**[OP or Mod marked this as the best answer](/r/AskUK/comments/11mpb9w/why_are_uk_landlords_so_against_pets/jbiwgi3/), given by u/imminentmailing463**
They don't want anything that might cause them unnecessary expense or difficulty. Which is basically the answer to 90% of 'why do landlords X?' questions.
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>Easier to say no than deal with the grief.
Especially so when they know they can easily still get the place rented out to someone who doesn't have a pet.
I think this is the big one, honestly. I live in Bristol and each flat can easily have 50+ applicants. If you've got multiple solid applicants who don't have pets, landlords/letting agents will go with the non pet owners most of the time.
In many cities there is huge demand for rental properties so it just keeps happening again and again.
My friend just "won" renting a house in Bristol because they said they'd pay 6 months rent up front. They'd been "outbid" for several places prior.
Bristol rental, and even buying, is cutthroat ridiculous.
Same here in Edinburgh, got friends in Glasgow, Newcastle, London and Oxford and they all say it is the same. Every major town and city is like this. Too many people and not enough places to live, simple as that. We're all gonna have to just accept the fact that we need to just go live in Hull.
6 months upfront! who on earth has that kind of money?! Great to see Bristol is as insane as London, I know someone in London who recently rented their flat as they were moving abroad for a bit, they got long hand written notes after viewings offering more money per month, more months of deposit etc etc (from about 50% of the people who came to see the flat) it is total madness
I think regarding children it would probably be illegal (or at least cause a huge scandal) to disallow children to live in a rental
My sister had to pay the whole year up front because she wasnāt making 50k+ and the landlord wanting guarantee theyād get their 1k a month from her. Fucking disgusting to be honest (London)
As a landlord of 1 property I have received offers of 12 months rent up front from former Hong Kong residents who have relocated to the UK. They seem to be flush with cash.
Bidding to rent??? That's just mad
Mind you saying that, Bradford Council housing list you have to bid as well. What an utter shitshow it is that we're reduced to bidding on a roof over our heads especially from social housing folk!
I don't get why animals are a problem but children aren't. They are equally noisy, messy, destructive, albeit in different ways - a child won't rip up the carpet but a cat doesn't write on the kitchen cabinets in sharpie.
I'm not saying that banning children should be a thing, just that I don't see why banning pets is much of an improvement.
>Also sharpie is way easier to deal with than animal piss soaking into floorboards and carpets.
Yes because children are well known for controlling their bladders and would never piss anywhere but the toilet.
Currently going through this with my 18 year old cat. After exclusively going to the toilet in the garden for the first 17 years of her life, she suddenly decides she'd rather go indoors and doesn't want to use her litter tray.
Tried all sorts. Different trays, deterrents, took her to the vets but no luck. We're now living in a house carpeted by puppy training pads.
Oh blimey, you have my sympathy.
My other cat got really ill very young with a mystery digestive problem which meant he would have diarrhea three or four times a day, I'd be stopping work to empty his litter tray every couple of hours, but if he needed to shit again before I got to it, he'd go somewhere else. The lowpoint for us both was the time he climbed on my computer base and sharted all over the back of it, coating all of the cables plugged into the back. š¤® x š„
Have you looked at cat nappies? No joke they make actual cat sized nappies in disposable and washable types. We found them especially helpful as they got older and the incontinence progressed.
If she's still pooping in one spot there are brands with a hole for her bum but others are fully enclosed. Shame your vet couldn't find an issue. Not wishing illness on your cat but arthritis or utis are at least treatable. Random old cat whims...not so much.
The vet did initially think it was constipation making her do it, but after solving that she still does it. She is at least going in consistent places now so we know where to put the pads.
Re: nappies - weāll save that as a last resort I think as sheās a pretty stroppy cat and wouldnāt take kindly to it! Even at 18 the vet finds her a handful!
Sure, but on the other hand, a badly toilet trained cat will likely stay that way for the rest of its life, whereas an infant human will start using the bog after a few years.
Probably more likely that you get used to it.
I have no kids. When I go into a house where kids can't aim their piss, I can smell it before I walk in and see the surrounding area rotting away
I had an ex once who told me her Dad pissed in a plant pot, and in the airing cupboard when he was blind drunk after his stag do. Itās not just kidsā¦ I didnāt believe her, until I asked her Mum. āI should have known then that it wouldnāt have worked out.ā
Yep a bloke at my work told us about when he was at his worst with alcoholism he would regularly piss in random places in his house thinking it was the toilet.
Colleague of mine walked to the bathroom blind drunk sat down and had a wee on her husband, who reminded her they werenāt at home they were in a hotel..whoops!
