To say that no pets mean no pets?

[Aprilcherry04]

I currently have lodgers in a 3 bedroom semi. They seem nice enough and the neighbours say they are well behaved. However their contract says no pets and I found out they have 2 cats living in the property. I was visiting a friend and saw a cat sitting on the window ( inside) as I passed. They contacted me a couple of months back to ask if I was likely to renew contract and I said yes - subject to a house inspection. They have also mounted a 60 inch tv on the living room wall without permission. I have a strict no pets no smoking clause on the tenancy agreement. I have a cat allergy. Contract needs renewed in a month. Aibu not to renew?

So, you would've granted them permission to have the cats anyway. The only isssue here is that you've got your nickers in a twist because they didn't bend at the knee and ask?

Yes they should've asked. But it seems ridiculous to consider evicting them if you'd have allowed them a cat anyway

I think a cat and a wall bracket are actually minimal compared to how awful some tenants leave rented property. We’ve had ours have significant damage before and you can’t do much but withhold the deposit.

The bracket damage they can just make good but I’d be using the deposit for a deep clean after they move out. Cats don’t make as much damage as humans.
Would I renew? If they were generally good tenants, paid their rent, didn’t break lots of things or upset the neighbours, I’d be tempted to hold onto them. Getting good tenants isn’t always easy and empty houses don’t make money.

And... get a wiggle on. If you're planning on another AST it should be in the final stages by now. Miss the deadline and it converts into a periodic tenancy, which isn't the end of the world to be honest, but you should be aware.

Is it possible to request that the tennants set aside the money for a full professional deep clean upon vacating to attempt to get the cat dander out? No it isn't.

It is entirely reasonable to say that the proerty as to be returned in the same condition as it was at the beginning and that, as they have kept pets they will need to ensure all traces shpuld be removed. But you cannot insist on them hiring professionals to do it, or to give over money to do so!

I usually tell tenants at the beginning of their tenancy that it is easier for them if they do get professional cleaners in to do an end of tenancy and pet removal clean.... it can be hard to do properly and the cleaners can be recalled if they miss anything. That way they can get a quote and save up the often eye wateringly high amount needed for a proper end of tenancy clean!*

*Not saying the cost is unfair. I wouldn't want to do the work cleaners do. Good ones are bloody miracle workers!

Tenants have a year long contract which expires in February. They do need to sign another contract as contract is reviewed on a yearly basis.Property is not in England/Wales. I can end contract at any point as long as I provide 3 months notice -or reimburse them with 3 months rent and full deposit.

The cats are there, the allergens are already all over the house, so from an allergy-perspective surely you gain no benefit by evicting your tenants now rather than letting them live there for xx more years?

They do need to sign another contract as contract is reviewed on a yearly basis.Property is not in England/Wales. I can end contract at any point as long as I provide 3 months notice -or reimburse them with 3 months rent and full deposit. So not in the UK then?

@orangeblossomdreams
No I would not have granted permission for the cats. I was talking about the tv bracket. Most people on here are unaware that tenants are supposed to ask the landlords permission to even put 1 nail into a wall..

you can no longer request extra deposit for cats - but if you renew you can increase rent to cover after end of this contract. Send them copy of contract re page which mentions no pets underlined -state they are not allowed pets& had they forgotten this?

You need to use the S21 process to get them out, and make sure you are careful to follow the process. Make sure you read the terms of the relevant legislation carefully though, or you could be stuck with them for much longer! Most ASTs have a clause that state if no notice is given the tenancy reverts automatically to a rolling monthly contract. You will need to make sure you are compliant with the law and the tenancy agreement.

YANBU to say that the contract is broken, and they will not be allowed to stay for that reason but you need proof if you're going for S8 grounds. I say that both as a current landlord and as a former tenant who was once evicted for having an "illegal" cat - I shrugged my shoulders and said fair enough, I was in the wrong. We moved somewhere that allowed cats, no problem.

Re the brackets -I just wish the tenant would mention this but the only thing you can say is they must make good any marks on wall (or leave the blessed tv bracket behind for next tenant!) thing is these days people tend to have wall brackets the hope is they don't cause real damage to wall ie if the walls are plaster board rather than plaster

@CuriousaboutSamphire Why do you say "not in the UK then?". England/Wales aren't the only countries in the UK you know?

Most people on here are unaware that tenants are supposed to ask the landlords permission to even put 1 nail into a wall.. But that isn't actually true!

