To think that people with pets get a raw deal in the lettings market?

[Vallhala]

I live in a privately rented house and as a dog and cat owner as well as a mum am lucky enough to have a fantastic landlord who is happy to let his lovely house to someone with both pets and children. However, finding a suitable home was a nightmare. So many landlords I approached just wouldn't entertain the idea of letting to people with pets. Agencies were even worse, to the point of rudeness.

Today I have learned of a man who owns a well behaved dog. He have been consistantly rejected by private landlords and/or their agents because of his dog and has had to take his best pal to rescue as a result.

This may not seem relevent to MN because this seperated gentleman's DC will remain in the family home with Mum but there are plenty of families who experience the same problem. But what IS the problem?

I have in the past(and have advised others) to offer an increased deposit, extra rent, written assurance of carpet cleaning, rented home insurance especially tailored for pet owners and personal references from professionals related to the species who know the family and their pet/s and yet still we have faced knockback after knockback from landlords.

Isn't it time that landlords started to look at these offers seriously and consider them on a case by case basis instead of rejecting the proposal of pets in their houses out of hand? Heaven knows, when a family is moving, especially as a result of marital breakdown, children need all the comfort and continuity they can get and the loss of a much-loved pet on top of their already upset lives can be heartbreaking.

Landladies (and landlords), please take time to consider prospective pet owning tenants as individual cases.

Val, when we moved to mid Wales, we actually put an advert in all the local papers - in the property wanted section. We spelt out that were a quiet, professional couple (WITH DOGS), with references, non smokers etc.. We received masses of calls from private landlords and were offered an extraordinary range of properties to view, at some pretty reasonable rents. We eventually ended up in a lovely bungalow that the landlord had bought as a retirement project, and was going to be gutting from top to toe, so was quite sanguine about any bumps or scratches. As it turned out,when we left, the landlord was delighted with the state of the property, so much so that we ended receiving a gift voucher from them (!!) and we still keep in touch. I would always recommend this method to anyone looking with animals, and would agree that agencies are generally useless.

In the case you mention, am just curious why furry friend can't stay with mum and kids while Dad is sorting out separate accommodation? Did he have no family members who could help with a bit of emergency dog care?

Would also endorse the additional methods of assurance you have listed - but know that many landlords also have blanket policies on children, and smokers too. I guess it is easier than having to understand individual circumstances. But would like to reiterate that based on our experience, there are plenty of sensible people out there.

Hi val! (the yorkie got picked up by it's owner :) )I totally agree- my sister recently asked er landlord if she could have a cat and he said he would need 900 quid. It's awful. You definitly do have to go the extra mile- I can kindof understand puppies not being allowed-chewers that they are.
Could your friend have a 'pet reference' from his previous landlord or offer an extra pet deposit.
I found in the past that agreeing to a longer lease helped too.

Hope your friend manages to find somewhere xxxPs- thanks for the help on Sunday

I'm sorry to say that you are absolutely right. We do what everyone else we know who rents does, we lie and say we don't have pets. I know its not good but there is no way we could give up our pets. We pay for professional cleaners and carpet people on exit. We've done this for 3 houses now and have always got our full deposit back.

Scuttle, I wish I lived in Wales in a way now, as lovely as my home, village and LL are. Here in the East of England and in the South too I've had and known of very different experiences. It's great to hear that IABU, in Wales at least. :)

ISPW, my pleasure, glad to know Yorkie is okay, though I bet a bit of you was disappointed that the owner came forward!

The owner I mentioned isn't a friend so I don't know the circumstances. I know of him through the forum of the rescue I volunteer for and who have taken the man's very beautiful, very confused and sad 7 yo GSD in. Its tragic, the man has owned the dog since he was a pup, being the owner of the mum too.

The man has tried "everywhere" to get suitable accomodation and tried many, many rescues too, all of whom said that they couldn't help. he had contacted his vet with a view to putting the poor dog to sleep, so desperate was he, and then, thankfully found "my" lot, who had just one space and so were able to take the dog in.

I just pray that the owner, who is just as devastated as his dog, finds a home for them both soon. If our syndicate wins the lottery he WILL have that home, that much I can promise. Meantime I am just grateful to the rescue and still so saddened that landlords will so often have, in my area at least, a blanket ban despite so the number of safeguards which can be offered nowdays.

