29th August 2013

Pet licences go through the woof in the rental sector

Prime Central London estate agency, W.A.Ellis, has reported a 75% rise in pet licences over the past

year, which goes hand in hand with an increase in dog ownership and the rising private rental sector.

Lucy Morton, Senior Partner and Head of Lettings at W.A.Ellis, comments: “We are surprised by the

amount of pet licence addendums1 we have made to our tenancy agreements recently, and believe

it’s due to several factors – an increase in dog ownership, the UK’s relaxed quarantine laws which

came into effect early last year, and also the fact that some dog breeds have become a fashion

accessory – especially in London, where it’s not uncommon to see a teacup pooch perched in a ‘pet

taxi’ designer handbag!”

In the past, it’s proven difficult for pet owners to find a suitable rental property to accommodate their

canine companions, with research2 showing that 1 in 3 pet owners struggle to find the right home, and

that it can take anything from two months to a year for them to find appropriate accommodation. As

such, some tenants may try to sneak pets into their property without approval. Lucy continues: “I was

recently attending an inspection and heard continuous clawing and meowing – I did some

investigation and discovered a cat hidden in the cupboard! We’ve also recently discovered a tenant is

keeping a tarantula in their flat, which goes against the leasehold agreement. We would advise

everyone to be upfront about owning a pet, although tenants should expect to pay a higher security

deposit to protect against the risk of extra damage.”

W.A.Ellis is currently marketing a range of properties on the sales and lettings market; for further

information, please call: 020 7306 1600 or visit www.waellis.co.uk

ENDS

Editor’s Notes

1 A pet licence is an addendum made by the landlord to the tenancy agreement which allows a pet to reside within the property.

2 Lets with Pets Research

Established in 1868, W.A.Ellis is an independent estate agency with expertise in property sales,

lettings, valuation, development and investment in Prime Central London. Its sales and lettings team

are readily available for comment on the property market.

For further press information, please contact Emma Ward Hunt / Lisa Northcott at Foundation PR Ltd

on: emma.wardhunt@foundation-pr.co.uk / lisa.northcott@foundation-pr.co.uk or telephone: 020 7580

2492 / 07989 979693.