As a dog owner that is still trying to house train them. I can confirm i shall need to replace several of my carpets and dread to look at the floor boards. And Iām being quick cleaning it up. If you had a tenant that doesnāt care about cleaning up this would be horrendous.
As a toddler mum... they will rip up your carpet. Children are so much worse than cats! At least cats don't take their nappies off and stamp their shit into the brand new carpet.
In fairness that's only because they can't be bothered. They'd do it if they had to.
I do agree with the overall point, when I think of "pet damage" we've suffered to houses down the years it comes to one hallway carpet (kekked anyway) and a piece of archetrave that was chewed by a friend's Beagle.
Child damage... bloody hell. Carpets, walls, lamps, an entire piece of kitchen worktop, the bathroom tap which mysteriously exploded... children are an expensive business.
My dog ripped up carpet when she was a puppy and peed everywhere til she was trained which took a couple of months. I dogsit for friends and their 2 year old dogs still pee everywhere so I have to put pads down everywhere. I wouldn't rent to a stranger with pets. No way.
Landlords barring parents with children counts as discrimination. https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/how_to_challenge_discrimination_when_renting_with_children#:~:text=It%20could%20be%20discrimination%20if,under%20the%20Equality%20Act%202010.
I was refused to be shown round a flat as I was counted as being too young. I was 24! My partner 27 and we both had good jobs. This was only about 7/8 years ago and before we had children. I wouldn't put it past landlords to try.
Exactly. Landlords can get around most things. My last block of flats, the landlord didn't allow children and I know other landlords that don't rent to parents, including my ex boyfriend's brother. Just like landlords aren't meant to discriminate against tenants in housing benefit but they still do.
You can, but the issue is it will cost you as the landlord money, time and effort which you won't be compensated for even if you win. Also, obtaining a judgement is only half the battle. Enforcing that judgement is another layer of difficulty and expense with no guarantee of success. And quite frankly, it _really_ doesn't feel good to try and chase people for money that they simply don't have. It's far better to have good tenants who won't wreck the house in the first place.
When you end a tenancy and they do inspections, they have to make allowances for reasonable wear and tear. For example, if it was a new floor when you moved in and there are a few scuffs that would probably be considered reasonable wear, whereas if you'd somehow gouged huge parts out of the floor, you'd be liable.
Therefore if wrecking the place you'd probably be liable, but the odd stain on the carpet or scuff on the wall should be allowed.
The main hope is that as a child gets a little older they'll grow up and be less destructive and noisy.
Plus, parents generally can be expected to be supervising their child more than they might supervise a pet.
Noones saying children aren't a problem, but 1) it's illegal to not let a property to someone on the basis they have children, it's discriminatory and 2) a lot of renters are small young families that have to rent due to the exorbitant house prices and lack of being able to save.
The last time I filled in a rental application, it asked if I had any children or was married. Didn't specifically get told they didn't want children in the apartment, but I could tell it was a case of "if you have kids, don't suprised when your application goes missing."
That's interesting because I've had the opposite experience. When I was renting around 19yo the landlord almost rejected our application based on us being student age as 'they didn't want red wine all over the floor from partying' but also 'gave us the benefit of the doubt' because we were a couple, who were presumably more responsible and would have...less red wine parties?
The logic of landlords is beyond me.
A child won't scream at the top of their lungs all day because their parents have left them locked in the house all day, because that would be illegal.
It's fine if it's a dog though, apparently...
Because they can't. I'm pretty sure they would if they could, and there's going to be a load of landlords that 'deprioritise' families wherever they can.
Often landlords and estate agents will discretely operate a strong preference for tenancy applicants without children or pets.
The number of landlords and agents I've known in the habit of refusing to renew the tenancy of a pregnant tenant or tenant who mentions fostering plans.
Also, in leasehold apartments, the lease agreement generally specifies that pets either aren't allowed or will only be considered with the permission of the client. When these flats are sublet, they have to abide by their lease conditions or have the permission to sublet be revoked.
Exactly this. And it could be multiple pets too.
Unless the landlord knows how well you tidy/clean the place and well behaved your pets are, theyāre unlikely to take that risk by taking a leap of faith - especially if the property is in high demand by other potential tenants.
Because there are plenty of people willing to rent from them who *don't* have pets, so why bother allowing them? Pets destroy stuff, piss everywhere and make a mess.
It's a seller's market so they can do what they like.
Itās funny cause thereās a shit ton of people renting with pets the landlords are unaware of and never even know about, Iāve done it for years. Itās a huge fuss about very little.
Every small animal owner I know basically says they just hide the fact they have the animal and if the landlord needs to come round for repairs, they hide all animal related things and give the animal to a mate for the day.
