To want to just break stuff in anger?

[OrangeIsMyNewBlack]

Posting here partly for rage, partly for quick responses.

Household got served notice for our rental property, has knocked us sideways because we thought this was our "forever" home whilst I have my studies and we sort everything out. I've been scrabbling to find a place for 4 weeks, and we have until the end of the month in order to get a place, finalize it, pack up and bog off. What I'm supremely fucking pissed about is the standards to which we are being held as tenants. Namely, we have cats.

2 cats, both male, that don't spray, don't fight and are treated for fleas regularly. We have an extra £250 in our current bond to cover any pet issues, and we've got a glowing reference because we've never had an issue. But tell a rental agency you have cats and they shrink away like a vampire being presented with garlic...!

I'm sorry, but what the actual fuck is wrong with private landlords?! I saw one property the other day that was a four-bed property. 4 bedrooms. No students, no sharers, no pets, no smokers, no benefits, no children. So... a FOUR. BEDROOMED. PROPERTY. For a single or professional working couple?!?!?! What the fucking fuck is wrong with people?!?!

Anyway, sorry. Crux of my point is: is there anything I can do to circumvent the whole "no pets" thing, because there aren't new properties being listed regularly in my area, and every single property within a 5-mile radius of the town I need to be near is treating me like a leper who's sneezed in their face. Anybody, anywhere, know anything about how to get around this other than getting rid of my two cats?!

Weebitty

Your last post reeks of the contempt some homeowners have for renters, it's the "I'm all right jack" mentality and it stinks. Worse than cat piss in a hallway on a sunny day.

OP: you could just not mention you have cats? How "outdoorsy" are they?

WeeBitty: I did. I had within my means. And now circumstances have changed I should - what? Get rid of my beloved pets, no second questions? Pets are family, I rescued them, I raised them, they are absolutely beautiful and I honestly couldn't just give them up in cold blood.

TheLegendOfBeans - they're mostly outdoor cats. They come in to eat and to have cuddles in the night, but they love to roam and they haven't used the litterbox indoors for months because they go outside... Unfortunately I'm not keen on the idea of a deception but may have to if I can't find anywhere else...

We rented for a year before we bought our house. No pets. But I asked the landlady and gave assurance our dog is great, doesn't chew furniture etc and she allowed it. Just because it says no pets doesn't necessarily mean you can't. No harm in asking!

I thought we might have to rent when we moved last time and asked the estate agent for advice. He said to contact the agencies and offer to pay a double deposit would your current landlord also give you a reference? .
Good luck - hope you find somewhere soon.

A member of my family rents out a property, so here is the other side view - animals in properties do damage, leave smells in the carpets and frequently cause neighbour problems. You may have to decide between cats and a rented property. Do you have family or friends who might be willing to take your pets on?

I have 2 cats and my landlady comes and feeds them when I go on holiday! I moved in whilst pregnant and spent quite a lot of money on the house in terms of fitting my own carpets and modernising it as it had elderly people here before me so needed a good revamp. I would not let my cats destroy something that I have paid through the nose for. To suggest that people let their animals stink just because it's not "their home" is ridiculous. I have to live here and would absolutely not live in a stinky pissy environment.
My landlady is lovely and knows I would not take the piss. No pun intended.

YANBU to be frustrated that you are finding it hard to find a place to rent. However LL are NBU if they decide they would prefer tenants without pets. I'd love a cat, however buying a flat with terms that don't allow it (and being away too much) means I can't. I also know all animals(incl. humans) smell. Some pets owners are very considerate, some not and a LL doesn't necessarily know which they'll get.

Op I would approach every house you find and ask if they would consider letting with your cats. Quite often it is dogs that they have a problem with. Explain about your pets and that you would pay a higher deposit. It worked for us in our last 2 rentals. Good luck. Private renting is such a pita.

I wouldn't try to hide the cats. It will be obvious to landlord/agent when they do the inspections. Houses with a cat smell catty no matter how much you clean. And all they have to do is ask the neighbours to confirm it. Which means possible eviction, a bad reference and even more problems renting in future!

