Owners More Willing to Rent Property to Pet Owners

Getting properties where they allow them to have their pets has always been a challenge for animal lovers. However, this trend is soon to change.

Two-thirds of landlords would like to increase rent if they were forced to allow their tenants to keep a pet on their property, according to an investigation by the Lease Deposit scheme.

The Tenant Fee Law prohibits owners and agents from charging additional fees to tenants, including pet deposits.

Getting a pet has become more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are an animal-loving nation.”

About 70% of landlords do not believe that their tenants are automatically allowed to have a pet on their property; although 82% do allow their tenants to have a pet.

Steve Harriott, executive director of TDS, said: “We are a nation of animal lovers and with so many families, couples, and individuals told to stay home during the lockdown, it is not surprising that interest in the bring home a dog or cat throughout that period.”

“However, as our survey demonstrated, there is a potential conflict between pet ownership between tenants and owners who are concerned about the impact of animal damage. The problem is that owners cannot enter additional fees due to the fee ban.”

“We want to know what people think about this. Do they want pet deposits to be reinstated, or could rent be increased to cover the additional costs a tenant who owns an animal on the property may incur?”

“Our findings show that there is an ongoing debate on this topic, but until finalized, we recommend that all tenants be open and honest when it comes to their pet ownership and contact the owner so that they can search for a compromise between both parties.”

Before the legislation was introduced in June 2019, a third of the owners asked their tenants for an additional pet deposit.

Having a pet at home helps fight stress.

The lockdown period seriously affected the emotional stability of many people. British society has always been characterized by being lovers of the outdoors; being confined to small spaces for an extended period had terrible effects on them. Pets became a lifesaver, and dog and cat adoptions were found to increase by 22% during the confinement period.

HICH LTD continues to work to offer the best property survey service, before, during, and after the pandemic; we have redoubled our efforts to maintain the quality standard that has made us a leading property survey company.

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