This is why I have done my best to avoid renting privately. I feel for people who do.

Most landlords (not all) have no idea what being a landlord entails. They see the property purely as an investment forgetting that it is also somebody elses home. They interefere, harass the residents and then refuse to carry out basic maintanince.

If you were a landlord and there was a plentiful supply of tenants without dogs why would you choose to let your property to someone with a dog? There is no incentive.

Landlords are not under obligation to provide homes for people. They are simply trying to run a business.

(obviously once someone lives there they are contractually obligated to look after the place, carry out maintenance, etc, but there is no reason why they should let the place to someone just because they need somewhere to live)

I think it's probably harder now because more people want or need to rent!

We rent now after having to sell our house due to financial and work problems making the mortgage unmanageable. At the time we had my 17yr old ds and our dd who was 2, plus an 8yr old cocker spaniel. All those landlords and agencies that worried about the dog were barking () up the wrong tree, it's the 17yr old that's most likely to cause a problem!!

We did find a house through an agency but had to pay an extra £500 for my oldish, quiet and well behaved pooch. Unfortunately we lost him due to illness 18 months ago, and we now have a cat. I was waiting for them to ask for another deposit, but they just transferred it.

I dread the day they don't renew our contract though, as that means finding another rental that'll take a cat!

Is it a payment or a deposit harassed? Deposit sounds very reasonable - presumably if the cat/dog cause no extra damage/wear-and-tear/mess then you'll get it back at the end of the tenancy?

I've found out that when a landlord approaches an agent to rent they are asked to sign contracts which say no pets without being specifically asked. When they are asked some landlords won't give a fig and will accept pets. The worst adverts are "no pets no smoking no children professionals only". That is just vile IMO

Valhalla. Good post. You are absolutely right.

As a landlord, I would not reject a pet outright. But I would be worried about the carpets, and with a furnished let, the upholstery, and beds, soft furnishings too.

I would need reassurance of an extra "bond" for putting right the damage a dog or cat may cause.

A pet owner should see this as another expense of pet ownership that they must factor in, along with pet food and vet bills, etc, if they want to live in rented accommodation with their pets.

The deposit is not security enough, this is usually to cover the last months rent in case the tenant leaves without paying. (Many do) The deposit is rarely enough to put anything right after the tenant has left. And in any event, wear and tear must be factored in.

Our property has been empty for six months, that is how long it took to redecorate and repair the damage the tenants did to our lovely three bed end of terrace in a nice neighbourhood in London. In these six months I have had the mortgage to pay, no income, gas and electricity bills (as the tenant had not paid for months prior to leaving, and as no meter reading had been provided by tenant upon leaving, I was left with the bill). The tenant left in March, was already a month behind with rent. The deposit? 6 weeks rent?
All the walls were vandalied and needed 3 coats of paint. It has cost 6k to put the house right again.

The tenants did not have pets. They had two children, unlimited supply of spirit markers and nailvarnish, and the empty canvas which was the wall of our house.

I am more concerned with renting to people with children than people with pets, to be honest, after this experience.

It is hard to claim anything from the deposit when the deposit is stored in the deposit scheme. Wear and tear has to be expected. During the inventory report, the clerk will notice any smudge, or any mark to walls or furniture. Even in our freshly redocorated house, with new furniture, they found smudges and imperfections. At the end of the day, when retaining the deposit, you will be told "i am sorry, this is general wear and tear, the wall/table/floor was smudged already, so this is no cause to retain the deposit".

I think adding special clauses in the contract is the way to go.

But seeing how powerless a landlord is when it comes to tenants, and the only thing you can do to enforce the terms of the contract is to threaten to have your tenants evicted, you may not get very far.

Unless you agree that you will get a quote for carpets, and set aside that money in a special bond and just agree that the carpets WILL be changed/shampooed when you leave, as you have already paid for that. etc.

Hi Val, no I dont' think you were being U, but I was trying to suggest an alternative for anyone reading who might be in that position. Most local newspapers have a property wanted section. It also chimes with my experience of flat hunting when single, as some of my nicest rented flats were found through word of mouth rather than going through agencies, though I know that's not always possible when moving to a new area. I am always astonished also at the number of rented properties that don't accept children either.

Sorry to hear about the GS - those cases are heartbreaking - we have some like that with our greyhound rescue. I think personally the worse ones are when the owner is elderly and going into a care home that doesn't take pets - am feeling choked up just writing about it.