Most ASTs request that tenants get permission (and that it will not usually withheld) but the real test is at the end of the tenacy, not during it. As a landlord you don't have the right to blanket ban anything, cats, nails, ordinary living. That house is some elses home and they are fuly entitled to use it as such... not matter what you might think your contract says.

You do not get to micro manage what your tenants do in their home. You DO have the right to be compensated for any loss or damage incurred at THE END OF THE TENANCY!

Breachs of the AST have to be for unusual and costly occurences. 1 nail, a TV bracket or 2 cats won't be enough in a court!

@Aprilcherry04 I used to let my tenants treat it as their home, because it’s a bit rubbish to have to ask someone to put one nail in a wall.

A lot of landlords seem to forget that they are providing a service in return for a hefty chunk of money.

No one is doing anyone a favour here.

OP, is the house in a UK country at all or is it abroad? Might have been a good idea to mention that in your OP as you will now, understandably, get lots of people telling you the England / Wales rules...

I would not want cats either, they might piss on the carpet, pull threads etc.
They know they are not allowed cats, you could tell them that in view of having deliberately broken the rental agreement I would deduct from deposit for a full professional clean at the end of their tenancy.
& meanwhile tell them you are aware they have cats,

Why do you say "not in the UK then?". England/Wales aren't the only countries in the UK you know? Obviously. But the regs in Scotland are more stringent than in England/ Wales.. and the info given wouldn't work there either! So not the UK would be my guess - that orthe OP rally doe have a serious misunderstanding about the law.

In the UK a landlord cannot end a tenancy... they can request it's return and they can start eviction proceedings. A tenancy can, as SimonJT pointed out, only be ended by the tenant or a court!

out of interest -are rental laws slightly different in NI, Chanel Isles & IOM etc?

The people who are saying that all a property needs is a bit of a clean after cats are there clearly don't have a cat allergy. I'm really allergic to cats. I will react to clothes, cushions or even curtains in a room where there has been a cat previously.When we were viewing houses to buy I had to ask about cats because buying a "catty" house would mean probably replacing carpets.

It IS a big deal.

I would deduct from deposit for a full professional clean at the end of their tenancy. and it would be refused / modified by all of the deposit schemes if the tenants queried it - anywhere in the UK!

Of course I'm not petty enough to object about a nail in the wall! I have given them free rein with redecorating etc. The issue here is that I think they are cheeky as fuck for flouting the strict no pets policy. I understand that it is there home and that is why I have not inspected property on a quarterly basis (as letting agent advises).

Oh! I see. Now it is a strict no pets policy and, as syou won't say where in the world the property is, no one can gainsay you!

OK!

OP you are ridiculous to ask for advice here and not state you are outside the UK at the start. Because no one can give you real advice.

Lots of places will not let you end the tenancy just because of pets - but some places will. For example when I lived in the US the exact place I lived (State and town) automatically allowed tenants to have certain types and numbers of pets (and actually also had limits for example on the number of cats you could own, I think 3 indoor or 2 outdoor). Without those details no one can advise you.

As to the moral decision - no one can advise of that without knowledge of the local culture and legality. As long as you give them reasonable notice to quit...
And as to the practicality of your choices - it depends on factors such as: how easy is it to get new tenants? How easy is it for them to find somewhere else? What are the costs associated with getting new tenants? etc.

Location is really crucial information.

YANBU. I am sure many pets and cats are fine but you’ve put those rules in place and it’s not ok for your tenants to ignore them.

I had two cats from rescue kittens until their eventual death at ages 17 and 18. As young, outdoor cats they did no damage at all, but as they got older and became frail they went out less, so clawed up walls and door frames ( ignoring the many scratching posts I bought). They also became incontinent and made the place stink and destroyed the carpets in the two rooms they preferred to pee in. As much loved family pets I tolerated this and tried to keep things as hygienic as I could but it is no exaggeration to say that within an hour of the last one being pts I was pulling up the disgusting carpets. It took weeks to get the smell out of those rooms. Much as I miss them and would love to have another cat for company the experience has made me decide to never have another pet.

A bit concerning if you are in the UK that you referring to them as lodger rather tenants.

It's up to you if you want to renew or not. Problem is if you are in Scotland, you can't issue an s21 through no fault. Whether having pets when contract says no constitutes a fault would be for the court to decide.

They don't have to move if you don't renew. It will go on a roll over. Even if you issue an s21, they don't have to move and you would need 5o go to court to evict them. All this would be very costly much more than the potential damage cats can do.

So it's up to you if you go ahead take the risk they will come to your request and that your subsequent tenants wouldn't do just the same.