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A landlord’s guide to renting to pet owners

In association with

It is an unfortunate fact that pet-owning tenants find it hard to find a place to live with their pets in London as many landlords do not allow animals in their properties and some leases restrict the keeping of pets.

Having had pets around the home all my life, I understand what an important part pets can play in people’s lives and that is why Chestertons has chosen to support Dogs Trust’s Lets with Pets scheme.

With 30 offices across London, Chestertons is one of the largest estate agents in London and our award-winning Lettings division help many landlords rent their properties to pet-owner tenants every year.

As a supporter of the Lets with Pets scheme, we undertake to encourage our landlords to consider letting their properties to tenants with pets and support them in their decision to do so.

We are also committed to working closely with those tenants that are looking to find a home for themselves and their pets.

This booklet highlights the benefits of accepting pet-owner tenants and gives some reassurance that allowing pets into your property reaps more rewards than you may think.

If you are thinking about renting your property to a tenant with a pet, do not hesitate to contact one of our branches to discuss your requirements.

Robert BartlettCEO – Chestertons

An introduction fromChestertons

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Dogs Trust is delighted that Chestertons has joined the Lets with Pets scheme.

Almost half of households in the UK are pet owners*. Yet we know from experience that many people struggle to find a rented home with their pet.

Dogs Trust launched its Lets with Pets scheme in 2009 to encourage landlords to rent their properties to pet owners and

to help make the house-hunting process easier for tenants with pets.

The support of estate agencies such as Chestertons is vital to the Lets with Pets scheme. We hope the advice and resources we have put together will help landlords and pet-owner tenants alike.

For more information on Lets with Pets or to download our free resources, visit www.letswithpets.org.uk

A welcome fromDogs Trust

*Pet Food Manufacturers Association, 2014.

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The benefits of acceptingtenants with pets

Increase demand for your property Although half of households are thought to own pets, tenants with pets generally find that there is a shortage of pet-friendly properties in London. By allowing pets into your property, you will open it up to a wider market, which should increase demand.

Attract responsible tenants Landlords often find that pet owners take better care of their property than the average tenant – possibly because they are concerned about losing their larger deposit.

Avoid separating pets and their ownersIf a tenant cannot find a suitable rental property, they may be forced to give up their pet or be separated from it, which can have an emotional impact on both the animal and the owner. By allowing pets into your property, you could help reduce these situations.

Encourage tenants to stay for longer Tenants with pets know how difficult it is to find suitable rented accommodation and generally try to avoid distressing their pets by moving home too often, so will often stay in a property for longer than tenants that do not have pets.

Reduce void periods With pet-owning tenants staying in properties for longer, landlords will enjoy lower void periods and therefore a better return on their investment.

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Accepting pets – the next steps

1. Check the terms of your freehold and lease

Before you give permission for a pet to be kept in your property, it’s important to check your title deeds and lease. Even though you own your property, there may be certain stipulations in the deeds which prevent you from giving permission to tenants to keep pets.

If you own a freehold property, there are usually no restrictions on keeping pets, although some older freeholds may have restrictions on keeping animals.

If your lease does restrict or prohibit pets, you may wish to approach the freeholder or their managing agents to see whether they would be willing to change the terms of the lease or give you permission in writing to allow pets in your property by special variation.

If you own a share of the freehold and all the other freeholders are in agreement, you should be able to amend the lease to allow pets, although you would need to contact a solicitor for advice.

If you are willing to consider pets in your property, there are five steps that you should take to ensure the tenancy runs as smoothly as any other.

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2. Ask the right questions about the pet

Deciding that you are willing to consider pets does not mean that you must accept every pet. We recommend you consider each tenant and their pet on a case-by-case basis.

You should also think about how many pets you would be willing to accept in your property. It’s reasonable to limit the number of pets, depending on the size of your property, but do bear in mind that some animals benefit from living in pairs so do not automatically enforce a “one pet only” rule.

Use the checklist opposite as a guide to the questions you should be asking prospective tenants.

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Pet Checklist

For all pet owners – What type of pets do you own and

how many?

– How long have you had your pets for?

– Are you able to provide a reference for your pet from a previous landlord?

– Are your pets registered with a local veterinary practice?

– Are your pets regularly vaccinated and treated for fleas and worms (if applicable)?

– Do you have someone who can care for your pet in case of an emergency?

– Do you have someone who can care for your pet while you are away or on holiday?

For cat owners – Is your cat trained to use a litter tray?

– Do you keep your cat inside or will it need to go outside of the property?

– Will your cat need a cat flap?

