'Pets in Lets' legislation proposed

Campaigners launch second attempt to get ‘pets in lets’ legislation passed #petsinlets https://t.co/gXQBA7DoMz

— The Negotiator (@TheNeg) June 3, 2021

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Cities to avoid when renting with a pet

These are the UK cities to avoid if you’re looking to rent with a pet https://t.co/0swj6r4cfj

— Property Hawk (@landlordnews) June 19, 2019

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97% of London landlords don't allow pets

97% of landlords in London don’t welcome pets https://t.co/XArQYAEoqY via @https://twitter.com/TheNeg

— Property Hawk (@landlordnews) May 25, 2018

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Are pets allowed in flats?

Are pets allowed in flats? https://t.co/7xDIckb51X pic.twitter.com/ZJ3ODzXCs4

— News on the Block (@newsontheblock) April 9, 2018

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Labours plans for pets in rented homes

Renters could win the right to keep a pet as Labour bids to become party of animal rights  https://t.co/rLNPRuprtH

— Telegraph News (@TelegraphNews) February 14, 2018

Landlords cautious over Labour plans for pets in rented homes https://t.co/DXmEdDGW2Z

— RLA Landlord News (@RLA_News) February 14, 2018

Discussion: Should tenants have the default right to keep pets? https://t.co/6G6ZNoDSp3 pic.twitter.com/XNYxBt8aww

— NLA (@nationalandlord) February 14, 2018

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Gov. to ban tenants with pets?

Government to Ban Tenants with Pets? https://t.co/V5KP7dueUI pic.twitter.com/WVZn2yE3hi

— NLA (@nationalandlord) June 26, 2017

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Tenants with dogs

One of my tenants is just moving out.

They had two dogs. I've written before about the dilemma of letting to tenants with pets. The advantage for many landlords is that because not all us landlords are open to letting tenants occupy our prized buy-to-let is that once tenants find a property that they can keep their pets in then they tend to stay.

The charity Lets with Pets which campaigns to help owners of pets find suitable accommodation highlights the issue with their recent survey which showed that out of 5,695 UK pet owners surveyed found that one in three could not find a suitable property whilst 47% found letting agents 'unhelpful'.

My experience of a dogs life

My experience was that the dogs and the tenants were fine. However, the lounge carpet was pretty much destroyed and has been left thread bear. There was definitely a pungent 'parfum de dog'. The costs of replacement of this carpet probably runs to a couple of hundred pounds and the carpet cleaning bill for the house came in at £130. This sounds a lot. However, compared to the £15,000 + rent received over the last few years not an awful lot.

The reality is if you do let to a tenant with a dog. Then expect that 'fido' presence will not go unoticed. That is just reality.

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Dogs galore tenant

Any landlord who has had the dilemma of whether to let to a tenant with pets needs to feel sorry for the poor landlord who ended up with this tenant.

The tenant in question Kindred Hummer wasn't content with one & a cat. Oh no! She was allegedly found with 50 cats, 10 dogs and a squirrel. A squirrel!?

Property Hawk has said in the past that letting to tenants with pets can be a smart move.
We're not sure about allowing a tenant to set up a small zoo. The landlord unsurprisingly evicted Hummer but was still left massively out of pocket with legal fees and clean up costs.
Commenting on the case he advises:

“I would just warn other landlords to always visit the tenant's previous address before you take them on.”

Tenants with pets - could be a good bet?

I've talked in the past about should you let your precious buy-to-let property to tenants with pets.

The downside is that potentially a landlords property suffers damage from the pet and when it comes to re-letting your property is a fusty wet do smelling animal cave! Not attractive to many tenants.

I was at one of my properties yesterday changing over a defunct washing machine. The area in which my flat is located is now surrounded by a sea of buy-to-let properties that have sprung up over recent years and long before I invested in my rental property over 15 years ago. What struck me was the number of to let signs outside this glut of shiny design and build palaces. It made me reflect.

My flat has been let to a female tenant with a couple of cats since 2004. This compares to the average tenancy length for an AST of between 9-12 months. It maybe that tenants with pets are less fancy free than petless tenants. The difficulty of finding a landlord who is prepared to accept a tenant with a pet probably has a deterent effect on the tenant moving.

Therefore, the motto is. A happy pet, means a happy tenant and a happy tenant means a long term tenant which make for a very happy and fully let landlord. Simples!


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Truly green landlords need to smother their pets!

For those that landlords that are believers in global warming. I don't!

The latest shock research is that a dog has the same carbon foot print as a large family car.

