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?

We do this. We are allowed the dogs but not the cat. Every time we have a house check, one of us bundles the cat in the car with all her stuff and drive off until it’s over

We’ve been here 3 years now and landlady still doesn’t know

I did this a few years ago and it turned out next door were pally with landlord and told them and he kicked us straight out.

It's awful that pets aren't allowed in some properties. They usually cause a lot less damage and mess than kids do.

They are looking at a law that says you can't discriminate (a labour thing I believe) but it hasn't come in yet. I hope this happens as families are being torn apart having to give up much loved pets because they can't afford to own a property.

Be upfront and honest, offer higher deposit and professional clean at end of tenancy, and references.

44% of UK households have pets. Almost no houses say they accept pets on Rightmove.

It goes without saying that a lot of people are renting while not being honest about pets, and I'm sure estate agents know this is the case. If you had a cat or a chihuahua or something I'd say go for it, but there's no way you'll get away with them not finding out about your large dog.

We do this. We are allowed the dogs but not the cat. Every time we have a house check, one of us bundles the cat in the car with all her stuff and drive off until it’s over

Why a dog but not a cat?

Get off your high horse. The tenants aren’t ‘paying the mortgage’, they’re paying the Landlord to rent their property.

That would be available for purchase at a far better price if a huge percentage weren't being used as buy to lets....to pay off someone else's mortgage.

@memberofthewedding

Landlords who listen to snitch neighbours get no respect from me. Its the tenant who has a business relationship with the LL and is paying the mortgage, not the bloody neighbours.

I have some sympathy with this. When I work out how much our tenant has given us in rent, I realize how much it should be a two way respect. Actually, he could have bought the flat in the 16 years he's rented.

Why a dog but not a cat?
I've had a cat ruin a stair carpet. They can also using door frames as scratching posts.

We once took a flat with 2 little dogs - their names were on the lease. Original offer was - no pets - but we said before we signed we have 2 dogs - we did not sneak them in. They accepted it. At the end of tenancy we got the full deposit back ( it was a larger one because of dogs - but maybe we were just lucky a LL was prepared to take the risk. ) But the flat was in as best condition as it could be after 2 years. - The letting agent was astonished in that she thought it did not even need repainting. ( we went overboard to clean everything to the n. th degree ) some of those who are grateful for being allowed pets will do everything within their power to make sure the place is as utterly pristine as they can make it

Unlike a house we once bought where they gave all the dogs a bath and just left the bathroom full of dog hairs. I like dogs but this was just once of those - - pass me the marigolds & I''ll get on with it moments

But it does rely on a LL accepting the dogs / pets in the first place - I understand that

I don’t think you should lie about your dog and cat, as you could end up in a far worse position once you’re found out. It will also cause you no end of stress worrying about it. Your plan of action is good, to invite the LL around and ask her directly if she’ll allow you to move your pets in. Quite a few LLs on this thread have said they would be open to this in your circumstances.

I’m sorry you’re having to this worry to deal with on top of everything else. I have 3 cats and can’t imagine having to give them up.

I hope this happens as families are being torn apart having to give up much loved pets because they can't afford to own a property.
Slightly dramatic...?

@charlotteself

I did this a few years ago and it turned out next door were pally with landlord and told them and he kicked us straight out.

It's awful that pets aren't allowed in some properties. They usually cause a lot less damage and mess than kids do.

They are looking at a law that says you can't discriminate (a labour thing I believe) but it hasn't come in yet. I hope this happens as families are being torn apart having to give up much loved pets because they can't afford to own a property.

It’s not awful at all It’s not your property - you don’t have a right to bring in animals that will definitely leave behind a lasting smell and most probably damage too.

You can't pay a higher deposit for pets anymore:
www.propertymark.co.uk/resource/landlords-charge-higher-rents-to-pet-owners-to-recoup-losses.html

I’m a landlord. I’d do whatever I could to get you out if you lied about pets.

I’m not averse to pets, but I am averse to liars. I’ve let to people with pets but they’ve been honest. So I was able to add a cleaning clause in to the lease.

Negotiate, don’t lie. You break your rental contract and put the security of your housing at risk.

You have my utmost sympathy OP as we were in a very similar situation, but because we were not able to rent a property that allows animals, we have bought a house that is much smaller than our needs (bought it obviously because it is much cheaper than buying a suitable house, which we couldn't afford the deposit or mortgage on).

We will stay in this house with all of it's downfalls until either our pets die, or we can afford a bigger place. If I ever win the Euro Lottery I intend to buy as many homes as possible, that I can then rent out to families with animals! I wish you so much luck OP.

ps Have you tried advertising what you are looking for in the way of renting, in both local papers, and local online forums? If you stipulate how much you are willing to pay in rent, and how clean you leave your properties, and offer a reference from your current landlord, then you might just drop lucky that way?

How would you feel if your tenants did that? @vivainsomnia**
If they really kept the place clean, didn't leave dog poo in the garden, cat didn't scratch, dog didn't bark, I'd be annoyed at first but then understanding.

My issue, almost landlords, is not the pets themselves, it's what they do when the owners are shit. I'd be glad to have very good tenants with a dog and cat. Assuming OP really is a good tenant and really keep the place clean (I had tenants who thought they were clean who lived like pigs, so different standards apply), then I would be very happy to have good tenants.

You have no automatic right to this persons house, there may be extremely good reason why they do not want pets in there.
If you lie and get accepted sorry but you deserve the contract ripping up.

I hate reading any thread on here about renting. People are just vile.

@LucilleTheVampireBat - do you think I was vile - really? neither we or our LL was .

We used to rent out a house and it was pets upon agreement with us. It was a family house and many families have pets, just as we do, so seemed reasonable not to have a blanket exclusion. The only time we said no was to a tenant who had 3 German Shepherds, just didn’t think that would be a good idea. A well trained Rottie is a lovely dog, I would have been happy to rent to you after I’d met your dog.

How old it the dog? Can you rehome or if very old PTS? Better to have a nice home than living in a box with a dog and cat

@VeganVeal

How old it the dog? Can you rehome or if very old PTS? Better to have a nice home than living in a box with a dog and cat

What the fuck?!

Putting it to sleep just because it’s old? No chance.

@TMNTFan4eva

We do this. We are allowed the dogs but not the cat. Every time we have a house check, one of us bundles the cat in the car with all her stuff and drive off until it’s over

Why a dog but not a cat?

Sorry just saw this

The previous tenants had a cat who pissed all over the brand new carpet. There’s still a very large stain near the bathroom which luckily doesn’t smell.

Our cat however is fully trained and will not piss on the floor. She is a bit naughty with scratching but she hasn’t done any damage to the carpets or walls. Just my own furniture

Not even the damage to surfaces but the allergy and smell issues are huge to me, DP and I are allergic to cats and dogs and if we viewed a place that set our allergies off we would be straight back outside and would make it clear to the LL/agent why we wouldn't rent that property.

LL may not accept pets because it puts off future potential tenants