My neighbours are hiding a dog

[user87382294757]

We live in an apartment in an old building which is split into several others. Five in total.

In the lease it says we are not meant to have pets with four legs. We all have the same rules...recently a couple moved into the ground floor flat. They are letting the flat through an agency.

Last weekend we saw them walking a dog in the park and Dh says he has heard it also in their flat. We never see them going in and out with it though, wonder if they usually take it our after dark or when no-one else around!

Yeah but my horse is a much loved member of the family why can't I have it in my flat?

I’m a landlady and one of my flats is in a building that specifically says no pets of any kind. I would be held responsible if my tenant got a pet. There’s always a busybody in large complexes who takes it upon themselves to make sure everyone complies (my tenant got reported for not having curtains up!).
In another flat I let my tenant have a dog. But she paid a higher deposit and it’s written in the lease that she mustn’t let it become a nuisance etc.
In your case I think the issue is you run the management committee, which surely means you are partially responsible for making sure people adhere to the rules? If you were just another tenant I’d say don’t do anything. But if that dog starts barking (and it’s amazing it hasn’t barked once), I think you’ll have to act.

Don't say a thing, than would be an extremely shitty thing to do. Does that dog bother you except the "rules" thing?

Landlords own their properties and they have every right to specify who they want to rent it to and whether they don’t want dogs living there. I certainly wouldn’t want one in a home I own-while I’m sure lots of people will day it’s not possible to tell, we’ve all been in homes with dogs and there is highly likely to be smells, scratch/chew damage, hair etc. Why should a landlord have to deal with that when it’s a tenants choice to get a pet and then break a contract?

I am just moving into rented with my 4 children. I am really lucky to have a private landlord who will accept my pets. Having been faced with homelessness, having to give up my pets would have finished me off

So you could get a cockerel and be fine?!

I’m thinking out loud here and it may be rubbish but it could be their landlords insurance might not cover issues caused by pets, in which case yabu not to mention it.

I believe - unless it hurts you, say nothing.

Let it go.

What do you think will happen if you tell the landlord? Nothing good.

They could be volunteers with the cinnamon trust, or be paid to walk dogs for a bit of extra money. I would say nothing it is not your building either.

never understood why landlords don't allow pets but are happy to allow babies and children which make more noise and can have just as many "accidents" on a carpet as a dog or cat.

At least if a dog is barking or howling for hours you know you can call the RSCPA in case of animal cruelty but some babies will scream and cry for hours on end.

Perhaps they are members of Borrow my Doggy and it doesn't actually live with them. YABU

Presumably pet-friendly properties tend to be the more downmarket properties, therefore by introducing a pet to a no-pets zone you are, by implication, lowering the tone for everyone

really if you make the choice to have a non-human family member it's down to you to make sure that you are in a position to provide suitable accommodation for the whole family, if you have a dog then you need access to a garden for the dog to do it's toilet
flats may have shared gardens but I wouldn't really want my garden to be a dog's toilet!

Your not the neighbour who can hear a dog whining and objects to its owners calling it in, when in fact no such dog exists.

Maybe the dog has 3 legs I was just imagining the other pets you could have to circumvent that. Millipedes? Does a kangaroo count as four-legged or two?

But no, I wouldn't say anything. They might have struggled to find somewhere that accepts dogs.

Maybe they're just walking a dog for someone else and occasionally have it in their flat? I take it the lease doesn't prevent canine visitors?

Of course they shouldn't have a dog! I'm amazed that posters think this is OK when it's stipulated not. I know someone with 7 cats. She manages to rent because she goes for properties that allows animals. And no, it's not a downmarket property

It’s really cheeky of them. But not really your business.

I agree with other posters. This must be the batshit neighbour from the other thread!

Were they walking the dog in a hangbag by any chance?

How do you know their lease says the same?

I live in a modern apartment block. It is in our leases that pets are not allowed without permission from the residents management company.

I’m a director of the building management company. I expect people to stick to the legal condition they accepted when they bought their properties.

We have never refused permission for a pet btw.

We have had the odd tenants who have brought in pets without permission. The board contact the owners.

People know when they get pets that it can make housing more difficult. Choices have consequences.

It’s not really fair on other residents who may have chosen the building in part because it is dog-free. I have a child who is severely allergic to dogs and I have a phobia of them. I would be angry if I rented somewhere believing there would be no dogs only to find someone flouting the rules.

They are being totally unreasonable if they do have a dog.
There are many reasons a landlord would ban pets. There are also reasons people actively choose pet-free housing (allergies, phobias etc).
As someone on the management committee you are in a difficult situation. I wouldn’t do anything without actually knowing there is a definitely a dog, but if you do see one I think you do have to something about it.

I think everyone appreciates that pets can be very rewarding and people feel strong emotional bonds with their non human family members, but there are costs as well as benefits, it's not fair to 'outsource' the costs ....expect other people to put up with the downside, whilst you enjoy the benefits.