Lease holder says no pets

[Beanbateman]

Hi there - I think this might come across as an annoying and silly post but I genuinely want some advice and see if anyone else has ever been in a similar situation.

I have been renting since December, the other day me and my boyfriend found a beautiful 7 month old Dashund online for sale. We went to go see him and both agreed we would love to take him on.

I emailed my estate agent as I cannot contact my landlord directly to ask very politely if we would be able to do this and assured them no damage would occur to the property and we would maintain it to a high standard. The woman came back and told me that it isn’t anything to do with the landlords wishes but the “ head lease “ and that they strictly prohibit pets in the apartment.

I’ve got myself in a real pickle as I have already agreed to take him, we have a bunch of his stuff ( he is an hour and 10 minutes drive away ) and have both fallen totally in love with him.

as you can imagine this feels like a huge blow but I really don’t know what to do.

what are the odds of them finding out? Has anyone ever kept a pet a “ secret “ in their rented home?

Yes ouch, this is the reality of growing up.

Sorry op but you're renting, you have rules to abide to, you should have already known if your lease allows pets or not, do you not read contracts before agreeing and signing?

Also, a dashund? They're not dogs for beginners and online? You mean gumtree or something? Please, when you have accommodation that allows pets look up how to responsibily find and look after a dog, what you've done is not it.

Seven month old pup is online for a reason. It is more than likely it has issues around other dogs or people or doesn’t like being left. Feisty little dogs. Will need your close attention so it grows up to have good positive behaviour.

How can you ‘assure them there would be no damage’, especially with a breed known for being unreliable at toilet training?

Why you mad? 🤣 and sorry but your use of “ growing up? “ I’m 36 thanks very much!

You do need to ‘grow up.’

Saying you’ll take a dog you found online that you know nothing about. Did you check it was, for example, house trained? Its back wasn’t defective (that treatment can cost £10k+)? Did you check if it was a barker? Did you actually spend any time with it. Did you ask to see evidence of health tests? Did you ask anything or just hug it and go ‘ohhh I’ll take the previous gem.’

For someone who claims to be 36 you’re either a fool or delusional. Either way, your critical thinking skills leave much to be desired.

What a strange lady you are? 😕 I’m sorry you’re so mad, and yes I did do quite a few checks on his history thank you very much. Just because I haven’t written a whole essay on here about the entire experience and situation doesn’t call for you naming me as a “ fool “

It was a bit daft to commit to the dog and fall in love and then and THEN ask the landlord. It should have been the other way around.

My mums new neighbour brought her cat to her new flat, no pets allowed in their lease.
Someone told on her and she was told to get rid of the cat. She sold the flat, after only about 6 weeks.
I wouldn't risk it, especially with a dog that might bark and people will see you taking it for walks.

I think people have assumed you must be quite young or in your first rental property as there would be no way you would get away with it.

Also a 7 month old dog you have found on the internet is more than likely going to have a whole heap of issues I’m afraid especially that breed.

Jesus

Hi! Thanks for not coming for me and calling me a “ fool “ like some of the other delightful people on this thread.

OK to answer your questions, I have two friends in flats with these clauses both of whom have cats. One owns the flat so she is just relying on the fact no one will complain as it's a cat. The other rents and has a plan to say if landlord ever finds out that she's minding it for a friend.
But both cases are cats and strictly indoor so there's no way a neighbour finds out as they don't tend to make noise. Dog is nigh on impossible as you'll be walking in and out daily and it just takes 1 person to complain ...

Obviously age has nothing to do with maturity.

I'm not mad but disappointed about a dog potentially being taken on by someone not in the right position for its best interests.

You can't just have because you've fallen in love, this is a living creature.

The thing is the flat next door has a tiny little yappy thing that always sits out on the balcony. Downstairs has a bigger dog too.

OK so that's interesting.

My friends flat allows service dogs so it could be that.
Ultimately the risk is high here, you're renting so the landlord may have low tolerance for complaints that you're breaking terms of lease. On the other hand others are clearly doing so.
If you reckon you want to risk it then you can. But personally I would not, and trying to find rentals that accept pets is really hard.

I wouldn’t risk it op I love my dog but keeping a roof over my head is ultimately more important.

hopefully in future your situation will change so you can have a dog

The other rents and has a plan to say if landlord ever finds out that she's minding it for a friend.

Hopefully that would work but they would then have to get rid of the cat sharpish
Very risky strategy because by having a pet in contravention of the Head Lease The Landlord is in breach and are likely to take a dim view of it

You were very foolish to agree to get a dog without first checking with the LL/agent.

It's very normal for Leasehold apartments not to allow pets, and if you go ahead inspite of this, you'll be in breach of your tenancy agreement and the LL will have cause to evict you.

Have you researched this breed at all? They are very barky and suffer separation anxiety. You'll need to move if you continue to take the dog.

My old housemate moved his elderly cats in with us. We popped them out in the garden during flat inspections, and when they shouted at the back door we said it was the neighbours and they kept trying to get in. Landlord saw straight through it 😂 but turned a blind eye I think because we kept the flat immaculate.

You could risk it, especially if other people have dogs in the building. But I’d say the following about dashunds I’ve known:

1. barky. All the time.
2. tricky to toilet train. One of the ones we know never has got the hang of it and often pees inside, and occasionally shits
3. untrainable. Unless they feel like it. They are such stubborn and temperamental little beasts.

Ohhhhhh I’ve just seen he’s 7 months old and they are selling him. Avoid!!!! He’s either got health conditions or he’s a nightmare biter/shitter/barker. All they will be interested in is getting some of their puppy money back, if they cared about the dog they’d send to a breed specific rescue or return to the breeder (if the breeder was reputable).

edited for spelling.

This is quite a common condition off leasehold flats. Who wants to listen to a dog barking in the flat above or below?
You would be reported straight away. Why would you agree to take the dog without finding out if it is allowed? To look after a dog well you really need a garden that it can run in and out of.

One of my tenants is lying to me about having a dog. Said "no pets" on the application, yet have pictures of their Collie all over Facebook and funnily enough, the dog is there at the house when maintenance is done, oh they are "pet sitting", but yet we see the dog come in and out of the house regularly on walks (have to pass the house to get to the next town). Anyway, the thing is, I'd have allowed the dog, I'm just annoyed they've not been honest about it. I don't usually do annual rent increases, but because of the lies about the dog, I will be doing annual rent increases. Honesty is the best policy.

But in your case, it's not the Landlord's decision, it's the Leaseholder's and you're risking eviction.

@IThoughtHeWasWithYou
In OP's case the Landlord isn't the issue and can't turn a blind eye though.
Its a no pets building, having a pet there would actually mean the Landlord was breaking HIS Lease so much less likely to be accepting of it

Another thing, reputable breeders will have in the contract that if you wish to rehome the dog, that it goes back to them, specifically if it is under 1yr old. I'd be very sceptical of why they are rehoming a 7 month old pup and not returning it to the breeder. There is a reason why, and it won't be because they loved it too much.

You can get things that stop dogs barking, they work a treat.