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AIBU?

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Original poster

Dog in rental property

218 replies

CaptainObviousTwo · 01/08/2017 14:49

Moved into a new house on Friday. Standard tenancy, no pets allowed which I didn't really pay much attention to when signing the contract aso I had no pets.
Roll on the day after my tenancy starts and my Mum has to go into hospital unexpectedly. In the heat of everything, I agree to take her dog to stay at mine whilst she goes in, not really thinking about it wih everything else that was going on.
At lunchtime I got a call from the Estate Agents saying the landlord had been past the property and seen the dog, and dogs aren't allowed.
Well, fuck. I hadn't even thought of that. For context I work in a pretty stressful job as well as running two online businesses and study an OU degree on the side so I've not really slept in days with the house move and didn't think the situation through.

I've gone back to them and explained. I am pretty positive I won't find alternative arrangements for the dog.
I have offered an additional deposit to cover the temporary change and suggested an additional contract labelling me liable for any additional wear to the house.

Dog is clean, fleaed and beautifully behaved and genuinely won't cause any damage. unlike if I had a toddler

I haven't heard back yet and am panicking. I could just put my head on my desk and cry, I'm so stressed.

OP posts:
Shopkinsdoll · 01/08/2017 15:58

Hopefully the owner will be sympathetic, fingers crossed for you. Tell him you will get his house professionally cleaned when the dog goes back. If it's only for a few weeks I can't see a problem x

perper · 01/08/2017 16:01

Floggingmolly, sorry for being slow, have just noticed your reply.

The 'not coping' manifests itself in extreme stress, fear etc, not eating, not sleeping, hoarse voice from howling- these are all conditions that would be considered seriously inhumane (and if a dog was seen like that in a back garden the RSPCA would be shooting round). Mental trauma in animals is a thing. Dogs can seriously suffer in kennels and it is not ok to just dismiss that because 'it's still alive'. I am not saying that it is evil to put any dog in kennels- just that in some circumstances (including this one) it is entirely inappropriate.

Floggingmolly · 01/08/2017 16:05

Fair enough, perper. But op is planning to take the dog to a strange (to him) location and being out of the house all day leaving the dog alone.
Why would that be less stressful?

perper · 01/08/2017 16:05

Alibongo67 Confused I absolutely do not have a 'total disregard for other people' - how bizarre. Let's not forget the context here- the OP's mother has unexpectedly been rushed to hospital at the weekend and as a last resort the OP has taken in the mother's well behaved dog. She has offered extra deposit and an additional contract to take liability. This is a short-term solution and no harm whatsoever has been done. The LL has not, in receipt of the full information, actually said they find this unacceptable- people here are assuming the LL will.

Floralnomad · 01/08/2017 16:07

The RSPCA most definitely would not do anything about a dog barking in a garden and looking distressed provided it had water and shelter .

perper · 01/08/2017 16:08

Floggingmolly I suspect unfortunately it will still be stressful for the dog- as you say, it's a strange situation and its usual 'mum' is not around. However it is not surrounded by equally stressed dogs howling and barking, foreign smells. strangers etc.- I assume it knows the OP and that the house is a quieter, calmer environment etc. Stressful and not ideal, I agree, but nowhere on the same level.

ChelleDawg2020 · 01/08/2017 16:10

YABU, "no pets" means "no pets", not "no pets except when...".

MrsTerryPratchett · 01/08/2017 16:15

The LL would be a mild tool if the OP had gone to them, explained the situation and asked nicely. The OP moved the dog in and was caught. Obviously the landlord is going to assume that this is the OP's dog, that's absolutely the conclusion that a sane and rational person would come to. Because it turned up days into the tenancy. And the LL was not informed.

9/10 I'm on Team Tenant. But this LL thinks they have a tenant who breaks the rules from the off. I'd be wondering what other rules the tenant thinks are optional.

perper · 01/08/2017 16:16

ChelleDawg2020 Not trying to pick a fight here but actually... A LL saying 'no pets under any circumstances' would legally be the one being unreasonable. The real issue here is that the OP didn't inform the LL- but now that the LL is in full possession of the facts, refusal by the LL could arguably be (legally) unreasonable.