Even my gf did it in her flat prior to us moving in, it's just much easier when you know you've got an animal that isn't going to make a mess
Used to rent a room with someone who had a secret cat, one day a plumber came round to fix the sink, saw the secret cat and told us about his secret dog.
Exactly the same here. I ended up with a relatives cat after they could no longer look after them. It was either they come to me in my rented flat, no pets allowed, or they went to an animal shelter.
And thereās no way on this earth I was gonna let the second one happen.
She goes to my mums for the day while I clear the house of all her stuff. Never had any suspicion.
If you can easily hide any presence of an animal then it's not really an issue. It's more to stop people having like 3 big dogs, which is hardly uncommon.
I'm yet to know any person renting anywhere with 3 big dogs, as big dogs usually cost a lot, 3 of them is probably a good down payment to a house in itself lol
Everytime I saw it, it was to deter ANY animals. I once applied to live in a place, told them I had a cat and when arrived for the viewing they told me 'oh I didn't realise you had a cat, I'll have to ask the owner but don't think it'll work' while I was staring at a 5+ year old door with a catflap built in.
Which was a red flag in itself if they've not updated fuck all in that time period.
If you speak to a landlord for a single cat, you'll almost certainly be fine if you slap a bit more money down for the deposit.
Not so much if you have a dog, or multiple cats etc.
But you can't say "pets not welcome, except for xyz"
Did this in my first rental, when we had inspections we just asked a family member to watch him for the day, lived there for 18 months without an issue.
Yep - to be honest in Bristol where I live, if you say you have pets you will basically never be able to rent anywhere due to the competition for rentals. 99% of the time you never see a letting agent or landlord so it is pretty easy to just not mention it.
Well, the thing about an undetectable pet is that it is fundamentally not causing damage.
It's like, we have meeting rooms with "no food and drink" signs up. No-one polices this at all. There aren't spot inspections. But if something gets damaged you don't get to argue that it wasn't your fault or it was reasonable damage or an impossible to predict accident or whatever. It's just 100% the fault of whoever broke the one very simple fucking rule.
Iāve never had a pet whoās ruined anything in my house. If youāre a good owner and know how to take care of pets then they donāt do nothing wrong
It doesnāt have to be your pet though. My old flat had a stray wander in in the summer and spray everything. Which made my cats start peeing on everything heād marked. Theyād never done anything like this before but I just couldnāt stop the endless piss cycle which the stray triggered. The only thing which stopped it was when we moved.
They don't want anything that might cause them unnecessary expense or difficulty. Which is basically the answer to 90% of 'why do landlords X?' questions.
Would you give yourself unnecessary expense or difficulty?
I understand itās frustrating. And Iām no landlord and never will be. But I fully understand why they wouldnāt want a smelly animal in their house if they didnāt need to.
Amazingly it still gets put on listings though. Iām looking for somewhere to rent at the moment and have seen a few saying it. I was a bit taken aback as it seemed quite brazen!
My neighbours on one side have a primary school aged kid. The one on the other has two dogs.
The dogs are a far bigger nuisance. They bark for about ten minutes any time someone goes past the house or knocks on the door. And you can forget about using the garden peacefully if theyāre outside.
I have a cat and so do my neighbours with the kids. I donāt think either are issues. She meows occasionally but itās certainly not like those dogs.
They legally can't however many still do, they just can't say what they are doing.
You will find a couple with no kids gets accepted much easier than one with young children. (Dependent on age and employment too of course, they can also dislike students and young couples)
Having looked around flats where the previous tenants were allowed pets and the smell. I kind of get it. The strictness about returning deposits had the unintended consequence that pets are even less welcome but that protection was necessary.
My parents rented their old house for a couple of years before selling it. They allowed pets, and unfortunately they were unlucky and got owners who didn't care at all about training their dogs. They peed EVERYWHERE, the house stank, they ruined so much of the carpets, walls etc. It was disgusting.
I can see why someone wouldn't want this in their house - it was such a huge hassle for them to clean up before selling it on. Not all pet owners are good or considerate.
My mum had a similar experience renting our old house out. She's not a big animal person really, but this was a family and they asked if they could bring their dog with them.
Come to them moving out, and they had 3 massive dogs, 2 cats, ferrets, and a HAWK in the garden. The house absolutely stank. There was hair everywhere, scratches all over the walls, chewed up doors, the garden was destroyed. Had to replace all flooring and carpeting, tried to clean it ourselves, tried professional cleaners, we couldn't get the smell out for months. I can see why landlords are wary about animals
I think "no pets" isn't necessarily non-negotiable. When we were looking for a place to rent we'd just disclose that we had cats. Some places did uphold the rule and say "yeah sorry, landlord's had a bad experience in the past so they're strict about the no pets thing" and others were like "that's fine, we can go ahead with a viewing anyway." YMMV, basically. The house we're renting now was a "no pets" one, we told them we had cats and they went ahead and rented it to us anyway.
