Why landlords should welcome four-legged tenants

Kirsty Mcluckie on the problems of renting with pets

The rise in the proportion of people who now rent a property long term is having an effect on lots of different areas of society.

The precariousness of such a situation, in comparison to owning your own home, is one factor worrying tenants.

Homeowners surrounded by rental properties might find that their community is more transient than in the past too.

But one report out this week started me thinking about another knock-on effect of the rise of rental culture.

Britain has always been seen as a nation of animal lovers and keeping a pet, for many of us, is a crucial part of creating a home.

But many landlords forbid it.

With the competition for property fierce in soughtafter areas, landlords can put what stipulations they like on potential tenants, as long as they keep within the law.

And I can understand why many would be reluctant to have tenants with pets move in.

Dogs and cats can greatly add to the wear and tear of a tenancy.

My own home, which has both a malodorous spollie (spaniel collie cross) and a temperamental moggie is a case in point.

Continually wiping walls from waist height down, to get rid of the mud splatters caused by a shaking wet dog, becomes repetitive and ultimately pointless.

Pet hairs are so ingrained in our carpets and furniture that no vacuum invented can rid us of them.

Meanwhile every table and chair leg bears the scratch marks of feline claws.

Because we choose to live with these pesky pets, we put up with this, but having a prized rental property treated in the same way could be galling. The survey of tenants by animalfriends. co.uk found that over a quarter of UK renters haven’t told their landlord that they have a pet on the property, while 13 per cent have been forced to rehome their pets.

The average renter has to fork out an additional £160 in security for a pet being on the property.

In almost 10 per cent of cases where renters kept a secret pet, the animal was eventually discovered by the landlord and tenants were met with demands such as a new tenancy agreement, a higher security deposit or an increase in rent.

Last month, the National Landlords Association warned that plans to regulate the security deposit fees could force many landlords to ban pets from properties due to the increased risk of damage caused by the animal.

Westley Pearson, of animalfriends.co.uk said: “It’s important to ensure that you’re able to properly look after any animals before you decide to bring one home with you and that includes making sure both you and your pet will have a place to live.

“Some dogs can live upwards of 13 years so you need to think about what would happen should you decide to move.”

My feeling is that landlords who ban pets are missing a trick.

Financially, it is always wise to try to keep void periods – between tenants – to a minimum.

In an increasingly hostile market to pet owners, tenants are much more likely to stay for longer if they aren’t forced to put Fido in the airing cupboard during inspection visits.

Scratched furniture and a deep clean might be the result of welcoming tenants with pets, but it could pay off in the long run.