To lie about having pets to potential Landlord

[RottieMum80]

So we’ve been stuck on the renting wheel for years and have been in our current home, which we love very much, for 2 1/2 yrs. We took this property under the understanding of a ‘long term’ let but we’ve just found out our Landlord wants to take advantage of the current RIDICULOUS house prices and are selling it from under us. We’re gutted, especially our 9yr old daughter who has friends all along our road that she plays with daily and her school is just a 10 minute walk away. Now we are looking around for an alternative property in our town (where we have family, friends, childcare, daughter’s school etc) and there’s literally NOTHING around. Not even anything unsuitable, just nothing. Started to panic obviously, then low and behold our neighbours 3 doors down told us they’re handing their notice in for their place as they’ve bought a house! It’s identical to our current home and means barely anything has to change. However, we have a large dog and a cat. This Landlady doesn’t allow pets. Now I’ve always left rental properties in perfect (often better!) condition, I’m very clean, tidy and house proud and our pets are completely house trained and never cause any damage.
So bearing in mind we are pretty screwed here with impending homelessness......AIBU to lie about having any pets?

Don't lie but see if you can negotiate your pets. As a general rule, landlords should refurb a home every 7 years anyway, so if this has not been done and things aren't brand new, they may be more willing to consider allowing your pets, esp if your current landlord can give you a good reference about your pets being non-destructive.

You need to say. We had a no pet clause in our rental flat and tenants got a dog then asked us retrospectively. Not only did it cause damage to wooden floors I am massively allergic so we needed to change loads of furniture and deep clean so I could stay there when they moved out. I was intending to stay there for work when they moved but ended up not being able to as the dog affected me too much even after cleaning so I had to rent a room. If they had asked we could have explained why it was no dogs!

Deposits have been capped to 6 weeks of rent so it's no longer possible to offer a huge deposit to cover pet damage.

I say this as a pet owner,in the situation you've described I wouldn't be putting lying or tieing yourself in knots to change the landlords mind

You need a home, your child needs a school, you need childcare, you need to consider an alternative home for the pets even if just as a temporary measure.

What happens if you move out, new tenants move in and they have a severe allergy to cats or dogs

Op don't lie. That a really shitty thing to do to someone who has allowed your into their home, regardless of you paying. You can ask them if they are willing to reconsider and good idea about inviting them around. But do not lie.

It’s so difficult 😞 I hate the thought of lying and as you say, looking over my shoulder worrying all the time. But the way the market is, if I come clean and am honest and she STILL refuses because there are so many other tenants around also desperate for housing, then where does that leave us and my 2 children? (One being a 4mth old baby)? It’s all well and good saying all the above, especially when you’re fortunate enough to own your own home, but at the end of the day we need a roof over our heads and never thought this would happen when we got the pets as we intended to be here some time, at least until we could potentially afford our own place. There’s no other properties around, not just in our town but even the surrounding areas and absolutely no possibility of any council housing (hahahahaha! Hilarious even mentioning that!)
Would you really genuinely put the ONLY potential home at risk if you were in my shoes?
I’m usually a very honest straight down the line person and it doesn’t sit well with me, but neither does homelessness 😔

A lot of landlords who say "no pets" will actually
be willing to accept a pet for a good tenant, particularly if you are willing to offer a larger deposit. Definitely ask.

Would you really genuinely put the ONLY potential home at risk if you were in my shoes?

No, I wouldn't. I would get rid of the pets in order adequately house my children though.

OP, I am a LL (and a dog owner) and I would very strongly advise you against lying. Your situation is very unfortunate, and I can see why PP have given the advice they have given - but the only thing in the universe that would persuade me to accept tenants with pets (especially a Rottweiler, assuming the clue is in the username) is if I had failed for months to let the property and were becoming desperate.

One reason LLs often don't want to let to people with pets is that they can cause allergy problems for the next tenants. Quite a lot of tenants will refuse to rent a property which has had resident pets. So it's just easier for LLs to say no to them.

Have you tried calling every lettings agent in your local area, and being upfront about the pets? Or is there anyone in your family who could take the pets for six months, thus enabling you to move to your neighbours' property even if just in the short term, while you look for something more suitable? I know it's not ideal, but you're in a bit of a bind whichever way you look at it.

I would also say that your anger with your own LL is slightly misplaced. Anyone who owns a house has a perfect right to sell it whenever they like and for whatever reason they like, so long as they give their tenants the relevant notice. You can't really be cross with them when they haven't actually done anything wrong.

@Kobayashi21

Would you really genuinely put the ONLY potential home at risk if you were in my shoes?

No, I wouldn't. I would get rid of the pets in order adequately house my children though.

This

I would re home your pets, having a pet and a child in rented is not a good idea. You are restricting a home for your child.

I have a flat that I rent out and I'm happy to accept people with pets as long as they’re willing to put down a larger deposit.

YABU

of course you shouldn’t lie. Offer extra deposit, reference, professional clean when you move out etc

This is a risk of getting pets when you’re renting unfortunately, there’s always the risk of having to move and struggling to find somewhere that will take your pets.

One cat and it is worth asking. I might pretend two cats was one if one cat was allowed. Dog, no, absolutely not.

I think you will find it pretty much impossible to rent with children and pets. In my area that is definitely the case.

I thought about keeping my cat secretly when I had to rent at short notice but the landlord was adamant he didn’t want pets and he and/or the agency would have found out as they were at the property a lot for various reasons.

Offer a larger security deposit against damage? And invite her to view your current property

Don’t lie. You won’t be able to ‘hide’ the pets. Dog smell never comes out of carpets, walls, even floorboards sometimes. Respect they don’t want animals in their property.

It only takes a few canine/feline accidents to ruin patches of carpet and furniture.

Can the pets stay with family for a while or go to foster homes, if this house is your only option to stay local?

We managed to get a rental with 2 dogs - but we were up front and larger deposit. ( Actually got all our deposit back after massive cleaning when we left. - not because they made a mess just because making sure it was a clean as a whistle in case next tenants did not take to dogs. )

No, I wouldn't. I would get rid of the pets in order adequately house my children though.

This.

Offering to pay pet rent often sweetens the pot for landlords. It’s no longer allowed to pay extra deposit, but paying more in rent is allowed in most areas.

@Hankunamatata

Offer a larger security deposit against damage? And invite her to view your current property

If rental properties are as rare as the OP says why would the landlord put themselves out when there must be plenty of other prospective tenants without pets?

Def don’t lie. However my friend who is a tennant just told me about how she talked her landlord into letting her have a dog in her “no pets” home. Explain the situation and they might be accommodating. But don’t lie.

@Kobayashi21

Would you really genuinely put the ONLY potential home at risk if you were in my shoes?

No, I wouldn't. I would get rid of the pets in order adequately house my children though.

Exactly. Your child has to come first.

To all those saying offer more deposit- it's not allowed, the latest regulations cap the deposit amount.

I'm a landlord, I accept pets with a guarantor. In the nicest possible way, I want a homeowner that I can take to small claims court if your pet wees on every carpet in the house, eats the skirting boards and kitchen cupboards and scratches the doors. They can cause THOUSANDS in damages very quickly.

In the nicest possible way, I would say no to a rottweiler, German shepherd, doberman or other large dog, or one with a bad reputation. My relationship with the neighbours is more important to me than the needs of someone I don't have a relationship with, and once a tenant is in its very hard to get them out again, so I wouldn't risk it.