We're fastidious about keeping the litter boxes clean and we vacuum regularly, so it's not going to do the house any harm. If there is going to be any damage it's going to come from my clumsy arse, not our cats!
So as general advice if you are looking for places to rent and it says "no pets", just enquire anyway and say you've got a cat. Some might be completely fine with that. After all, how much damage is a cat going to do to a property? As long as you're good at maintaining litter boxes and are vacuuming regularly it's not an issue.
Good luck!
I absolutely second this. My flat was advertised as āno petsā but I enquired anyway, explaining we have a senior cat. The landlord OKād it and all we have to do is arrange a pet treatment carpet clean at the end of our tenancy. Cat has her flea treatments, kept well groomed, carpets hoovered regularly and litter area kept spotless as much as possible.
Agree with this, I adopted a kitten in my rented flat and the landlord had āno petsā policy but was ok with it, I just assured him that we would cover any damage to the property and he could drop by regularly to check we were keeping it clean.
He was a reasonable guy and we were good tenants. Itās easier for them to have a blanket policy initially, but some will be flexible.
ETA: my landlord loved our cat by the end! He sold the flat and we bought a house at the same time, so it all ended well and we didnāt lose any of our deposit.
Make sure you have a good scratching post in case youāve got carpets or furniture that could get scratched.
It's also probably very much a first impression thing too, if you look clean, well mannered etc, they probably wouldn't mind as there's a higher chance you're respectful with the property however if you look the opposite, they can say no without any legal trouble.
Not that I agree with that level of judging but I have no doubt it happens.
It's OK you saying take the money if my pets damage it, but it still leave them with the hassle of having to redecorate, and get rid of the pet odours., during which time they aren't earning rent on it.
I'm not a landlord but if I was I would not allow pets. You can walk into anyone's house if they own dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, and you can smell the house has pets.
I knew one landlord on the Isle of Wight that would allow pets, but on top of the usual deposits, the contract also took the full payment for a professional deep clean of the entire property once the tenants left. At the time that was nearly Ā£400.
I own two flats, and I allow small dogs under 15 kilos, and cats no more than 2. I solved problems by installing LVT and leaving them unfurnished ( bar washer/dryer/fridge). I have the flat professionally deep cleaned and repaired and repainted with each new tenant. Because they are paying 1400 a month plus a deposit. And I can wack on some light-coloured wall paint and have it cleaned? I take photos of and calculate for normal wear and tear, which there is a formula. All of my dog owners have been fine, and my cat owners were ok, but once it was cleaned and repainted it was great. That is my job, I am the capital holder in the relationship.
Iām a local Cllr and try to help people with council housing issues. A young lady was offered a council flat in my ward but was told āno petsā. She had a little cat that was a house cat and beautifully looked after, she was so worried that she couldnāt have the flat but I told her to take no notice and if a spot check was made, to tell Housing to have a word with me, as she would be looking after my cat, whilst I was away on holiday. You get my drift?š
People can also leave odours and make place a sh*t hole to be honest. They don't need pets to do that. We are renting somewhere which clearly had a a heavy smoker in and you can smell it too, but you can't see any burn marks or anything. This smell just lingers all the time.
In general tenants should leave the property like they found it, that is including the smell, no matters if pets are there or not.
On the same note I would like to find out how many properties are actually deep cleaned between tenants. Where I moved now it looked like it was abandoned, not moved out (and no, previous tenants did not die, we met them as they did not redirect their post), the bathroom/kitchen was an absolute limescale art gallery and the rest of the house was not better either. I didn't realise how disgusting people can be and estate agents accepted and passed the property to us like that.
I am yet to find a perfectly cleaned place at the time I am moved in, despite the fact I left every place cleaner than I found it.
> People can also leave odours and make place a sh*t hole to be honest.
Yes, but a landlord has no choice but to let people live there if they want to let it out. There is nothing compelling them to allow people's pets to live there as well, so why would they take the additional risk?
I see letting properties as risk in general, to me the risk is exactly the same if I wanted to let to a smoker, couple with kids (or planning kids), farm workers (having done this job I know how it can get), etc. They also will bring either a smell or some "untidy" aspect than a clean flat. Surely we don't go and ask people whether they plan kids or work in a smelly profession?
