To ask why unfurnished rental properties still don't allow pets?

[Coffeebiscuitsrepeat]

My sister is having terrible trouble trying to find a place to rent with her two cats. I can understand furnished properties due to scratching sofa etc., but why do so many unfurnished places not allow pets? The one she was viewing didn't even have carpet, just laminate flooring!

The carpets are ancient in my place so landlord wasn’t too fussed, they’ll need replacement anyway when I leave - and I’ve been there a decade
And that's fair compromise. We replace carpets every 4 or 5 years in ou let property. This clearly comes at a high cost (the carpets in our house are 12 and 18 years!).

The problem is if tenants only stay for say two years and pets ruin the carpet so it has it be replaced, the deposit scheme will consider depreciation and we'd be lucky to get 75%, most likely 50% of the costs.

That's a lot to pay for new carpets after 2 years that should last at least double if looked after.

my house, my rules
People with attitudes like this really shouldn’t be landlords

Obviously there has to be a sensible balance because the LL's house is someone's home, but do some really think they can move in and do exactly what they want?

Among those who push for more social housing, I sometimes wonder how many do it because they know they're less likely to be asked to leave ...

We rent and have four cats and have just got a puppy too. We had three cats when we moved in which our landlord was fine about (didn’t ask us to pay any extra deposit or anything) and then we sought full written permission for the other cat and the puppy.

We’ve been here seven years and he knows we are excellent tenants and we will leave his house in perfect condition.

Urine smell and fleas! I work in housing and the problems of pets is a big one.

For f* sake for the hard of hearing:

Landlords, you can no longer take a higher deposit than 5 weeks rent (6 if the tenancy is an extortionately high amount)

Tenants, we shouted until we were blue in the face that the tenants fee act which also capped deposits lobbied by Shelter would have this result.

There's no way in hell that 5 weeks rent will cover pet damage. We once had to replace every single carpet thanks to the tenants allowing the dog to shit everywhere and doing a piss poor job of cleaning it up. That cost 3 times their deposit ( and the deposit scheme gave it back to them!)

Not all tenants allow their pets to damage the property but there are enough that do, so afterwards that's another landlord who will no longer take the risk.

Your only option is to offer to pay a 'pet rent' which means that even if your pet is well behaved, you'll end up paying a premium. I'm sure that's just what Shelter realised what would happen, or as I suspect, they were so wrapped up in their 'fuck all landlords' campaign they totally failed to think through the consequences of their actions.

Let this be a warning. If you ban section 21 evictions ("no fault") it's going to make a lot of landlords decide to put their money elsewhere, so even less housing. Be careful for what you wish for.

If you can't take a higher deposit, then you say no to pets.

Tenants can't expect any different - pets are smelly and cause damage.

If I were a landlord I'd be happy with a house rabbit or guinea pigs but nothing else.

I find that the agents can be the barrier, they often don't pass stuff on when they should, and it'll only come up when a tenant emails me direct

Agree with this, it also happens when buying and selling houses. Always worth getting past the gatekeeper and asking direct - if you can get past the gatekeeper.

Have you ever tried getting the smell of cat piss out if floorboards? Its impossible. They have to be replaced

It's still going to mean more risk of wear and damage.

Landlords can cover their costs by charging "pet rent", but I can understand some might not want the extra hassle and void time if major cleaning or renovation is needed.

I only allow cats or a small dog as I really don’t want to be dealing with building management. And they pay for pet insurance

Many flats the leasehold states no pets (mine does it’s mainly ignored but at times building management will remind us and I have no idea of tenants will be responsible owners or allow their pets to poo in the shared garden or dig up the plants)

We've a few rental properties, most are flats (were pets aren't allowed anyway), but we've learnt by experience not to take any pets or people on benefits. Especially now that the deposit amounts are capped. We've been burnt a couple of times - and I've had to take one tenant to small claims court as his dog dug a hole through the kitchen floor and the deposit didn't cover it and the rent he hadn't paid.

I'm a landlord and I would allow pets but the building my flat is in doesn't, I assume it is to do with noise, smells and potential for infestations (like fleas) then affecting other residents.

I rent and although my contract states no pets, my landlords have let me have a dog on the condition that I have the carpets professionally cleaned on vacating the property. I totally understand why the rule is in place - dogs mess up flooring and can potentially chew and cause a huge amount of damage to walls, bannisters, floors - not just furniture. Cats - well, have you tried to get rid of the cat piss smell?!