Trillion - it was additional deposit, and I really didn't mind paying it.

I have to agree with QS, if I was a landlord I'd be more worried about children!!

yanbu! We had to pay an extra 200pound deposit and we have to replace the carpets when we leave.

I used to rent out a property and my general starting provision was no pets but I did look at it on a case by case basis and did let the property to someone with a dog. I think thye things is that along with small children/students etc there is a higher chance of damage so if the rental market is boyant, landlords are going to want what they perceive to be the least risky tenants.

I've sold the property but if I was letting again then I'd take the same approach. I wouldn't want to start with a "pets welcome" stance but would consider a well behaved pet on a case by case basis.

We may have have no choice but to go into rented accomodation soon if my dh gets made redundant (again). We have two large dogs and two cats and it fills me with dread.

Unfortunately some people do 'spoil' it for others. We let a flat to a lady with 2 cats, who badly scratched furniture and flooring and messed all around the flat. Needless to say, she didn't clean up before leaving.

I love cats, but it does put you off letting to future tenants who have pets.

It's a feature of the UK Letting market, where most property is let furnished. In countries where most property is let unfurnished, there isnt the same problem- LL in (eg) New York, UAE, Hong Kong routinely accept pets because nearly all lets are unfurnished and most floors are uncarpeted.

The problem for the LL is how to weigh up on a case by case basis. I mean, no tenant will say "My dog is badly behaved and likely to piss on your sofa."

A lot of people do seem to think it's appropriate to let a dog sleep on the sofa. Fine- so long as it's not my sofa!!

i rent out a furnished flat that i'm not living in right now as i'm living with DP.

i say no pets as i wouldn't want to use the bed, matress or sofa after a person with a dog or cat has and neither would my next tenant (i would be worried about fleas and also about future tenants having allergies).

however, i think i would allow pets in an unfurnished let.

Maybe reluctant landlords could meet the pets? One of our previous landlords did and we still got the property even though our girl shat on her lovely lawn. If prospective tenants come across well that's the main thing. Just get past the lettings agents and communicate human to human.

I do sympathise with your friends situation but

I became a reluctant landlord when we moved overseas for DH's job and so needed to rent out our home.

My DC are beyond the scribbling on walls stage, we don't have pets and I wouldn't allow anyone to smoke in my home. Therefore when considering tenants these matters were considerations.

The fact is pets (dogs particularly) and cigerettes do smell and therefore a greater degree of cleaning is required at the end of a tenancy even if the place has otherwise been well treated.

My experience was that lots of people approached us to rent but absolutely refused to negotiate on issues regarding pets etc - many were quite affronted that we would ask and displayed a startingly aggressive sense of entitlement so it really cuts both ways.

In the end we did rent to a lovely couple with a dog who was disabled and as such they assured me that it wouldn't climb on the sofa or go upstairs. They also offered a greater security deposit and undertook to steam clean the carpets and soft furnishings.

That tenancy worked really well and I believe we were all really happy.

I know someone who rented an unfurnished place (so at least the stains on the furniture were their own...) but kept two flat-cats, against the rules.
This meant there were two cats shitting and pissing in their flat. Yes in a litter box, but the stench - and I don't use that word lightly - was unbearable.
It was going to take weeks to get rid of that smell.

We rent privately and we have a cat. When we first got her we asked the agency and were told they have a strict no pets policy - so we just got her and didn't tell them! She didn't damage anything, carpets were cleaned when we left, no problems with fleas we got our deposit back with no problem. We asked our current agency and landlord before we moved in and they had no problem at all with the cat being here. I think it just depends on the individual landlord, my friend had to sign a contract agreeing to hire pest control to fumigate when she leaves in case her cats bring fleas in and she also had to pay an extra £500 deposit

Marjee, had you been MY tenant, I would have booted you instantly with one month notice for breach of contract.

I am allergic to cats. My son has asthma.
You and your cat could meant we would have problems living in our home again at the end of your tenancy.

People like you really cause a lot of problems for landlords, but I suspect you dont really care.

But you could rent to a professional who stinks of BO. What about fish syndrome etc? People can stink aswell.

Btw I totally agree with mintybadger nothing smells as bad as cat shit! Luckily my cat doesn't do it in the flat she goes outside - I'm probably going to get flamed for that