AIBU that people that rent shouldn't have pets

[Lloyd45]

My friend is having to find another rented property but can't find anywhere that will accept pets, she's asked me to have her 2 dogs, I have 2 dogs already but they will have to be put down if I don't have them 😞 Why do people who rent have pets when this puts them in a difficult position. I can see a lot of dogs being put down as homes will be more difficult to find

I have a rental property. The last time I let someone with pets rent it, I ended up having to spend 18k replacing all the flooring, as the poor dog had at some point regressed and begun pissing absolutely everywhere. No amount of cleaning would have ever gotten rid of the stench and the stains, so I had to rip out and trash previously beautiful flooring. Before that, it had been 4K to repaint because a renters cat had used every single wall as a scratching post. Before that it was an aquarium that broke and flooded the place. I wasn't informed, and the renters just fixed it up to the point it looked good, without actually dealing with the majority of the water damage, resulting in all manner of expensive issues.

I love animals, I have a bunch of animals myself, but I don't rent to people with pets anymore. It's never worked out well for me. If I could find someone suitable who wanted to sign a 20-30yr lease, then fine, I wouldn't care so much about the state of the place. But the kind of people interested in renting my particular house don't want that kind of commitment. They move every couple of years. So it's just not worth it to me to take the risk. I was kind about it for years and years, and it cost me an absolute fortune.

I think think renting with animals is fine, so long as you're not in a precarious situation. That goes for everyone actually, whatever their living situation. If you're in a position where it seems genuinely possible you might struggle to keep your pets somewhere down the line, and not have anyone to step in and help, you shouldn't have pets. I know that sucks, but it sucks worse for the poor animals that end up dumped in packed shelters.

Your outrage should be directed towards the politicians (of all colours) who have - for decades now - done nothing about the housing shortage except make it worse.

It's outrageous that families can't expect not to have to move on at a landlord's whim and that people's right to a home are not better protected.

If there was plenty of decent council housing available, for example, then pepole would not risk finding themselves having to choose between a home and a pet. That's a small symptom of a much bigger problem and we got here through politician's greed and mismanagement.

I think think renting with animals is fine, so long as you're not in a precarious situation.

Pretty much most people who are private renting then.

I am both a landlord and pet owner. I would definitely allow cats but not sure about dogs I'm afraid, and only in an unfurnished property.

I think if it were easier to check how tenants behaved in a previous tenancy LLs would be more easy going about pets, but it is difficult to know whether your pet will be one that does damage. For those with pets it would help to get a reference from your previous landlord to say they didn't cause damage.

I'm another LL who used to allow pets but doesn't any more.

After a cat owning tenant moved out we had to do the same as a previous poster. We allowed one cat but she had three. The house stank of cat piss. We had to replace all the flooring downstairs, redecorate downstairs and replace the sofas and dining room suite. We also had to pay to clear the garden of cat shit. Never again.

The cost far exceeded her deposit, which she moaned about not getting back.

We have lovely tenants now with 2 children. We have always rented the house (our former home) at below market rent because rents around here are ridiculous. We make very little from it because we have something done to the house every year. Last year we made a loss because we replaced all the windows. Next year will be a new bathroom.

That's ok with us, we keep the house in case we ever want to downsize or to sell if we have to pay for our care. The tenants know this but also know that it's theirs at a low rent for the indefinite future.

Having no pets is a small price to pay for that, they're happy with it.

mailificent. I'm a landlord and a tenant with cats. The l/l in Belgium wanted the house back for his family (one of the reasons that a 9 year lease can be broken), and yes, I cleaned parts of the house with a toothbrush.

Given the €120k + we had paid in rent over the time we'd had the house, I don't suppose my ex l/l has a mortgage any more!

When we first rented in Australia we had cat but had to ask about a dog and had an increased pet bond. We had been and continued to be model tenants. TBF, and it's not a stealth boast, we were renting at the higher end of the market, so harder for landlords to get arsey.

I have a house in the UK I rent out, and the tenants have been there four years now. Initially no pets, but a year of good tenancy and we OK'd the dog.

I don't get quite why some landlords are anti-pets, surely you just increase the bond, particularly to cover pissed-on carpets?

Kittymum That was from the beginning of 2014 to September 2017!!! Even paying shitloads of rent, and having one of the long leases people in the UK think are great, doesn't prevent the landlord wanting the house back!

I don't allow pets (cats, dogs, rabbits) etc in my lets. Partly because they're flats (pets are not allowed in 1 block anyway) and partly because the amount of damage caused can be phenomenal in a furnished let. You'd be looking at a deposit of 5k to cover all posdible damage and most renters don't have that. No one ever says "oh yes my cat scratches things to pieces" or " yeas my dog suffers stress incontinence or barks continuously when left" either.

Hamsters, goldfish etc are fine.

I rent. I have a cat. Why should I not have a cat because your friend is having a problem with her 2 dogs?

Why should you have a pet in someone else's home?

It’s harder to find a rented properly with pets but it certainly isn’t impossible, she obviously can’t be bothered looking harder.
People who rent should be allowed pets. Do you know how hard it is to get on the property ladder these days anyway?

Why should you have a pet in someone else's home?

It's not someone elses home. It's my home. It may be their property, but it is not their home.

(their home is where they live, in case you can't work that out )

A rental property isn't "someone else's home" it's someone elses business.

The lady in question also has 2 children, she was renting another property, the lease is up and the landlord doesn't want to renew as they are selling the property, she is against the clock or she will be homeless before Christmas, she is also struggling as she is on benifits and this is also puts landlords off.

Some of the comments on this thread are downright nasty and smack of “I’m alright jack”. We have good landlords, we’re good tenants but we’re still not allowed a pet. We have no way of raising a deposit despite always paying our rent (like many others in the UK) - I guess that makes us second class. 🙄

We have a dog and found it a huge issue. We got the dog when we were in a better situation but things changed.

Ultimately we moved heaven and earth to live with the dog in rented. Our entire search came to 2 properties in an entire town. The other rejected us so we ended up with our house. We live in less nice acomodation but ultimately were committed to our dog and not taking him wasn't a choice.

Her dogs also need regular medication, they are both about 10 years old

I don't allow pets because of the lingering smell, damage to carpets/skirting boards/fireplaces and being a potential noise nuisance to neighbours. I've never come across a house with a dog that doesn't smell of dog. And cat hair gets everywhere and sticks to everything.

Even house rabbits can cause a lot of damage, they chew everything!

Lloyd is this a drip-goad?

I've never come across a house with a dog that doesn't smell of dog

Same here, and I have also never come across a dog owner who doesnt claim that their house doesnt smell of dog!

I know a few people with dogs whose house does not in any way smell of dog.