeking to rent.