For dog owners – How often do you walk/exercise

your dog?

– How often will your dog be left at home alone and for how long?

– Do you have a dog sitter or dog walker for when you are not at home?

– Is your dog toilet trained?

– How does your dog get along with other people, such as visitors to the property?

– Has your dog ever attended obedience or behaviour training classes?

– Has your dog ever lived with you in a block of flats?

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We recommend that landlords ask tenants to provide a reference for their pets from a previous landlord if they have rented before.

The key points that should be covered in a pet reference are:

– The name and breed of the pet – How long the tenant lived in the

previous property with their pets – Which pets they owned at that time – Whether the referee considers the

tenant to be a responsible pet owner

– Whether the tenant’s pets well behaved – Details of any damage to the property

caused by the pets – Whether the pets cause a nuisance

to neighbours or visitors

Once you have decided to rent your property to a tenant with a pet you should include a pet clause in your tenancy agreement.

An example of Chestertons’ standard pet clause is shown below:

“It is further agreed between the Landlord and Tenant, the Landlord grants

permission for the Tenant to keep his pet [type of animal and breed] named

[name of pet] (“The Pet”) in The Property for the duration of the Tenancy and

the Tenant hereby undertakes and agrees to remedy or pay for any damage

caused to The Property and/or contents of The Property, including replacing

carpets and fumigating The Property at the termination of The Tenancy, which

shall have been caused by The Pet residing in The Property. For the avoidance of

doubt any such damage caused shall not be deemed to be fair wear and tear.

The Landlord reserves the right to withdraw this permission at any time.”

3. Ask for a pet reference

4. Include a pet clause in your tenancy agreement

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There are a few steps you can take to minimise the risk of damage to your property:

Higher deposit: You can ask your tenant for a higher deposit to cover any damage that may be caused by their pets. Many landlords ask for the equivalent of an extra two weeks rent on top of their normal deposit.

Professional clean: All Chestertons’ tenancy agreements state that tenants should professionally clean the property when they move out. However, if you are using a different tenancy agreement, you should amend it to include a similar requirement. This should include professionally cleaning all soft furnishings and carpets and treating the property for fleas and mites.

Landlords insurance: Check with your insurance company whether your landlord, building and contents insurance covers accidental pet damage or whether they offer an additional cover for tenants with pets.

5. Ask for a higher deposit and professional clean

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Frequently asked

questions

Q. What can be done to prevent odours caused by pets?

A. Tenants must keep the property clean and odour-free by regularly cleaning their pets’ cages. Dogs must not be allowed to foul inside the property and cats and indoor rabbits must use a litter tray that is regularly emptied.

Q. What about tenants with pet allergies?

A. It’s possible that tenants with pet allergies may move into a property where pets have previously lived. As long as the property has been cleaned, vacuumed and aired thoroughly, they should not experience any problems.

Q. What about assistance dogs?

A. Assistance dogs, such as guide dogs, hearing dogs, and dogs for disabled people, must be permitted by law in your property. The Disability Discrimination Act (2005) prohibits anyone who is renting or selling a property from discriminating against a disabled person. This includes discriminating against a person with an assistance dog.

Q. What about other laws relating to pet owners?

A. There are a number of laws that apply to pet owners in the UK such as the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the Animal Health and Welfare Act (Scotland) 2006 and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

Full details can be found at www.gov.uk

Q. What about barking dogs?

A. If a dog kept in your property is barking and causing a nuisance to neighbours, you should insist that your tenant investigates the cause of the problem. Dogs bark for many different reasons, including excitement, fear, boredom, frustration, because they are guarding the home or because they cannot cope with being left alone. If the tenant is unable to solve the problem on their own, they should contact a veterinary surgeon, dog behaviourist or animal welfare organisation for advice.

Q. What about preventing fleas and worms?

A. Pets that receive regular preventative flea treatments rarely get fleas. If you are concerned about whether your tenant’s pets have been treated for fleas and worms, ask to see copies of their treatment records and insist the property is fumigated at the end of the tenancy.

Q. What about pets who are neglected or abandoned in my property?

A. If you are concerned about the welfare of an animal kept in your property or you think that a previous tenant may have abandoned their pet, you should contact an animal welfare organisation immediately.

Q. What about dangerous dogs?

A. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 it is illegal for anyone to own or keep a Pit Bull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino or Fila Brasilero, unless the dog is registered on the Index of Exempted Dogs.

Lets with Pets® is a trademark owned by Dogs Trust and sections of the text in this booklet have been reproduced by kind permission of Dogs Trust.

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