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!

It makes no sense to me, and I'm a landlord. I actually discriminate in favour of cat owners. They tend to be nicer people than the average, make less fuss about non-issues and stay much longer. And there has never been any damage.

Much, much worse damage is done by children, and adults come to that.

Prior bad experiences maybe? I know someone whose unfurnished rental ended up with cat pee all over the house. No matter how hard you clean, even with ammonia removing cleaners, that stench does not come out. The house reeked of cat piss. In the end, all the carpets had to be re-fitted. The deposit didnt cover it as it would only cover cleaning costs. THAT is why perhaps? 🤷🏼‍♀️

What I don't understand is lots of home owners have pets. I never see any big fuss on house buying and selling threads over pets.

It's so sad. All those animals needing a home in shelters.

Why does it have to be all or nothing when it comes to fees? Why not introduce a pet deposit scheme.

There's no need for No Fault evictions. We simply need to strengthen At Fault eviction rights for landlords.

What I don't understand is lots of home owners have pets. I never see any big fuss on house buying and selling threads over pets

Sure, because I know 100% that I'm looking after my own pets and am neutering them/preventing them from scratching/urinating etc. I cannot guarantee others will can I? Same as I know I can vouch for my car's safety, I cant guarantee other people check their cars regularly etc

I think a lot of leasehold flats in blocks or conversions have a binding clause stating no pets (for owners or renters) from their freeholder. I lived in a georgian house flat conversion like that. A blind eye was turned to guinea pigs, hamsters etc but many tenants would move dogs and cats in. A guy in the basement got a really noisy dog and another flat complained to the block management agent and the basement flat owner was sent legal letters saying that his leasehold could be removed and the flat taken, leaving the LL without a flat but still a mortgage to pay and legal costs. The tenant moved out with much rancour and delay and the floors, skirtings and carpets were all wrecked by the pet and other fittings trashed by the tenant in "revenge" even though he had been told upfront about the no pet clause for everyone in the block. Pets can just be more trouble than they are worth to a LL and tenants do lie about not having pets to LL's or get them after moving in. I've seen it so many times.

Rented a property & allowed one dog

Received complaint call from neighbour about noise from 2 dogs

Tenants had not bothered to ask about more than one pet

Not impressed

I was once shown round a rental property by an estate agent who said she didn't understand why people didn't allow pets as kids did so much more damage.

She was right, I've recently bought a house I'm still finding bits of it the previous little darlings have drawn on!

Scratching, chewing, peeing on walls, skirtings, carpets, kitchen cabinets. Not that hard to work out really.

Because it's the landlord's house and they get to choose if they allow pets or not. They won't want a cat scratching the doors or laminate flooring or ruining flooring if they wee on it.

I have yet to meet a tenant whose cat or dog could write on walls, floors with an indelible pen {grin}

I never see any big fuss on house buying and selling threads over pets.

This is surely because if you own a place you are going to keep the urine etc in check if you want to sell the property.
Or if the property is sold in a neglected state you take the financial hit of this.
With renting, tenants are potentially making the mess but landlords are taking the financial hit.

The vast majority of houses with pets, smell of pets. Most people with pets claim that their house is the exception. This is rarely the case!

All landlords want perfect tenants who’d leave the place miraculously in better condition than when they moved in.

We allowed dogs at a property we let out and the house just stunk of dog after - even after having the carpets cleaned. We made a decision not to allow it again.

Why does it have to be all or nothing when it comes to fees? Why not introduce a pet deposit scheme

Because Shelter would press for that too to be made illegal perhaps?

There's no need for No Fault evictions. We simply need to strengthen At Fault eviction rights for landlords

Absolutely - but as said, strengthening LLs' rights doesn't make such a good headline or win as many votes

As a dog owner - I can understand as after one of my poor old pooches I had to have the flooring replaced from her weeing. However - I do have a house I rent out and I have allowed tenants to have pets. One who had a dog was more messy on leaving - lots of dog hair etc but nothing that couldn’t be cleaned

Meant to add house is all hard floors bar one bedroom and stairs / landing. Carrots had to be deep cleaned but wasn’t because of the dog

*carpets not carrots!

@Coffeebiscuitsrepeat

Her cats are very good and don't scratch (granted, agencies/landlords don't know that). I don't see why a 'pet deposit' isn't more of a thing in the UK. She would be more than happy to put down a few hundred pounds at the start of her let, and then if there was any damage, the agency/landlord would be able to keep it.

If she had a baby, it would probably make far more mess... yet that wouldn't be a problem! I think not allowing some compromise at least is so unfair. 🙁

Are you smoking crack??? A baby is very different to a cat mate

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

I’m well aware of that. I don’t think many people realise that many many leasehold do not allow pets though this is often ignored the leaseholder can and will fine property owners. Landlords are able to rent the property out (with the leaseholders consent and agreement with the mortgage company) but can’t change the leasehold contract. Tenants can also not run a business from my flat and they also can not sub let. This will be the case for many landlords. So as much as it is their home while living there there are more restrictions to tenants than homeowners because landlords are also bound by leaseholders and mortgage companies

So many people seem to think pets wee and poo all over the house?! 🤔 Either you've not had a pet before or you have had badly trained ones?
My dog goes to the toilet on his walks and won't even do a poo in our back garden, never mind inside the house!
Our cats are litter trained and know exactly where they need to go to use the toilet.
No carpets in our house, just tiles and sealed wooden floors. l think it's much harder re smells etc when you have carpet everywhere.

@purpleleotard except that doesn't stop the next person from inviting another cat in does it.
Most animal owners take good care of their cats/dogs and de-worm/flea them. What you're saying is a random cat came into the house which the tenant was unaware had fleas because it wasn't their pet.

You guys must know some really poor pet owners.

Who's trained their dog/cat so bloody poorly theyre pissing all over door frames lol

Been in a rental for 6 years and the worst thing thats happened is a cat being sick on the carpet, but that cleaned immediately.

Make cats spray, it's nothing to do with weeing & pooing in the house or being badly trained. My cats never wee'd or pooed indoors but they sprayed everything & anything they fancied, including, one time, DS's leg. They were both neutered, it's a myth that this stops them doing it. A vet told me she had a female cat that sprayed (who knew that was even a thing) & she was at her wits end with it too. I don't think I'm a bad pet owner, I tried numerous things to try and stop them but nothing worked. Eventually I moved to a larger house with more garden and that sorted it. I think they were feeling a lack of territory. Anyway at least it was my own house not someone else's. If I had been in a rented property I would have had to had them rehomed as it would have been grossly unfair to the landlord to inflict that on them.

We’ve always allowed pets, never had any issues and never asked for a larger deposit. We do ask that anyone who has pets doesn’t have them home all day on their own whilst they are at work (pet owners ourselves and know this is when they tend to make damage).

Also - we try and ensure pet owners are long term tenants. We expect to replace the carpet and redecorate after a few years anyway.