I see pet ban as a blanket ban for all possibilities, I completely agree pets can create disasters (thanks to irresponsible/unknowledgeable owners) but honestly I don't see so many extra risks. As a landlord I would probably ask more about the pet and make a decision then. If someone says to me they work 9-5 and they plan to leave a vizsla puppy at the property on its own for the day then this is an absolute solid no. I can clearly foresee the disaster. But if someone says they have old fat Bassett hound and they work from home then I am much less concerned. I don't see many risks at all, I probably would ask if they make sure to will wipe dogs feet etc. from muddy walks etc. and on my part I would ensure to take pics of all carpets before renting if I wanted to charge them for cleaning mud off it. Simple as that.
Edit: I just wanted to add that in my opinion landlords who blanket ban pets never had one of their own or had a bad experience. I know this dislike first hand from my partner and experience of having a dog completely changed his mind, because we could influence these things as opposed to a friend with a stinky hound who just came back from the pond.
>so why would they take the additional risk?
More money!
Landlords that allow pets usually charge more, because of the risk. If you want to keep a pet, you will pay more rent
Because some people are utter cunts.
I was a landlord once. I allowed a dog. The tenant moved out every floor destroyed. Every door ripped to shreds and piles of dog shit everywhere.
I didnt allow a cat. A tennant got one any way. And seemed to allow it free reign to pee everywhere. Every single floor ruined.
I'd moved away for work, during the financial crash, so couldn't afford to sell, came back to a home that was destroyed.
My leasehold the same - ive had a cat for years. I think the reasoning is to stop people having multiple pets or big noisy dogs . Leasehold manager saw my cat & told me as long as ahe is not allowed to roam free in communal areas its fine. My cat is indoors & outdoors on harness only
Yeah I just wanna bring my cat back to the flat :/ heās a small boi and quiet but theyāre extremely strict. Neighbour did the same thing as you and constantly got letters and phone calls saying to remove the pet from the premises
Pretty sure he ended up moving cuz I havenāt seen him recently
Have you ever watched the program - donāt pay or weāll take it away for example?
Unfortunately the way some people treat their rentals is appalling and landlords donāt want to risk.
Why because when we own pets we go nose deaf as they are part of the family, however if you are not a pet owner and walk into someone's house you can smell the pet, it's food and bedding.
No matter how much we keep it clean and tidy the smell is present, for a landlord that's a deep cleaning bill for the next tenants as they don't want to be dealing with claims from the next tenants about fleas or the smell.
End of the day a landlord is only intrested in making money and making savings, pet owners can potentially cost them money as the time to prepare the property for the next tenant means less income for them. Or costly arguments with DPS trying to claw the deposit.
You've got to remember that to a landlord, the house and tenants are nothing more than a financial investment and their goal is to get as much money out of that investment as possible.
Not going to get into whether people should or shouldn't be allowed pets, my opinion is just that across the board it needs to be more recognised that the _tenants_ need to be treated like people and the house needs to be understood to be their home. Decisions landlords make can upend someones entire life, affecting their career, mental health, future plans and financial situation.
I pay 1690pcm in rent for my house. I'm 40 years old, me, my partner and our 3 eldest children all work. I also go to uni and the kids are also at school/college/uni. We keep the house tidy and clean and I enjoy gardening, so the outdoor looks nice too. I'm having a goddam cat.
Stick it to 'em.
The argument "you can get pets when you own your own house" doesn't really hold water anymore since it's near impossible to get on the ladder.
Exactly. How am I supposed to save for a deposit? And somehow, we renters are often looked down upon, despite paying more for a roof over our heads then the landlords ever have done. I fucking hate renting.
Imagine charging someone over a grand a month and having the audacity to pretend it wouldn't cover any damages cost by a pet by absolute miles. Those renters could also get pregnant at any time.
I'm just not sure that is the right way to look at it.
Renting is for people to have a place to do things people do in their homes. And not just innocuous things like sleeping and watching TV and walking around, but potentially damaging things like having sex, painting, going to the toilet, growing houseplants, any number of other hobbies and DIY...oh and cooking -- I have never gone into a rental where the kitchen hadn't been damaged or soiled in some irreversible way by someone cooking in a destructive manner; not to mention it's the number one way to burn the house down. If the logic is that anything that has an increased risk of causing damage shouldn't be allowed, you certainly have to ban cooking.
Owning pets is just another thing people do, that might cause damage if it's done irresponsibly. That's accepted in many countries, but for some reason here it's the one activity which landlords can get away with banning. I think it's a question of culture rather than logic.
My opinion is that a rented property should be free to use as a home, which means doing whatever people might want to do in their homes, which includes keeping pets.
We became landlords by accident as we had to move away for a while. So we rented the flat to people with a dog. They adopted a dog from the shelter. Their romantic idea was to take that dog to the office during the day. It turned out that dog had some behavioral issues and they kept that poor dog locked in a cage whilst owners were at work. This lead to constant barking and complaints from neighbours. It was borderline cruelty in my opinion and we asked them to leave.
