First time landlord and pets

[Bid876]

Hi, just looking for some advice.

We are renting out our home as we are currently overseas. It’s been empty a while as we initially looked at selling, but weren’t getting enough interest and didn’t want to leave the house empty so we have now got tenants moving in. We initially said no pets but everyone who viewed it seemed to have pets so we agreed to new tenants with a family dog as long as the dog remains downstairs as none of the rooms down stairs are carpeted. I just want to know if there is anything else we should be doing to ensure any damage by the dog is covered?

Any advice welcome. Thanks

You're kidding yourself if you think the dog will stay downstairs.
Do a proper inventory with photos. If the dog damages the property then you will have evidence. Have whomever manages the property to do the six monthly inspections.

However I don't think dogs do much damage unless they are chewers left alone.

Copy and paste this into the agreement - www.letswithpets.org.uk/downloads/pet-clause-policy.pdf

I have pets and have previously been a LL who allowed pets.
If I am ever a LL again I won’t allow pets unless I can’t find a tenant who doesn’t have any (unlikely)
There’s no way your tenants won’t allow the dog upstairs and I dint see how you would even enforce such a clause

No experienced LL ever rents to people with pets. The cost of rectifying at the end of a rental is significant. To those prospective tenants that don't have pets, they can always "smell" an animal has been there. We bought a house to let which had a family with a dog. We had to strip the whole house out. Binned all the carpets, steam cleaned and then redecorated everywhere to get rid of doggy smell. It isn't viable to do at the end of every let.

I'm puzzled you struggled to let your house without going to a let owning tenant as demand is very strong currently

Are you using a letting agent? You will need someone to do an inventory and take good photos. The contract will need to include provision for reparations when they leave. The one linked above looks helpful.

I rent and have a cat. In my leases there have been clauses that require me to have the house de-fleaded and I once had to pay 8 weeks deposit instead of 6.

My parents have dogs and they never go upstairs as they have a stair gate.

We never allow pets in our rental property after the damage caused by a tenant's dog. Just say no, OP

I let flats and no way would I let to anyone with pets. The potential financial losses when they leave are huge.

Some people (like me) don't allow their dogs upstairs anyway, but if the dog is used to going upstairs they will struggle to comply without a stair gate I think. I rented to a dog owner once, she was great a conscientious tenant and it was not a problem. But if make sure your insurance covers the risks.

People think it’s harsh and unfair of LLs to say no to pets. However, the costs at the end of a tenancy in terms of time and money often far exceed the extra charges you might make for having a pet…..so the LL is out of pocket.

Somehow, many people think that’s tough luck on LLs and people have a right to have a pet, even if it puts LLs out of pocket.

As a PP said, experienced LLs just say no. Whilst some have had a decent experience, it is impossible to know which tenants’ pets will cause damage or simply leave a strong animal smell behind. The extra charges just don’t cover the e tra time and work involved in returning the property to pre-pet state, so unless you don’t mind the fact it will cost you time and money, just say no.

It is really hard for pet owners who rent. Pets make a big difference to lots of peoples lives. However, the reality is they do have an impact on property. It seems unacceptable to charge what is a realistic premium for pets (as people have said, it often isn’t just a quick de-flea and a thorough hoover…..it can be replacing all the carpets to get rid of deep-rooted doggy smells or cat ‘accidents’ and sometimes much more significant stuff like replacing skirting boards or doors because parts have been ‘nibbled’….and these cost far more than the deposit. I think it’s hard for tenants with pets to fully appreciate the costs and time involved in returning a property to pre- pet state, to the level it is as if there have never been pets there….but that’s what the next tenants might want and need. And no-one can tell if a tenant will be gone in 6 months or a year and all that work will be incurred with it’s time and expense. Given letting property is about making money and time is money, taking pets just doesn’t make financial sense in most cases.

There isn't much you can do is there? You aren't allowed to charge an additional pet deposit any more. You'll just have to hope they do no damage and allocate plenty of money for redecorating when they leave! You should probably be doing that anyway depending on current condition so it's probably not a huge deal

@Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep You can charge pet ‘rent’ though, it’s quite common to charge an extra £25 per month per pet.

