Top tips for pet owners looking for rented homes

Posted on: March 21st, 2016 Category: Lets with Pets, Tenant News

With almost half of the UK’s population owning a pet and industry experts predicting 1 in 5 homes may be privately rented by 2016, more ‘pets considered’ rented homes are desperately needed.

Landlords often have concerns about renting their properties to pet owners, so to help tenants with pets to be as successful as possible in their search for a rented home, here are some top tips from the Dogs Trust ‘Lets with Pets’ scheme:

1. Don’t leave it to the last minute
Give yourself plenty of time to find a pet-friendly rented home and begin searching at least 8 weeks before you need to move out of your current home.

2. Be as flexible as possible on location and property type
Being as flexible as you can increases your chances of finding a pet friendly rented home for you and your pet.

3. Offer to pay a higher deposit
Many landlords are concerned about pets causing damage to their property or furnishings. By offering to pay a higher deposit, you will reassure the landlord that should this occur it will be covered.

4. Offer to pay a pet payment
Some landlord’s worry that pets will lead to fleas, pet hair and dirty carpets at their property. Offering a non-refundable ‘pet payment’ to pay for a professional clean when you move out will help put any landlord’s mind at ease.

5. Market your Pet to Landlords
One way of increasing your chances of finding a suitable rented home with your pet is by showing landlords you are a responsible pet owner. Use the free resources on the Lets with Pets website to put together a pet information pack:

A Pet CV – Include as much information about your pet as possible such as how often they are treated to prevent fleas, who will care for your pet in case of an emergency and the contact details for your vet. Plus a nice photo of your pet is always a good idea!

A Pet Reference – If you can, give the landlord a reference for your pet from a previous landlord or your vet. This can show your pet is well behaved, well cared for and able to live in a rented home without causing problems or damage.

Meet My Pet – Meeting your pet in advance should help put the landlord’s mind at ease. You could even consider inviting them to your current home so that they can see for themselves your pet has caused no problems there.

6. Be honest, never hide your pet
It’s never advisable to try to keep a pet ‘hidden’ from your landlord as in the worst case it could mean the end of your tenancy! Always be honest about your pet right from the start.

7. Get written permission
If the landlord has agreed to you keeping a pet ask for the ‘no pets’ clause to be removed from your tenancy agreement and a clause with the details of your pet to be added. This will prevent future misunderstandings.

8. Raise awareness of Lets With Pets

By spreading the word about our scheme, you can help encourage more landlords and letting agencies to consider renting their homes to people with pets.

9. Look out for ‘Pets Considered’ sticker on Rightmove
Lettings Agents can now promote their pet-friendly properties using a red ‘Pets Considered’ sticker. The sticker makes it easier to find properties on Rightmove where the landlord would consider letting to a pet owner.

If you are a pet owner looking for a rental property, please get in touch with us and we’ll help you find the right place.