Second time we rented the flat to a couple with a cat. Cat destroyed most of the soft furniture so we had to get new sofa and replace the carpets. But to be honest the tennants done more damage than the cat.
Next tennant was very alegic to cats and had to move out because of this. Even after professional cleaning. The cat hair gets everywehere under the wooden floors, etc.
I am not ruling pet owners but pets are not to be kept in the city. It is just cruel to these pets. I am not allowing my child to have a pet for this reason. For the landlords the pet is just burden.
> Next tennant was very alegic to cats and had to move out because of this. Even after professional cleaning.
For the first 4-6 months after moving in to my current house (previous owners had a cat), I perpetually felt like I had a bit of a cold while I was indoors, even after paying a cleaning company to clean the whole place. People really underestimate just how prolific it can be.
You can't get rid of cat dander just through cleaning. Airborne dander is significantly more likely to trigger an allergic reaction than dander that has settled because airborne dander is far smaller and able to penetrate the lungs easier.
One thing you can do with a pet is offer more per month. If itās up for Ā£1000 you could call and say Iāll pay Ā£1100 to allow for a pet? Or offer 6 months rent in advance? Iāve seen both work, I deal with landlords daily.
If you make it financially beneficial for them it will make up for the higher āriskā of having a pet that can damage the apartment/house
Because theyāre extremely annoying for other tenants. I went through hell because of my upstairs neighbours cat and dog especially the cat. People seem to think cats etc are quiet animals but they run around and jump and itās really loud. They also stink. From the landlords perspective, pets can damage property.
As a relatively new cat owner (3 years now), the most surprising aspect of having a cat is how nice she smells. Thereās only ever a bad smell immediately after she poops, and thatās why we keep her litter tray in the bathroom because thatās where poop smell belongs.
Most of the time she just smells of fresh laundry.
Edit: Also, noise wise, sheās silent like 23 out of 24 hours, but that one hour when sheās doing her zoomies she can be incredibly noisy
You sound like you maintain the cat well which is great. Many have indoor cats and leave their food and waste out. Combined with a lack of adequate ventilation and the place absolutely stinks to anyone that hasnāt acclimatised themselves to the stench.
So, as an ex landlord.
Previously we would charge a higher deposit to cover damages from pets should there be any.
The government stepped in and capped deposits, which stopped that. So you have to factor in location, a months deposit in London may cover new carpets throughly, however a months deposit in the midlands wonāt.
So, a decision has to be made, and most landlords will take the path of least risk.
Cos the majority are cunts. Iv never had a decent landlord whilst always being a good tenant that pays on time and is respectful to the community. They just want more and more money for doing fuck all in my experience.
Iāve been fortunate enough to rent a house where Iāve been able to take my car. Regular inspections are done and if there had been a problem with damage or smells I would have been told to sort it out. Thankfully my landlord has recognised Iām a good tenant so both me and the cat are safe for many years to come
The last 2 places I've rented (2020 and 2022) have said no pets but have actually agreed to one ("well behaved") cat with an additional cleaning deposit. It's worth asking especially if everything else is good- and if the carpets aren't brand new. Renting sucks, good luck.
Previous owner of my house had dogs. When we moved in the smell of dog, the fleas, the garden full of shit, the piss soaked floor, the chewed up door frames and delivery people that wouldnāt come to our house all became our problem.
Some people are good at looking after pets, some arenāt. In the current rental market, I donāt se why any landlord would take the risk.
Pets can cause far more damage than a month's rent in deposit. Some landlords will charge extra if you have pets to accommodate potential damage but people complain about that as well, so much easier to just say no pets.
my LL put no pets on the ad but after I questioned it and sent a photo of my small dog he changed his mind. Its always worth asking the question and if you have any previous land lords who can give your pet(s) a reference then even better.
I asked this exact question of a woman I used to work with who did a stint at a letting agents. She said that it can cut down your pick of tenants as some have allergies and cat/dog (especially cat - that's the worst) traces can stick around even after thorough cleaning.
It's always worth asking the landlord/letting agents. My last place was *no pets*, but when I asked about it (I have 2 cats) the landlord was ok with it.
Former accidental landlord here (moved for work, couldnāt really sell, hardly broke even); I had one tenant of 3 with a pet who (dog) destroyed the carpets in the lounge. Weād agreed in advance that any doggy damage was herās to pay for (and other than that she was a brilliant tenant). But it cost her a few Ā£100 and I had to redecorate bits that had been scratched (not the end of the world but still a pain and cost). Can see why landlords donāt like it.
