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Original poster

Trying to rent with a dog... <sigh>

15 replies

anonymousbird · 08/09/2010 17:41

This seems to be unbelievably difficult.

Seeing as we are a "dog loving nation" (supposedly) does this mean that all dog owners are homeowners, and not tenants???

Getting me down, I need somewhere in 6 weeks and first, there is very little to rent around (yes, have extended my search area) and second, NO ONE wants a dog. I don't even particularly like the stupid thing, but there is nowhere else she can go. She is very sweet and very well behaved (so why don't I like her you ask?!?!? That's another story)

Grrr. Any tips/experience you can share please?
Thanks

OP posts:
MaamRuby · 08/09/2010 17:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
anonymousbird · 08/09/2010 17:54

Hmm, prepared to offer bigger deposit and I think I need to be a bit pushier as the time get closer.

My dog hasn't had an accident in the house since the first couple of weeks we had her, she doesn't chew, she sheds a bit of hair, but nothing the Dyson doesn't pick up. She doesn't go upstairs and doesn't get on the furniture (unless I let her). She sleeps in a crate and is put in the crate/comes with me when I am not in. She is a very clean dog, as dogs go, but of course, a landlord doesn't know that!!!

Will keep trying... have extended search to take in more villages on the basis that in/near country/open spaces, landlords might be more inclined to accept a silly woofer...

Thx for the advice.

OP posts:
HerHonesty · 08/09/2010 18:21

offer a wapping deposit and you'll probably get somewhere. one or two months rent doesnt actually cover that much.

MaamRuby · 08/09/2010 18:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

dexter73 · 08/09/2010 18:24

We had a tenant with a dog and I wouldn't do it again. The carpets were ruined and most of the grass in the back garden had died due to dog wee. I have a dog myself which is why weallowed her to rent but never again!

expatinscotland · 08/09/2010 18:29

They pong. If I were a landlord, I'd not rent to anyone with a dog.

Ripeberry · 08/09/2010 18:32

No wonder there are so many dogs in RSPCA and other centers then Sad

Could you not comprimise with the dog living outside in a kennel?

hugglymugly · 08/09/2010 19:56

There was an AIBU thread related to this not so long ago and I posted there about the advice our lettings agent gave us regarding one particular property. These properties are family-owned and our co-owners have always had dogs - labradors, trained to work on shoots - but they didn't quibble about restrictions to no pets.

I think it's difficult because a lot of people, and especially our lettings agent (who has consistently found us lovely tenants), can't really tell from a brief contact whether proposed tenants are competent dog owners, nor how well behaved the dog is. At least with people it's possible to get references and do credit checks, but how easy would it be to assess the behaviour of the dog?

I guess the only way we could think about letting out the ground-floor flat and garden would be for our co-owners plus their dogs to do an assessment. And even then we'd have to think about how to dog-proof the garden.

It probably wouldn't be possible for us allow tenants to have pets. But at least, thanks to threads like this, I now have the the word "probably" in the back of my mind, rather than "definitely".

Onlyaphase · 08/09/2010 20:05

I'm a landlady and have been a tenant in recent years too, and agree with you that it is so very difficult to rent with pets.

When we actually found somewhere to rent it wasn't in the cleanest of states anyway, we offered to have the carpets professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy and to double the deposit. And we said we only had one small dog (rather than the actual 2 labradors and 2 cats we did own) in complete desparation. In the event it was fine, we had a standard tenancy with no added deposit and left the place in better order than we found it.

The trouble is that as Hugly says, there isn't a way of telling well behaved dogs from ill-behaved ones in advance, other than a home visit to their existing home.

As a landlady now, I allow pets, but would ask for an increased deposit. And if I had one bad experience (re-doing scratched floors or doors, replacing carpets or cupboards) then I'd probably say no more pets - why give myself the extra grief?

ShinyAndNew · 08/09/2010 20:10

Have you tried here?

bitzermaloney · 08/09/2010 20:11

We have rented 3 houses with two large dogs, no problems. For the last two houses we offered to provide references from our current neighbours about us/the dogs (so they could confirm they weren't barkers and hadn't wrecked the garden, for example). Also, although our current house initially had 'no pets' on the details, we went to see it anyway, charmed the letting agent and even though he reiterated 'no pets' we told him about our references, said we were good tenants etc, and he agreed to check with the landlord, who said yes.

Sometimes they just put these things on as standard. Also, if you're asked as a landlord whether you'd like a tenant with a dog or without one, you'd probably say without, by preference. But most landlords in fact just want the property occupied asap, and by someone who will pay the rent on time and not damage the house - so if you can provide evidence of that you have a better chance.

bitzermaloney · 08/09/2010 20:13

Forgot to say, also we obviously had good refs from current landlords.

Original poster
anonymousbird · 08/09/2010 20:14

I would not put up with my dog doing any of these things in my own home, and most definitely not at anyone else's property. She was trained from day one as I am a reluctant dog owner - as a result DH trained her beautifully as he knew that was the only way I would put up with her.

If someone assessed her, they would give her an A*!!!! But of course, in reality, that is unlikely to happen.

It's all the crap dog owners who don't really care what their dogs do either at their own home or at a rented place that make it really hard for the rest of us. I may not be that fond of the dog, really, but I'll give credit where credit is due she behaves beautifully and would never wee/scratch/chew/do ANYTHING like that. She knows she'd be first in line at the sausage factory if it happened here Grin

OP posts:
Jackstini · 08/09/2010 21:49

We accept pets in our properties if we either:
a/ know the tenants or they have been recommended to us
or
b/ they pay double deposit

We have lots of laminate floors too! Grin

Do ask the agent to check with the LL and try private ads, they are sometimes more accomodating

badembabe · 10/09/2010 21:53

Having just moved into what was a rented house I can promise you my dog was cleaner than the occupants. ......

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