^"Landlords may not be aware that the Office of Fair Trading in the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 forbids a no pets clause. It expects landlords not to unreasonably hold consent for tenants to have a pet.

The recommended approach is to have a clause within your Assured Shorthold Tenancy requiring that the tenant obtain written consent for the keeping of a pet in the property. Legally a landlord cannot unreasonably withhold this consent. "^

www.propertyhawk.co.uk/?letting-to-tenants-with-pets
www.landlordlawblog.co.uk/2016/10/04/tenant-penalties-breaching-tenancy-rules-pets/

perper · 01/08/2017 16:21

(For what it's worth, and somewhat off-topic but slightly related- LLs also cannot insist that you have the house/carpets/oven professionally cleaned, just that it is cleaned to the same standard that it was. Plenty of agencies request receipts to prove that a professional cleaned it- they are not allowed to. You have to return it as clean as it was- but if you clean it yourself it is perfectly acceptable)

Winterview · 01/08/2017 16:24

It's not about being 'humane'. The landlord owns the property, you signed a contract agreeing to the rules, and you have immediately broken those rules! Why therefore would the landlord trust you when you say the dog is clean, house-trained, quiet etc?

Look at it from his perspective: he likely thinks the dog is yours and you planned to sneak it in all along. Different if you had been his 'model tenant' for years but even then you should have asked his permission first.

It's not the LL's problem if the dog won't cope with kennels.

I'm sorry you're under a lot of stress, but I think you are adding to your problems by keeping the dog there. It was dishonest to do so without LL's consent and potentially could cause you to lose your new home and the potential to rent again. You may have glowing references beforehand, but one bad reference can put LLs off (especially if they think you tried to smuggle in a pet!)

mydogisthebest · 01/08/2017 16:26

Can you speak to the landlord direct and tell them what has happened? Hopefully unless they are a hard hearted/nasty person they will be ok with it.

You can say if the dog were to do any damage you would pay for any repairs/replacements plus maybe have the house professionally cleaned when you move out?

Personally it really pisses me off that so many landlords won't allow dogs. Yes I know it's their property, they can decide blah blah blah BUT there are many dogs, cats, rats or whatever that do not make any mess or damage anything. Children can often cause far more damage.

I live in a rented house with a dog. My landlord was reluctant at first but then agreed. I have been here 10 years and the landlord has seen for himself that my dog has not caused any damage.

He will also realise that there is NO doggy smell in the house. Not all dogs smell contrary to what a previous poster said. My breed of dog has a different type of hair and doesn't smell even when wet. It's not just that I have got used to it as if my house did smell my wonderful MIL would love to tell me (she used to tell me in a previous house that it smelt of my cats).

When I moved into the house the previous owners' children had drawn over the walls in 2 of the bedrooms and got playdoh or something similar stuck in the carpet in the living room. I ended up having to pain the walls and get a new carpet

Chattymummyhere · 01/08/2017 16:32

If it says no pets it means no pets even for a day. Maybe the LL is allergic maybe his had damange done before but is his property and it's up to him. He clearly has an issue with it and what will of pissed him off more is you didn't even ask if a week or two would be ok due to an emergency you just presumed.

ExConstance · 01/08/2017 16:44

Not all kennels are the same. Our elderly dog hates the lovely kennels in the countryside where they get lots of walks and have outdoor play areas. He loves the small kennels just down the road where they make a huge fuss of him and he is allowed in the office with them because he doesn't like socialising with other dogs. He could go to kennels if you find the right one. There are loads of people who board dogs in their own homes and maybe another relation could move into your mother's temporarily. Cinnamon trust are great, sure they are worth contacting. You are however being Very Unreasonable just to move the dog in without permission.

TheNightmanCometh · 01/08/2017 16:51

Sorry about your mum OP. Must've been a bad shock.

