Did you know that Belfast is the UK’s friendliest city for renters with pets?
According to this article, only 7% of UK landlords advertise their properties as allowing pets. On the one hand, I can understand that, but it’s also cutting off a massive part of the population who may want to rent their property… and as a dad, I know that kids can be just as messy as a pet (sometimes more so )
It’s heartbreaking that each year 200 dogs are taken to UK rehoming centres because of rental restrictions. It’s not all bad news though, alongside Belfast, over 90% of Oxford and Manchester landlords allow pets.
Is this an issue that you’ve encountered in your area?
That’s interesting, I’d imagine a lot of it is to do with some places having more owners than renters.
I love the stats in this grid better… possibly because Newcastle is quite close to where I’m from in Durham, and I know Durham is a very VERY dog friendly place.
When the Renters Rights Bill becomes law this summer it will be very difficult for landlords to refuse to take tenants with pets:
"the Renters’ Rights Bill, will give tenants the right to request to keep a pet, and landlords cannot ‘unreasonably refuse this request’. Landlords can require tenants to have pet insurance to cover potential damage. The bill aims to support responsible pet ownership and make it easier for tenants to keep pets in rented properties.
For eg if the communal management terms of the property specifies no pets (so it’s not up to the home owner to make a decision) or, I’m guessing, keeping a designated ‘dangerous breed’ etc.
Unfortunately I’ve had some really terrible experiences allowing tenants to have pets - one left their 3 small dogs all day in the house alone and the constant yapping led 3 of my neighbours to raise a noise disturbance complaint to the council, which they upheld and then I had to deal with removing the tenants, which took many months and cost a lot of money.
Then I allowed a cat which did 1K damage to the furniture and carpets in the house and also got in through neighbours open windows and left dead animals, which they naturally did not want.
Unfortunately you can’t legislate for responsible tenants any more than you can for good landlords. And insurance only covers damage not other legal costs and the bad feeling generated amongst neighbours.
You took the words out of my mouth! The new act is the main reason I’m going back into my home having rented it out since January 2019, with a break during the pandemic
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