One tenant I visited had a lovely dog husky crossed with a woolly mammoth, god it was shaggy. When I walked in the smell nearly knocked me out, mangy. The lady honestly could not smell it. I got the dog to rollover and yep was on her belly inside back legs. The smell had permeated the carpet, furniture everything. She was mortified and took dog to vet. When I called in months later the house and hound smelt lovely.

But cat pee or the spray thing they do is absolutely impossible to get rid of.

And this is why there are so many cats in shelters, because their owners had no choice but to give them up due to not being able to find a landlord who would accept pets. Pets that were loved.

For gods sake, people who rent are not necessarily doing so short-term while they save to buy. More and more people these days can’t afford to save and rent at the same time, renting will be their whole lives. We are not talking about the odd twat who lets a cat piss all over the house here, we’re talking about families with children being forced to give up family pets because a previous landlord sold up and nobody else would take them. Elderly people whose cat or dog was their only company. Pets are not just inconvenient things that might make your property smell, they are members of families. Families that are being broken up because of attitudes like some of these in this thread.

If you are a landlord, the property is yours but the HOME is the tenant’s. If you can’t see that, you have no busIness being a landlord.

Oh dear, this thread doesn't give me much hope! I agree with you boilingbunny. My DH and I are sadly childless not by choice and our pets (2 cats and one dog) are our family.

We are selling our house to move somewhere much cheaper that needs complete renovation and will have to rent somewhere while work is being done, maybe for 6 months. We have no family in the area to stay with so our only option is renting. I'm not sure we will find somewhere based on this thread! But as if we would give up our beloved family to a shelter because they are an 'inconvenience'.

I understand re mess etc but with renting becoming the norm for future generations there has to be some sort of reasonable solution for people renting with pets.

there has to be some sort of reasonable solution for people renting with pets.

The thing is there was. It used to be normal to ask for a larger deposit to cover potential pet damages.
Then shelter campaigned successfully to make that illegal.
So now landlords are more unwilling to take pets because there is no way of covering potential damages.
Pet rent is a potential way forward but more unfair on tenants with pets who don't make a mess.

I had to replace my own laminate flooring in my own house with ceramic tiles because my own bastard, neutered Tom cats sprayed it so much. It's entirely reasonable to not want pets in a rented property, they smell and fill the house with hair. Believe it or not I'm a cat person but there's no mistaking the fact that they can be a right pain. Constant scrubbing with biological washing powder and surgical spirit was needed to keep the smell under control. Many tennant's would not be that vigilant in a rented property.

The stink of cat or dog piss on the carpet.
Scratching on floor, walls, skirting boards, doors.
Flea infestations.

When I rented I was asked for twice the deposit for my dog in an unfurnished property which I thought was more than reasonable. It was also a house that said 'no pets' but I spoke to the landlord and asked them to consider and he was happy to.

I know a LL, who really invests in her properties, she has a no pet rule, as she has quality carpets fitted and pets cause damage.

Unfortunately, many of her tenants lie and insist they don’t have pets.

Trying a rent a house with a dog & two cats won’t be easy, perhaps you would be better off thinking other options, staying with relatives, buying a caravan to live in, or rough it get one room sorted and live in it, whilst the renovations go ahead, DH & I did that before the children.

I have a cat and I rent. I’m a responsible cat owner, my cat is completely litter trained, I have scratching posts and yes he’s scratched one of my sofas a bit but it’s my sofa! The only things that belong to the landlord are the carpets and white goods. Okay so perhaps, theoretically, he might damage a carpet but my deposit was £800!

My point being, if tenants let their pets soak the carpets with urine to the point they seep into the floorboards, or allow them to damage walls, or destroy gardens, or infect the place with fleas... is that down to the pets? Or are these tenants you’d want to avoid anyway? They’d probably cause damage regardless.

Landlords are in a position of privilege. They’re making money off people who are unable to access the housing market. People who are just as entitled to live full and happy family lives as anyone. All the non pet allowing landlords on this thread should ask themselves how they’d feel if they were forced to give up a loved family member.

I am having exactly the same issue!! Been trying to move for ages. Its so frustrating. I'd be happy to pay a slightly bigger deposit as I have cars

Cats not cars!!!

If you are a landlord, the property is yours but the HOME is the tenant’s

Most of us both know and respect this, and with good news being no news at all we don't always hear about the countless LLs and tenants for whom it all works very well

That said, none of us can have exactly what we want exactly as we want it all the time ... for that you need to be a home owner, and even then there are various local regs which have to be followed

The carpets in my own housewere put in in 1990! and still going strong. No pets of course which is one reason they are fine. I would never have a dog or cat in my own house.