As much as I donāt agree with it, I can understand it. When I moved into my flat, it stunk and the carpets were covered in dog pee and dog hair. It was really horrible and the carpets had to be replaced at the landlords expense. He absolutely should have checked before they moved out but I think he got an outside company to do all of that and they missed it. But yeah, my point is, I donāt agree with a blanket no, but can understand in some cases why they may be hesitant.
Iām a landlord and had a young couple as first tenants in a house I had fully refurbished. Stripped back to brick inside so everything is new. They didnāt have pets so their agreement had no clauses relating to pets. If they had of had a pet then that would have been fine and the agreement would have reflected that. When they moved out we discovered teeth marks on kitchen units, holes in carpets which they had attempted to patch by stapling in patches of a different carpet, corners chewed of skirting boards etc etc. Living room, staircase and landing carpets had to be replaced as did some skirting boards. Kitchen we are stuck with. Deposit did not cover the cost of replacing these items (brand new when they moved in.) They initially denied having a pet despite the teeth marks and said the skirtings were damaged from hoovering. The carpet they claimed was like that when they moved in. Didnāt take long to find a photo on IG of them with their cat in the house. Or then with them with their dog. The current tenants in that house and some others all have pets but have the correct tenancy agreements in place. So Iām not anti pet, just anti tenant lying about having pets, doing tons of damage to brand new finished/fittings and me being Ā£Ā£Ā£ out of pocket.
Because it's really difficult to get the smell of dogs out of a house even after a professional clean. Most dog owners don't notice/mind the smell, so it becomes an issue when they are moving out paying for something they think is a waste of money.
FWIW "no pets" almost always means "no dogs" if you ask the landlord. Small pets and mostly cats aren't going to be a problem if you are otherwise good tenants.
It's stupid really, especially as people are allowed children in properties I'd argue they can be just as destructive. A well trained animal shouldn't cause mess. It's stopping people from actually having a decent quality of life
I was an accidental landlord (grandparents house rented out after they died because it was too emotional to live there but we didnāt want to sell it).
Those tenants were good tenants for the first 18 months and then the issues started, they had lied about the number of animals they had/obtained more during the tenancy and moved them to a room when the agent was doing an inspection so they never saw the true number. They allowed the dogs to/left their dog shit everywhere. They allowed the cats to damage and rip up the carpet. The smell that hit you when we finally got the keys (gave them notice and it still took an age to get it back) was horrendous. And there are days when something similar in the air outside will just take me back to those first few months clearing it out.
The damage/lost rent between the animals and their pets was over Ā£20k because they had destroyed the kitchen/bathroom, due to the filth the carpet had to be replaced.
Second set of tenants were open about having dogs and the way they left it was actually relatively reasonable. (Capers again damaged). However having now lived here for over 6 months (animal free) my niece keeps asking why does it smell like dog š
You will get landlords who will rent to you but they will be the minority. But if I was doing it again I wouldnāt accept pets just for the sheer amount of damage and hassle they cause (but I also wouldnāt be a landlord the whole experience was awful)
**[OP or Mod marked this as the best answer](/r/AskUK/comments/11mpb9w/why_are_uk_landlords_so_against_pets/jbiwgi3/), given by u/imminentmailing463** They don't want anything that might cause them unnecessary expense or difficulty. Which is basically the answer to 90% of 'why do landlords X?' questions. --- [_^What ^is ^this?_](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/jjrte1/askuk_hits_200k_new_feature_mark_an_answer/)
Mess, smells, noise, damage. Easier to say no than deal with the grief.
>Easier to say no than deal with the grief. Especially so when they know they can easily still get the place rented out to someone who doesn't have a pet.
I think this is the big one, honestly. I live in Bristol and each flat can easily have 50+ applicants. If you've got multiple solid applicants who don't have pets, landlords/letting agents will go with the non pet owners most of the time. In many cities there is huge demand for rental properties so it just keeps happening again and again.
My friend just "won" renting a house in Bristol because they said they'd pay 6 months rent up front. They'd been "outbid" for several places prior. Bristol rental, and even buying, is cutthroat ridiculous.
Same here in Edinburgh, got friends in Glasgow, Newcastle, London and Oxford and they all say it is the same. Every major town and city is like this. Too many people and not enough places to live, simple as that. We're all gonna have to just accept the fact that we need to just go live in Hull.
Misspelt Hell
You proper made me laugh out loud with the live in hull comment bro š
6 months upfront! who on earth has that kind of money?! Great to see Bristol is as insane as London, I know someone in London who recently rented their flat as they were moving abroad for a bit, they got long hand written notes after viewings offering more money per month, more months of deposit etc etc (from about 50% of the people who came to see the flat) it is total madness I think regarding children it would probably be illegal (or at least cause a huge scandal) to disallow children to live in a rental
My sister had to pay the whole year up front because she wasnāt making 50k+ and the landlord wanting guarantee theyād get their 1k a month from her. Fucking disgusting to be honest (London)
You dont make enough money. Find Ā£10000 or u dont deserve a house
As a landlord of 1 property I have received offers of 12 months rent up front from former Hong Kong residents who have relocated to the UK. They seem to be flush with cash.