Ok but if you do that I assume you won't also deduct £££ from the deposit for cleaning?

If someone stays 12 months and pays £25 per month that’s £300.

It’s not sufficient to pay for the replacement of a carpet in 1 room, never mind several. It wouldn’t pay for more than the fitting and replacement of 1 or possibly 2 doors and even the skirting in 1 room. A really through clean including deep carpet clean could cost more than £200. What about any possible damage to garden?

The point is, the costs of rectifying the presence of a dog can far exceed £300 and have often exceeded £1000. How can you tell if the dog you’re considering will cost £20 or £1500? The next tenant might be allergic to pets and require the property to be as if it has never had a dog in it before….and in fact, any tenant should be able to expect their new property to be as if it has never seen a pet before….the costs of returning to that state are often far more than £25 a month.

But tenants with pets often feel aggrieved about paying £25 per month or the suggestion there might be extra costs at the end. Often they have no idea of the time and costs involved in returning properties to pre-pet status and certainly aren’t prepared to foot the bill. This is where the problem lies. And because the most the LL can withhold is the deposit, when damage can far exceed it, the LL can be (and often is….which is why there is such reluctance to take dogs) significantly out of pocket. Why should they be out in that position?

I think it depends on your property, I own a small house with a huge garden, it's got hard floors and carpets ok bedrooms but single storey.

My tenant asked after around a year if they could get a dog, I agreed, he is a single dad with an early teen daughter and I think as long term tenants I will swallow the cost of it falls outside the deposit.

I think the value of long term tenants who look after my house is important and having a family pet can be a wonderful thing.

I trust that he is looking after the house as his own and several 6 month inspections have shown no issues.

We've let our old house out for the last 9 years. 3 of the 4 sets of tenants over that time had a pet. It's a 3-bed family home in a village setting. We always advertise it as 'well behaved pets considered', we've always been inundated with applications and have never had an issue. We get the final say on who we rent to and I actually think we get better quality tenants because people are genuinely grateful to be able to bring their 4-legged family member with them.

It's in the contract that carpets must be professionally cleaned at the end of tenancy.

BeingSunny, I think you give a good example......where a tenant has already been there for a decent period of time and has essentially proved themselves as a good tenant in other ways, plus if they look like they might remain, then I can see why LLs might consider a pet in this situation. If they will be there for perhaps 3-4 years, the costs involved in getting the property de-petted for the next tenants don't see so significant and are worth absorbing. But bearing the costs which could be significant, if a tenant has just been there 6 months, really doesn't feel worth it.

This doesn't help those with pets looking for somewhere new though...I appreciate that.

I agree too that it depends on property. Some tenants would like to have a dog or a cat in a 2nd floor flat or somewhere without direct access to the outside which has communal areas. I just don't think it's suitable. Properties need to be big enough for the particular pet and have enough outside space and not interfere with neighbours. Hard floors certainly help. However, even the nicest and best tenant can have a pet go rogue and cause damage whilst they are out....it's the issue, that knowing ahead what will happen is especially difficult with pets.

To give 1 example, I have a friend who rented with her dog. It chewed the skirting boards in all the downstairs rooms, dug up carpets around doorways and weed and pooed in various places. My friend knew she would lose the deposit and accepted that, but the damage was far in excess of the deposit. She moved out leaving the house pretty trashed and the LL would have needed a significant void period to sort it out. My friend then moved straight into another house with the same dog....to do the same there too. Her view was that she loved her dog and accepted her deposit of about £800 wouldn't be returned. It wasn't her concern that the costs of rectifying the damage were far greater than that.

Quick google shows this.

Under the new Model Tenancy Agreement, announced by Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, landlords will no longer be able to issue blanket bans on pets. ... To ensure landlords are protected, tenants will continue to have a legal duty to repair or cover the cost of any damage to the property.28 Jan 2021

Blanket bans might not be allowed, but there will be lots of easy ways for LLs to say no to specific pets or circumstances.

And the trouble is that LLs won't actually be able to get the money for the damages caused. Tenants often don't have large sums of spare cash, or getting damages paid will require legal processes which are long and drawn out and ultimately not worth it for LLs, plus deposits still won't cover the damage.

