Pets in Tenancies, a Guide.
We are seeing more and more enquiries from tenants with pets.
The RSPCA estimate that 44% of Households in the UK already have pets.
This figure has increased in recent years as more people work from home.
Landlords understandably have concerns about pets in their property for reasons including but not exclusive to noise, fleas, damage and allergies. As deposits are now capped at 5 weeks, Landlords no longer have the ability to ask for an additional pet deposit to cover any damage or additional cleaning at the end of the tenancy and as a result some Landlords are wary of renting to tenants with pets.
DO YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT PETS?
As things stand, Landlords are free to refuse a tenants request for a pet, provided the tenancy agreement states that the Landlords permission is required for a tenant to keep at pet at the property, the Landlord cannot unreasonably refuse the request, and that there is indeed a reasonable reason for refusal.
CHOOSING WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCEPT PETS
As it is currently harder to find a pet friendly property, tenants are likely to stay in a property longer, avoiding void periods and changeover costs.
Landlords can reasonably charge a higher-than-average rent to cover any additional wear and tear caused by the pet.
REASONS TO AVOID ALLOWING PETS
A badly behaved pet can cause damage to a property, upset neighbours with noise, bring fleas into a property and potentially prevent future tenants with allergies.
WHAT CONSIDERATIONS ARE THERE IN DECIDING TO ACCEPT OR REFUSE A PET?
Firstly, what type of pet is it?
Most requests that need to careful considerations are for cats and dogs.
Where the pet is small and unlikely to cause damage, such as a fish, it would be unreasonable to reject a pet request.
If a dog is an assistance animal, it would be unreasonable to refuse a request as it is not a pet, it is an auxiliary aid, and refusal would be discriminatory under the equalities act.
If the pet is a dog, Landlords should check whether the breed falls under the Dangerous Dogs Act. If it is then you should check it is listed on the exemptions register and if it is, its likely the owner is a fit and proper person.
REFERENCING
When the pet is coming from another tenancy, you can ask the previous Landlord for a pet reference. They can tell you whether the pet was well-behaved and whether it caused damage to the property.
You can also ask to meet the pet ahead of granting permission. This gives you the opportunity to observe the health of the animal, it’s behaviour towards new people and the level of noise.
Ask for evidence of the animal’s vaccination record and flea treatment is also sensible as this indicates how well the animal is looked after. It should also provide you with evidence that the property will be returned to you without any fleas present.
The tenant should also be able to provide a long-standing Pet insurance policy.
INSURANCE
Many insurance providers do not cover damage caused by pets in their tenant or landlord insurance. You should check your own insurance policy ahead of time to see if this is the case for you. If you are unable to secure an insurance policy that does cover pet damage, it may be wise to increase the rent to cover any potential damage caused by the pet.
For the tenant’s own insurance, you may want to consider signposting the tenant to an organisation that does cover pet damage as part of their policy.
HEAD / SUPERIOR LEASE
If your property is a leasehold, especially one in a block of flats, then you may be prohibited from having pets in your property in the superior lease. If this is the case, then you have reasonable grounds to reject any applications for pets.
IS THE PROPERTY SUITABLE?
The property itself may not be suitable, you should take this into account when thinking about allowing pets or specific types of pets. Large dogs may be too big for a smaller property or a room only tenancy for example.
REGULAR INSPECTIONS AND THE INVENTORY
The primary concern around pets for landlords is damage to the property. It is imperative a comprehensive inventory / schedule of condition is carried out at the start of the tenancy and agreed by the tenant at move in. Regular inspections should be carried out during the tenancy and can help identify and stop any damage getting any worse.
For further info email info@glaproperty.com or call us on 020 84002726