Keeping a pet in a flat

[gingergran]

I am a landlord having inherited a flat in a small block of six flat The tenant in the flat has a cat which is apparently against the lease according to the management company although i have no objection to him having a pet. The management company are threatening to take action because of a breach of the lease but can they take action against me, against the tenant or against us both?

It all seems petty and vindictive to me but id like advice on my rights

thanks for your help

Don't the management co take instructions from you as landlord and owner of the property? did you inherit them as well? because if you own the property and don't mind the pet I can't see how they can enforce a breach of the lease that you're happy with.

It will be you as the leaseholder. It's not petty and vindictive just because you don't mind him having a cat, it's the enforcement of the terms of the lease. If they know about the cat the chances are one of the other leaseholders finds it to be a nuisance for some reason.

Two of my neighbours have cats and no one cares, I only know because I saw them carried out during a fire alarm. However when someone moved in with a dog lots of people complained to the managing agent because it was noisy and the owners let it be messy in communal areas. We were glad the agent stepped in, the same as we were glad when the agent enforced the clause about not being a noise nuisance against a landlord who refused to take action about his noisy, disruptive tenants. Presumably if the cats were a similar nuisance someone would start caring and report them - but it doesn't mean the cats are allowed. And I know the agent would be all over it like a rash if they found out about the cats!

It will be you as the leaseholder.

OP might be the freeholder, though.

Interesting I have cats in my flat (of which I am freeholder) and it never occurred to me to review the lease. I don’t even know how I’d find it.

Nobody has complained about the cat - it was just sitting on the windowsill and was noticed by one of the management company who doesn’t live in the block but rents out his flat so he decided to complain to me

What a prick.

I'd ask my solicitor to review the lease and see what if anything can be done to change it. Poor tenant. Done people are such arseholes.