dogs in blocks of flats

[SuePine69]

Do you live in a block of flats where pets aren't allowed? Did you choose to live in a block of flats where there are no dogs? Well, you might be in for a big surprise.

I've just had a man with a dog move in next door to me. I never thought that could happen. I was always told no pets. I don't mind any pet except for dogs. My sister has a dog lives in a block where many other residents also have dogs. It's noisy with all the yapping and barking. If they're happy that's OK with me but I wouldn't want to live there.

I complained about it. They haven't consulted the residents. They didn't tell anyone about the change in policy. I was actually offered another flat in a different area earlier this year and I turned it down. If I had known there were going to be dogs in the block I would not have done.

What makes me really angry is that I have been told something that is false - as far as I can tell. I was told that there is a government directive now that says landlords can't refuse dogs. She said 'our hands are tied'.

Whatever the new rules are, as far as I can see it only applies to people who are already tenants. It doesn't apply to prospective tenants. Someone who requests a flat in my block and says they want to keep a dog can be refused. Even a tenant can be refused if there's good reason.

If someone's front door opens onto a path or road they can have a pet. If their front door opens onto a shared corridor then they can't. This is an established principle and I see no reason for it to change.

They should have given this man a flat with a front door that doesn't open onto a shared corridor, like all the flats in the block where my sister lives - or a bungalow. I don't want to stop anyone from doing what they want.

I was told that they would never let our block get like my sister's. But I have no confidence that they can solve problems. That flat was empty because my former neighbour left, partly because they moved an alcoholic in below him. This man shouted at the top of his voice for hours on end. I could hear it in my flat. He said that he was getting woken up too. So he took me with him to complain. They completely dismissed his complaints. This alcoholic has since died of an alcohol related condition.

My tenancy for my flat says No Dogs. I have a dog. My partner died and our dog was living with him , I didn't want to get rid of the dog aswell as everything else going on in my life.

I didn't realise he had really terrible separation anxiety so I left him to go to Tesco and my neighbour downstairs went mad , come up banging the door.

He reported me to the landlord who had me into his office for swearing at the neighbour more than about the dog. He said he was OK for me to have the dog as long as he wasn't a nuisance to the rest of the block of flats.

So dog hating neighbour did me a favour 🤣🤣 I got to keep the dog and the neighbour upstairs asked if I was able to have dogs coz she works with dogs and she wanted to bring them home sometimes so she was able to approach the landlord and now she has dogs in the building too.

Dog hating neighbour isn't happy but he couldn't do anything. My dog leaves the building with me when I go to work or my children dog sit , only time he's on his own is if I pop to the supermarket 40m away ! We live opposite a massive park literally on the flat doorstep so he goes there 3 times a day .

I would rather have a barking dog over a tenant playing drum and bass all night or a couple arguing constantly. There's worse situations in a flat than a dog !

I would rather have a barking dog over a tenant playing drum and bass all night or a couple arguing constantly. There's worse situations in a flat than a dog !

"My situation is slightly less obnoxious than a teenager playing loud music all night long" is really not the killer argument you think it is.

Dragging a dog around everywhere you go is pretty anti social as well. I know several people who are stuck with "office dogs" in their workplaces. Social pressure means you have to pretend you are OK with someone bringing their dog in, otherwise you will be the "mean" person who doesn't like dogs and is being "difficult." But dog smells in a workplace really are awful, and a dog that is prone to separation anxiety is invariably going to cause a nuisance sooner or later.

And all dogs smell, sorry.

The wet weather the UK has been having will have been making this issue worse. Wet dogs really do honk and the smell lingers on soft furnishings.

That's awful. Imagine living in a block of flats and someone has a sofa that smells. 🙄

Sorry but only dog owners are oblivious to wet dog stink. Everyone else can smell it.

"I would rather have a barking dog over a tenant playing drum and bass all night or a couple arguing constantly. There's worse situations in a flat than a dog !"

^ This is the problem, it's not about "what you'd rather"... it's about your neighbours are fellow human beings and NONE of this is acceptable to be putting other people through. I'd have taken this situation to court since you legally shouldn't have that dog, the landlord can change terms on the tenancy agreement to allow dogs but at the same time has to allow anyone currently on it, the option to end their tenancy at no further cost. If they don't and the tenancy agreement remains the same, stating "no dogs" or they don't offer the option to end the agreement, then it's going to court.