We gave a bad reference to a tenant who concealed a house rabbit in our no pets house. It chewed the wood around all the fireplaces, ruined the carpets and even sprayed wee on the walls! The house reeked. We felt it our duty to warn other landlords she had gone behind our backs and caused so much damage! Deposit didn't cover everything.

How are you looking for properties? We used to rent with two dogs and found several houses on newsagents' windows. Also, by speaking to letting agents and asking them to notify us when a suitable property came up. Never had a problem.

"they're mostly outdoor cats. They come in to eat and to have cuddles in the night, but they love to roam and they haven't used the litterbox indoors for months because they go outside.."

In other words you let them go and shit in other peoples' gardens. And you wonder why landlords don't want tenants with cats and an attitude.

For many landlords the problem has been other tenants. They're not being mean, they're learning from bitter experience.

I was. a 'nice' relaxed landlord. No problems with my tenants moving in with a dog. Yes as you've said there was a deposit. They seemed nice and I'd been helpful so why wouldn't they?

The place was left a tip. Dog hair and scratches everywhere. Doors and walls damaged, garden a tip with digging, dirt etc.

It cost well in excess of the deposit to fix so I was left with the choice of sucking it up or court.

I've learnt my lesson and someone like you is probably complaining about how unreasonable I am.

Have you had a look at www.letswithpets.org.uk/?
That's how my family were able to find a suitable propert and they have cats.

Oh fuck me, if they're indoor cats then the place will stink, and if they go outside I'm just letting them "shit in other peoples gardens"? Talk about a no-win situation.... They go to the bathroom in MY garden, in the overgrown vegetable plot at the back, but thanks for that scathing assumption of the type of person I am...

Gonna be speaking to more agencies tomorrow and being pushy about it, since nicely-softly is not getting me anywhere.

I understand why some LLs are reluctant to have pets in their properties. Some pet owners are irresponsible but so are some people without pets. I get so cross that despite providing several glowing references, which all say how well we look after the property and how our dogs have been no bother, we constantly get rejected for rental properties or aren't even considered. We have tried offering more deposit, more rent, offering professional cleaning when we go etc...

We have had to move to three different counties just to find rental properties that would take our dogs.

I hope that you find somewhere soon.

A blanket ban on pets in a rental contract is considered an unfair term:
www.rla.org.uk/landlord/guides/unfair-terms-in-residential-tenancy-agreements.shtml?section=individual-terms

I adopted my boys as their owner was moving to a no pets flat. We all love each other ( mostly)

I'm a landlady and a tennant, and it was difficult finding a place that would allow my dog. I found an ideal place but the LL was reluctant at first due to the damage caused by the previous tennant's dogs, but they accepted us when I offered a big deposit and the agent thought I was a good sort which helped.

As a LL I allow pets as I empathise with pet owners, and I figure a place can be damaged just as badly by humans to it's just part of the risk of letting for me. I was actually quite disappointed when the agent found a tennant who didn't have a dog.

Blame the arseholes who profit from buying up housing stock and only renting it to people who offer the "lowest risk" to them, i.e. most landlords. It's a revolting business.

Gonna be speaking to more agencies tomorrow and being pushy about it, since nicely-softly is not getting me anywhere

How will being pushy help? Landlords have every right to say no pets in their properties. Their house their terms.

What are you on about "legally" for op. No landlord has a duty or obligation to rent to any particular person. Get into the real wold.

cats are only smelly and destructive if the owners let them be

So your cats dont shed hair on your command? Fascinating.

Cats claw carpets, furniture, leave hair everywhere and it is a reason I would never have cats. Or any pets.

OP, I assumed nothing, I deduced it from what you wrote.

Yes, you know about the shit in your vegetable plot. You don't know about the shit elsewhere.

And your attitude? That speaks for itself.

Cats will leave hair but with a scratching post they shouldn't claw carpets or furniture! I keep my cat in a hard floor area so it is easy to clean.

You're not being unreasonable for wanting to have pets and landlords aren't being unreasonable for not wanting to deal with that when renting out their property. What is unreasonable is the system that has allowed/encouraged renters to have no rights and for landlords to have all the power.