LL is perfectly entitled to be pissed off about you bringing a pet into the property. Of course they're going to think you're a dick tenant. Nor can you expect them to give any fucks about what kind of person you think they are, and frankly if I were an LL the welfare of dogs of tenants family members would be top of my list of things that aren't my problem.

Issue then is just how much you think it's going to affect you. If it's more of a tenant's market than an LLs where you are, you could realistically hope to crack on and do what you like without suffering any detriment. If it isn't, then what you need to decide is whether this new tenancy is worth more to you than upsetting your mum's dog.

Hope she feels better soon anyway.

SD60659 · 01/08/2017 16:57

I heard a great quote once, damned if I can think of who said it. Something along the lines of "If a rule is unreasonable it is not only your prerogative to break it, it is your duty"

Might google it later if I find my self sufficiently bored.

All drivers break the speed limit occasionally. Yep, you too (provided you are a driver)

And no, that's not intended to be a direct comparison, it's just a loose analogy. The OP has been placed in an awkward position and made a decision to bend the rules according to his own principles (those apparently being that it's necessary to bend aforementioned rules for the wellbeing of a clearly loved family pet) - this is not a hanging offence.

OP is obviously aware of the technical breach of contract, in his/her situation I'd do the same. If the LL has any amount of compassion or sympathy about them then they will understand, they may frown or grumble and express their reluctance - that's all fine, but any LL that flat out refuses to accommodate this unforeseen and unfortunate, sad situation is a twat. Especially as OP has offered financial recompense should the dog completely devour the house, garden, neighboring properties and most of the county.

The OP should not abandon his/her principles just to live to the letter of the LL's mostly arbitrary tenancy agreement condition.

Floggingmolly · 01/08/2017 17:09

Op could have exercised her perogative not to sign the contract in the first place if she found it so unreasonable.

SD60659 · 01/08/2017 17:12

Have you put that in italics because you wrongly believe I've made a spelling mistake? Or was it just for emphasis?

Floggingmolly · 01/08/2017 17:14

Emphasis!

Floggingmolly · 01/08/2017 17:15

I spelt it wrong, actually...

Original poster
CaptainObviousTwo · 01/08/2017 17:17

Not that this is really the point but the dog isn't home alone for long, I work from home most afternoons a week and my boyfriend stays over 3 nights a week and leaves at midday ish. So he's not on his own for longer than 3 hours.

OP posts:
Countvesuvius · 01/08/2017 17:17

So if you didn't exist OP what would have happened to your mum's dog? It can't go in kennels, can't be rehomed, nobody else can sit it...would it have been put down?

If I were a LL and you brought a dog into my property I'd be doing my damnest to get you out tbh.

GreeboIsACutePussPuss · 01/08/2017 17:18

I had a dog in a rental property that said no dogs, I had to pay an additional deposit and had to pay for a professional clean when I left but the landlord was fine about it, he apparently just put it in the contract so that should any of his tenants get a nuisance dog he can make them get rid of it easier.

If it's a well trained nice dog and only a temporary thing the landlord might well give you permission.

perper · 01/08/2017 17:20

Countvesuvius pretty ridiculous comment- OP does exist. We could make up plenty more hypothetical and entirely irrelevant situations. The reality is that the OP's mother is in hospital and the OP is in a very stressful situation. Let's not be dicks.

MimsyFluff · 01/08/2017 17:22

When we rented a small 2 bed when DC1 was born we had a dog but the tendency said no cats they were fine about the Ddog!

Landlady came to inspect once and there was cat sitting on the kitchen counter she went mental, threated to kick us out and everything. Then my neighbour came round asking if we'd seen her cat! Never seen the LL look so shocked never had an issue after that she said something about been attacked by cats in the past and couldn't leave quick enough. Some LL are very strict as is there right.

If your in the NE I can have your mums Ddogs for a few weeks so long as he isn't aggressive towards other Ddogs. I also know a dog boarder that charger £10 a night so long as he has been snipped it's in house so wouldn't be locked in a kennel and is treated like her own Ddogs.