Date Published 03 January 2017
With around 50% of the population owning a pet of some sort and the number of renters increasing
on a weekly basis, are landlords losing out by excluding pets?
The Dogs Trust advocate the benefits of considering pets which increases the number of potential
tenants who will view the property and in turn should reduce any void period. It could also
encourage pet owners to stay longer in a property than those without pets.
At Tyler Estates, we always take a higher deposit from pet owners to cover any possible damage to
the property from chewing or scratching; we also recommend landlords take out accidental pet damage insurance, a cost that could be shared between the landlord and the tenant.
Many of our tenants have pets and during our quarterly inspections, we have found all of the
properties being looked after to a high standard and in many cases, have improved the property by
decorating. Through our experience, we can also support The Dogs Trust view that tenants with pets
stay in properties longer than tenants without pets.
The Dogs Trust produce a good practice guide to help landlords and agents prepare for renting out
to families with four legged friends. They urge them to market their properties stating that ‘pets
are considered', then look at the individual pet on a case by case basis.
It is important to include a pet clause to your standard tenancy agreement when a pet has been
agreed by the landlord, stating the type of pet and if that pet can be replaced if it were to pass
away.
Another area to safeguard the landlord is to tailor the inventory, carried out before the tenants
take up occupation and with a pet friendly family in mind. This would include taking lots of
photographs at the lower level to include doorways, edges of carpet where they meet the grippers
between rooms and newel posts. Pet friendly families will often agree to having the house
professionally cleaned, but make sure that this is stated in the original tenancy agreement.