This text was initially posted in April 2016. In February 2018, the Labour get together wished to strengthen the rights of tenants to maintain a pet of their properties as a part of a package deal of proposed animal welfare measures. In 2024, the proposed Renters (Reform) Invoice which aimed to make it simpler for tenants to maintain pets of their rental properties, was dropped earlier than it was handed. This was changed by the Renters’ Rights Invoice – which needs to offer tenants the precise to request permission from the owner to maintain a pet.
As you’ll be able to see, the historical past behind tenants being legally allowed to maintain a pet has been difficult. With laws frequently altering on whether or not landlords can embrace a ‘no pets’ clause in a lettings contract, we strongly advise you to hunt skilled recommendation.
So, placing laws to at least one facet, right here we talk about …
Ought to I let my tenants have a pet?
It’s an excellent query – and like many good questions, the reply is prone to come within the frustratingly inconclusive remark that all of it relies upon. In different phrases, there are execs and cons to letting any of your tenants having a pet.
Professionals
Since you might be in enterprise as a landlord, one of many compelling causes for permitting tenants to have a pet reside with them is solely financial.
UK Pet Meals reveals that 17.2 million households (60%) home one of many UK’s 36 million (non-aquatic) pets. Since there are round 4.6 million folks residing in personal rented lodging in England alone, that may be a good variety of tenants which you won’t wish to rule out from the get-go with a blanket ban on pets.
What’s vital to say to is the truth that a lot of these pets could also be creatures as solely innocuous as goldfish and budgerigars – animals which might be clearly unlikely to trigger a lot injury to your let property or trigger any nuisance for the neighbours. When speaking about landlords and their insurance policies with respect to pets, due to this fact, it’s mostly a query of permitting a pet canine or cat.
The connection between landlord is actually a enterprise relationship – there isn’t a onus or expectation on you to develop into buddies along with your tenants. However it’s in your individual pursuits to be an inexpensive landlord.
In case your reasonableness could also be proven by permitting a tenant to maintain a pet, you could win worthwhile good will that encourages the tenant to care for your property and assist you to retain a accountable and thoughtful tenant.
Cons
In all probability the best objection a landlord is prone to have about pets within the let property is the quantity of injury they might trigger – whether or not that is rapid or longer-term issues reminiscent of infestation by fleas or by making the lodging unsuitable for subsequent letting to a tenant with an allergy to sure animals.
Many landlord insurance coverage insurance policies – even a lot of these organized by us right here at Cover4LetProperty – usually exclude injury brought on by pets (reflecting the exclusion generally included in common dwelling insurance coverage for proprietor occupiers too).
The tenancy settlement itself may supply some safety by requiring that any tenant first asks you whether or not she or he might maintain a pet, and you could then determine whether or not or not it’s affordable to agree.
As well as, you may ask any such tenant for an extra deposit to cowl the opportunity of injury brought on by the pet or the necessity for particular extermination of fleas or different infestation.
If you happen to require and settle for any such extra deposit, nonetheless, you have to make sure that you adjust to the laws on tenancy deposit safety schemes. If the tenancy is an assured shorthold tenancy (the most typical kind) you have to place the deposit for secure holding with an accepted third get together.
Though the requirement is in place primarily as a defence of tenants’ rights, if there may be any dispute on the finish of the tenancy between you and your tenant in regards to the deduction of any sum from the deposit held, the third get together might assist to resolve that dispute.
When might or not it’s acceptable for a landlord to say no a tenant’s request to maintain a pet?
There are particular circumstances the place it’s affordable for a landlord to say no to pets, reminiscent of:
- the property is simply too compact to accommodate a big pet comfortably;
- one other tenant within the constructing has a pet allergy, which might trigger well being considerations;
- for leasehold properties, a ‘no pets’ rule set by the freeholder might apply, prohibiting all residents—whether or not homeowners or renters—from having pets on the premises.
Lastly, you could be nervous {that a} pet saved by your tenant might create a nuisance to your neighbours and pressure your in any other case cordial relationships with them because of this.
As soon as once more, the particular phrases of the tenancy settlement might as soon as once more assist. The settlement is prone to require, for example, that your tenant acts in an inexpensive and accountable method. In the event that they maintain a pet – a canine which barks all night time lengthy, for instance – you (to not point out the neighbours) could also be fairly entitled to think about the failure to manage the animal to be unreasonable behaviour.
