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?

I think you need to toughen up and start behaving more professionally.

Your relationship with these people is based on a contract. They are not your friends. You should not be entering into any personal hand-wringing about this at all. What's the business answer? Do that.

Just in case anyone wants to see the damage my twat cats have made.
Bedroom door and big newel.

I don't know where you live but I've been reading all over the news this last week that the law is changing regarding pets in rented accommodation and that all tenants can have well behaved pets whether it's cats, dogs, rabbits etc and only if you have a very good reason can you refuse to have pets. Are you 100% sure that they are their cats, I'm only asking because ever since we moved in to our rented house (April 2018) we have a cat that comes to visit (lives at the house opposite), he'll sit outside our back door pawing and meowing if it's not open and he can see us, if the back door was open such as in the summer he'll just invite himself in and wonder around the kitchen, go upstairs and even sit on our sofa.

And yes, they have scratching posts and I trim their claws regularly.

Not sure why you’re het up over the TV. The bracket can be removed and holes can be filled, it’s really not the end of the world.

I can understand why you’re pissed off about the cats though. I had a cat once, I’ll never do that again. It peed/sprayed all over despite being litter trained and neutered. It would pee in its tray but still go and pee or spray all over the floor/soft furnishings too. Bastard thing, I had to replace so many things. They have broken the contract, you have every right not to renew.

Also I have chosen not to disclose the lo action of the house as it may out me A country?? FFS! Don't be daft!

I was not asking g about legalities . I was asking in most people's opinions am I being unreasonable Well you have your answer on that morally... but not legally!

May out you out of a whole country?!

Definately renew.

I know I'm going to come across quite awful, but if I was your tenants, if I'd always paid and took really good care of the property, if you didn't renew after telling me you would I would stay in the property and force you to take court action.

Do you have any idea how hard good tenants can be to come by?

Do you know how hard it is to evict a tenant that doesn't want to go?

That is their home, if they take good care of the property and pay and cause no trouble why on earth would you evict them?

Most younger people have no option now but to rent, what a bloody miserable life working hard and paying well over what the equivalent fee for a mortgage would be for no real security and being told you can do nothing to make your house feel like home.

Cats can but don't always make damage in the house. It also depends if the house is furnished by OP or tenants have their own furniture. Most cats who do the damage do it to upholstery. Also it is much more difficult to clean furniture than just carpets, floors, walls... We have two cats (strictly indoor) and my in-laws have two cats (outdoor) and we have never had any damages incurred by them.

That being said, I would have never brought a pet into a house rented under strict no pet policy - if nothing else than for cats own benefit as finding a place to rent in the UK that allows pets is more difficult than buying a kidney on a black market.

I'm not het up about the tv......

@Aprilcherry04 I get that you are pissed off, but as a few posters have said, it seems mad to not renew, when they are good tenants. SO many landlords have nightmare tenants (and vice versa!) so do hang onto them.

As someone said upthread, you could issue the new tenancy with a clause in it saying they will have to pay for any damages caused by their cats. But I doubt very much there will be any.

However, it would have been a different story if it had been dogs .............

Dogs can do quite a lot of damage. One friend of mine who rents a house out, had around £1700 worth of damage that was caused directly by the tenant's 2 dogs, (that she said she didn't have.)

Yeah, cats are capable of doing a BIT of damage, but most will not.

And the example the poster put up there ^ is the exception rather than the rule. Cats rarely do that kind of damage, unless they have some kind of behavioural issues...

@Aprilcherry04 I know you are pissed off and worried, but the more you post, the more I am beginning to feel sorry for your tenants if you're this stressy and angsty and precious with them!

FGS don't refuse to renew their contract, just tell them that they should really have asked first, and write a new clause into their NEW contract regarding the cats. As for the TV wall bracket holes; big deal, that can be fixed.

I think sometimes, some landlords and landladies forget that their tenants are actually human, with personalities, and hobbies and interests, and actual LIVES. Live and let live; you chose to rent your property out, you're going to have to give a little bit, and not just take the rent off them, and moan when they do something painfully trivial!

Also, why does it matter if you have a cat allergy, when it's not you living at that particular property?

Seriously, let it go. Cats are the best, most chilled out pets in the world, and will really cause no damage at all to your property. Stop worrying.

