Since 2010, the UK is on its fourth consecutive conservative prime minister. Just like any new person taking over, there is always a change of policy as well as personnel. That results in a lot on uncertainty across the board mixed with delays. That is what has happened with lets with pets. A huge issue when 50% of the UK population own a pet, mostly dogs or cats, which is also linked with the cost of living crisis, with pet insurance and pet food and general costs also on the increase.
Rental reform was ‘high’ on the Boris Johnson agenda. The cost of living crisis also affects mental health and the pressure of covering your monthly outgoings. Cuts have to be made and pets cost money. A very sad state of affairs. That mixed with the fact that UK landlords like to charge extra monthly pet rents, which vary considerably. It all adds up. It is not fair that renting with a dog tends to be more expensive than without. Having a pet should not come down to pounds and pence; for many they are children and offer emotional support. You cannot fiscally measure that.
It has been proven that renting with pets is good for your mental health. Stroking a dog or cat after a difficult day has been proven to relax people. Pets bring joy to people and help people suffering from depression. This article in The Guardian, highlights the benefits of dogs and cats with mental health.
Pets are part of the family. Not being able to rent with your dog or cat, not being able to bring them home with you, will have a negative affect on people as well as their children. Not being allowed to rent with your pet, is something some people never forget. Always wondering about them. I adopted a dog and had to give it back after 5 weeks as it bit one of my son’s friends and the postman on the street. The charity where it came from said our home environment was not right. It was not a family dog and needed to ‘wander’. That was over 6 years ago. To this day we sometimes wonder what happened to him.
The UK Government and their views on pets in lets and rental reform is no different. From this interesting article from Letting Agent Today, it seems that the latest rental reform bill has been ‘side-lined’ so far by the Liz Truss government.
Just listening to Liz Truss’s party speech, the focus is very much on tax and growing the economy. All very well and good, but people also need to look after their health, their ‘creature comforts’, including a dog or cat or pets in general which are part of the family.
By saying no to renting with pets, you are having an impact on family values, a core part of our modern-day values.
Landlords cannot be forced to allow pets in their rentals. However, they can be more open-minded and give it a go.
Pets Lets participated in the latest Pets In Lets Forum which has been organised by Lettings Hub, who are working with a number of parties to create an in-depth pets and property insurance policy to benefit landlords as well as tenants. It is all about making sure you dog(s) or cat(s) can live with you, covered by a comprehensive and affordable insurance policy. Battersea Cats & Dogs Home were at the Pets in Lets Forum. They have a pets and property pledge which you can pledge your support to and keep up to date with the changes in pet friendly rental legislation.
Amongst others there was also The Dogs Trust who are campaigning hard to help dog owners with the increasing cost of having a dog. Please feel free to click on the link above to make a donation.
UK legislation is slow moving. The political agenda changes all the time. When it comes to renting with a pet, the UK is so far behind many other countries when it comes to landlords and renting to dog owners.
We work with a lot of clients relocating to the UK from overseas. The majority find it inconceivable as to why it is so difficult to find a rental that will allow their pet(s). This article was written by Russell Hunt, Founder of Pets Lets, a UK pet friendly property portal offering properties where landlords consider pets as well as a pet friendly relocation and buying service. Prior to setting up Pets Lets, Russell was a London property search consultant for over 20 years for clients looking to buy and rent in the Capital.
Click here to see useful pet cv’s and pets clauses, as well as other pet friendly rental tools on the Pets Lets Portal. A [Pet CV]( have a look at our example Pet CV’s, landlord references as well as template pets clauses, which can make a huge difference in convincing a landlord to accept pets.
For useful advice or to find out more about the UK pet friendly rental market, feel free to join our Pets and Property Tips Facebook Group for helpful professional advice on pets and property.