Given that the number of cats and dogs in the UK has gone up from 12 million 20 years ago to 20 million today. The logical conclusion, is that Fido and pussykins should have to go if we all are going to overcome the invisible menace of been over run with carbon or something like that.

So landlords if you are true believers then what you need to do is sit Fido and Pussykins down. Explain that what you are doing is for the good of humanity and to stop some people in the home counties getting flooded once in a while.

Give them a last supper of super fine Pedigree, or the like, and then let them have it.

If you have bought them up properly and to be sufficiently environmentally aware - I'm sure they're going to understand!

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Is it time to reference your tenants pets as well?

In the past we have asked the question is it worth considering letting to tenants with pets?

We have suggested that landords have a heart when it comes to letting our furry friends occupy our precious real estate.

Landlords that are still unsure about letting to tenants with pets may want to consider getting their tenants to take out insurance.

Pet reference

Landlords know that we always advise them to thoroughly reference their tenants .

However, referencing your tenants pets is a new one on us. Apparently when considering letting to a tenant with a pet it's also possible to get a reference on the tenants pet.

The website Letswithpets advises landlords that:

It's a good idea to ask prospective tenants to provide you with a reference for their pet from a previous landlord. If they have not rented with their pets before, you could ask for a reference from their veterinary surgeon but please bear in mind that there may be some circumstances in which tenants cannot provide a reference.

The keys points that you should ask to be covered in a pet reference from a previous landlord are:

How long did the tenant live in the previous property with their pets?

Which pets did they own at that time?

Does the referee consider the tenant to be a responsible pet owner?

Were the tenant's pets well behaved?

Did their pets cause any damage to the property?

Did their pets cause a nuisance to neighbours or visitors?

If the reference is to be provided by a veterinary surgeon, it should cover the following points:

Are the tenant's pets generally well behaved?

Does the veterinary surgeon consider the tenant to be a responsible pet owner?

Does the tenant provide routine preventive health care, such as vaccinations and flea treatments, for their pets (when appropriate)?

It is possible to download a sample pet reference from their website.

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Landlords letting to tenants with pets

The debate over whether landlords should let to tenants with pets continues.

For the latest discussion involving a large professional landlord and the Dogs Trust listen to this recent Your and Yours broadcast on Radio 4. The item starts at about 40 mins in.

For more about letting to pets and to see that divine picture of CHARLIE again.


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Landlords letting to pets

The pet / tenant debate rages on.

Should landlords let to tenants with pets or not? The latest contribution comes from the Dogs Trust who are promoting their let with pets campaign.

The Lets with Pets campaign aims to encourage landlords and letting agencies to accept pets, offering pet owners the opportunity to keep their beloved pets, while amplifying rental income for struggling buy-to-let landlords. The campaign website provides advice booklets and practical tips for landlords and tenants alike.

Haven't they heard? The government actually think that tenants are a landlords pet. This is why we are all being forced to have a landlord licence before we are trusted to handle these delicate creatures.

Thinking creatively, could this be away around the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.

How about taking the tenants pet as as hostage. "Ok Mr tenant, give me your rent or Fido gets it!"

Don't tell Clarrissa at the Dogs Trust about our suggestion or we'll all be in the 'Dogs House' again.

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Landlords have a heart

Landlords have been asked by an animal home during National Pet Month to spare a moment for our fury friends.

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The Mayew Animal Home in London has appealed to landlords to consider accepting tenants with pets rather than implementing a strict 'no pet policy'.

Mayhew Vet, Ursula Goetz talked about her difficulty finding a property as a cat owner, she said: “I looked at hundreds of properties online and visited many of them only to be continually told that the landlord’s policy meant I could move in but would have to leave my cat behind. In the end I paid hundreds in extra rent to secure a property even though I wasn’t going to be living there for another two months.

The Mayhew CEO, Caroline Yates, said: “We hope that by raising the awareness about this issue over National Pet Month, private landlords will take into consideration how a well-trained pet can present them no problems whatsoever. They will also be directly helping rescue centres like The Mayhew by reducing the numbers of animals arriving to be handed over.”

The Mayhew proposes that Landlords ask pet owners for references from previous landlords and their vet in order to establish they are a responsible owner. They should also ask for all pets living in the property to be neutered, therefore eradicating any territorial marking of the property and unwanted litters of puppies or kittens.

Chris Horne Editor of leading landlord website Property Hawk comments "Landlords with a heart should also see this as a business opportunity. Landlords are experiencing high rates of 'churn' amongst tenants because of the numbers of 'accidental landlords' flooding some parts of the rental market. Securing a tenant with a pet, because of the tenants difficulty in finding alternative accommodation could also mean a premium rent and a long-term secure tenancy."

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