Landlords would benefit from embracing pets in their rental homes. Dogs Trust claims that approximately 15% of people contact them to help re-home their dog.The Dogs Trust says it wants to work with the government to implement the new policy under Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill, which gives responsible pet owners more rights when renting. According to research conducted by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection, landlords are currently split on whether or not to allow pets, with 46% saying yes. However, only 30% of tenants say their landlord allows pets in the property.
According to the same study, in more than a third of cases where a private landlord did not allow cats or dogs, the landlord did not make a proactive decision based on the individual tenants or pets, but instead followed generic advice or used a standard tenancy form.
The charity claims that allowing pets in rental properties benefits both tenants and landlords. According to the research, 26% of tenants would stay longer if they could keep a pet. One of the most common reasons dogs are surrendered to Dogs Trust rehoming centres is a change in the owner’s living situation and a lack of available pet-friendly accommodation.
More landlords allowing pets in their rental homes can be extremely beneficial for landlords because it attracts a larger pool of tenants. Tenants with pets tend to stay longer, lowering turnover and vacancy rates, resulting in more stable rental income. Landlords may also charge a higher rent or a pet deposit to cover potential damage. Furthermore, tenants with pets may take better care of the property because they want to keep the rare pet-friendly home.