It's your house OP if you want them out then don't renew the contract...

Personally if it was my house and they were good tenants having pets wouldn't bother me. But I'm not allergic to them and it's not my house.

Are they otherwise good tenants? If so, I would renew, but advise them that there was now a professional cleaning bond to be paid (I.e. extra deposit, which you will hold until the end of the tenancy) to take into account the presence of their cats. Make it a high enough amount!

We are currently housing a family members cat. Family member ignored landlords advice and got a cat. Hid it on inspections but got found out.
The first we knew about them not being able to have cats was when we were asked to rehome the poor thing!
I don’t know what they (family members) were thinking. They were asked to leave or rehome the cat. If we hadn’t of taken it they would have had to find somewhere else to live.
Why do people ignore the contract?

Why couldn’t she just not renew? It’s her property. There are 2 reasons:

1: Renew as in start a new contract. The tenant is entitled to ask for the defined term contract change to a 'rolling contract'. So it is not entirely the landlords choice

1. As in she can't just refuse to renew and expect the tenants to move out on the date she gives. That isn't how it works in the UK, and many other countries (which is why I was asking where the property is)

With the usual AST, in the UK, a tenant can end a tenancy. A landlord can request its end but it has to be enforced via a court of the tenant chooses not to move by the date the landlrd sets.

I was not asking g about legalities . I was asking in most people's opinions am I being unreasonable

The legalities make a difference though op. If it's not legal to just kick them out then reasonableness isn't relevant.
FWIW yabu, get it cleaned when they leave. Good tenants are worth a cleaning cost. It is shit being a tenant and never feeling like where you live is your home and you're clearly not planning on moving in within the next year if you we're going to renew anyway.

Would they rehome the cats? I realise the damage is done in terms of the allergens but if they are keen to stay they might be willing to do this.

My worry would be that they are beginning to lose the distinction between house and home. It's their home but it's still your house, and they do have a contract that they have broken twice. So at the very least you need to give them a warning about further breaches.

In my past & current expernice as a landlord..

Pets are permitted and overall they have been no bother at all as long as someone isnt trying to do somehtng daft like keep a couple of alsations in a two bed flat and similar silly buggers, but a couple of cats well looked after?, no real problem.

However get them out ofd there for that TV!! that looks naff Big time:(

Cat lover and landlord here. Nothing you can do about the TV mount until the end of tenancy. I personally wouldn't charge for making good a wall, unless it was severely/maliciously damaged. It's part of wear and tear, IMO.

I would absolutely not renew a tenancy over the cats, though. It's their home, but it's your property and you were very clear about the conditions beforehand. Your reasons why aren't even needed.

Verdict: YANBU.

I think sometimes, some landlords and landladies forget that their tenants are actually human, with personalities, and hobbies and interests, and actual LIVES

Well put tigger on the train!!

CuriousaboutSamphire & phoenixrosehere

Yes I use an agency for mine and used an independent auditor. My own bigger issue is the TV bracket actually, the pet smells can be dealt with by re-carpeting or deep cleaning if they move on. Just annoying when - like OP - we've given free reign on everything else (including, oddly, digging up a large bush they took a dislike to!).

Your verdict is correct @BorneoBabe. OP is definitely not at BU to want the tenants to move out if she feels cats are a step too far!

But the WAY OP ends the tenancy was the initial issue, especially given her error in terminology at the beginning. Which is why some posters, like myself, have tried to give some advice on what she can do / expect.

I really don't get how the OP is being 'stressy and angsty and precious' or trying to 'micro manage'

It's very simple: there is a no-pets clause and they've flouted it. They are in the wrong.

OP, if the cat allergy means them having cats renders you unable to use the property for yourself in the future, or is debilitating to you in another way, I'd not renew and just let them know clearly why.
If you do otherwise want them to stay on, I'd have a discussion about keeping them on subject to them signing and sticking to a new contract/clause that provides for more frequent inspections to keep an eye on potential damage; and make clear that any damage caused by the cats will come out of their deposit when they leave. And check your landlord's insurance too.

That is their home, if they take good care of the property and pay and cause no trouble why on earth would you evict them?

Because they got cats. Why do people think it's ok to break the cotract?

Of course they have to go or get rid of the cats. They took the risk and now reap the consequences.