The most straight forward answer for LLs in most cases,mespeciallybearlespecially it's a new tenant will still be 'no' and it will always be possible to give reasons why the property isn't suitable for that pet.

Honestly, I see it from a tenant viewpoint - pets bring a huge amount to people's lives. However, there is no straightforward legal way to ensure LLs always get fully compensated for every penny of time and cost that pets involve when getting properties ready for the next tenant. Until there is (and this is unlikely) then it will always make sense to say 'no' to new tenants with cats and dogs in particular. So many (as this thread shows) have found themselves out of pocket when they said 'yes'.

If costs could be presented to tenants upfront, so they understood what would be involved in cleaning carpets/replacing carpets/ dealing with damage to woodwork or in gardens/ removing smells in soft furnishings.....the many hundreds or even thousands this amounts to, and a way to ensure the money is paid without a long legal process, more would be willing to allow pets. However, this guarantee of payment without a long legal struggle is never going to happen.

No experienced LL ever rents to people with pets

Nonsense. I've lived in various rented properties with my dog, my current landlord owns loads of properties all over the city and has for years.

I paid an extra 'pet deposit', and it's in my contract that I will have the house professionally cleaned, including the carpets, when I leave. Any responsible pet owner will be happy to agree to the same, OP. Also, have they lived elsewhere with a dog? My dog has a CV with references from previous landlords. Might be useful to ask.

I have rentals and say I will consider pets. I had one cat in one of them, no damage and no problem re-letting, the tenant moved out one day and the new one moved in the following day. No extra cleaning involved.

Ironically none of our current tenants has a pet, and yet you see so many people on here looking for a pet friendly rental 🤷‍♀️

Bit late now OP! I would never let a house to tenants with pets. Be prepared for damages. Did you even take a pet deposit?

Fwiw I rent and have a dog who really doesn’t go upstairs and previous dog was never upstairs either in 10 years. We have a stair gate to prevent it. So it does happen that people stick to the rules. Some tenants are very houseproud.

I think one of the issues, isn’t that tenants aren’t houseproud, it’s simply that pets can be unpredictable.

As any home owner or renter can tell you, sometimes we’ll-behaved dogs can start chewing due to anxiety or cats can start randomly weeing in corners due to old age or stress. It’s very difficult to prevent and not due to negligence by the let owners, just the unpredictable nature of pets.

As a LL you can get lucky. Or you can get unlucky. With no pets you simply remove one of the biggest risk factors.

I would consider it for a long term tenant who decided they wanted a pet if the property suited it. I’d consider it and part of that process would be a long chat….sometimes first time pet owners aren’t quite so clued up about the implications, especially of a puppy! You can have all kinds of terms and clauses written into contracts, but enforcing them and getting the money when damage is caused is the issue. Why do you think so many experienced landlords say ‘no’ - it’s often not just prejudice but bitter experience.

I think one of the issues, isn’t that tenants aren’t houseproud, it’s simply that pets can be unpredictable.

I was talking specifically about the assumption that a tenant would ignore the no dog upstairs rule. Some of us instigate that rule ourselves.

@Bid876

Hi, just looking for some advice.

We are renting out our home as we are currently overseas. It’s been empty a while as we initially looked at selling, but weren’t getting enough interest and didn’t want to leave the house empty so we have now got tenants moving in. We initially said no pets but everyone who viewed it seemed to have pets so we agreed to new tenants with a family dog as long as the dog remains downstairs as none of the rooms down stairs are carpeted. I just want to know if there is anything else we should be doing to ensure any damage by the dog is covered?

Any advice welcome. Thanks

I'm also a landlord with tenants that have pets.

Meet them at the property on the day they move in (or get someone to meet them if you can't).
Take photos of every room, particularly door frames etc. Walk through each room with the tennats.
Make sure photos are dated.

Give a copy of the photos and inventory to Tennant's that you both sign and keep a copy each.

Carey out an inspection every 3 months, take new photos each time. Any damage spotted caused by tenant instruct it must be repaired by next inspection.