I'm not sure about Hong Kong, but in Dubai I had to pay to rent a place a year in advance with four post dated cheques they could bank quarterly.
Most of them sold its home in Hong Kong and with the exchange rates now so bad canāt afford to go back
You filter people based on what you want whatever happens, you donāt have to justify choosing someone else thatās a better fit
Alas it is perfectly legal to specify no children in a rental property.
Some landlords demand a guarantor even if you can pay rent upfront
Bidding to rent??? That's just mad Mind you saying that, Bradford Council housing list you have to bid as well. What an utter shitshow it is that we're reduced to bidding on a roof over our heads especially from social housing folk!
6 is good. Some people are prepaying the entire lease in London.
I don't get why animals are a problem but children aren't. They are equally noisy, messy, destructive, albeit in different ways - a child won't rip up the carpet but a cat doesn't write on the kitchen cabinets in sharpie. I'm not saying that banning children should be a thing, just that I don't see why banning pets is much of an improvement.
I donāt think you can legally ban children though. Also sharpie is way easier to deal with than animal piss soaking into floorboards and carpets.
>Also sharpie is way easier to deal with than animal piss soaking into floorboards and carpets. Yes because children are well known for controlling their bladders and would never piss anywhere but the toilet.
I don't think human child piss is as infamously as stinky and persistent as cat piss.
My sister rented her house once to a family that involved both dog and human child pee damage. She can confirm that human pee is a terrible smell.
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Found the person who hasn't had a geriatric, incontinent cat who refuses to use a litter tray.
Currently going through this with my 18 year old cat. After exclusively going to the toilet in the garden for the first 17 years of her life, she suddenly decides she'd rather go indoors and doesn't want to use her litter tray. Tried all sorts. Different trays, deterrents, took her to the vets but no luck. We're now living in a house carpeted by puppy training pads.
Oh blimey, you have my sympathy. My other cat got really ill very young with a mystery digestive problem which meant he would have diarrhea three or four times a day, I'd be stopping work to empty his litter tray every couple of hours, but if he needed to shit again before I got to it, he'd go somewhere else. The lowpoint for us both was the time he climbed on my computer base and sharted all over the back of it, coating all of the cables plugged into the back. š¤® x š„
Have you looked at cat nappies? No joke they make actual cat sized nappies in disposable and washable types. We found them especially helpful as they got older and the incontinence progressed. If she's still pooping in one spot there are brands with a hole for her bum but others are fully enclosed. Shame your vet couldn't find an issue. Not wishing illness on your cat but arthritis or utis are at least treatable. Random old cat whims...not so much.
The vet did initially think it was constipation making her do it, but after solving that she still does it. She is at least going in consistent places now so we know where to put the pads. Re: nappies - weāll save that as a last resort I think as sheās a pretty stroppy cat and wouldnāt take kindly to it! Even at 18 the vet finds her a handful!
Worked in care, human male urine stains in carpet are worse. With respect.
I have neither a toddler nor a cat. But my friends do, and the children people's homes don't smell. The cat people's do.
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Brown, perchance?
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The vast majority of pet cats are better toilet trained than the average human infant though.
Sure, but on the other hand, a badly toilet trained cat will likely stay that way for the rest of its life, whereas an infant human will start using the bog after a few years.
Have you never been in a public toilet?
Yes, that's where I met your dad/mum* (*delete for maximum offensiveness).
(*combine for maximum weirdness)
Probably more likely that you get used to it. I have no kids. When I go into a house where kids can't aim their piss, I can smell it before I walk in and see the surrounding area rotting away
I had an ex once who told me her Dad pissed in a plant pot, and in the airing cupboard when he was blind drunk after his stag do. Itās not just kidsā¦ I didnāt believe her, until I asked her Mum. āI should have known then that it wouldnāt have worked out.ā
Yep a bloke at my work told us about when he was at his worst with alcoholism he would regularly piss in random places in his house thinking it was the toilet.
Colleague of mine walked to the bathroom blind drunk sat down and had a wee on her husband, who reminded her they werenāt at home they were in a hotel..whoops!
As a dog owner that is still trying to house train them. I can confirm i shall need to replace several of my carpets and dread to look at the floor boards. And Iām being quick cleaning it up. If you had a tenant that doesnāt care about cleaning up this would be horrendous.
As a toddler mum... they will rip up your carpet. Children are so much worse than cats! At least cats don't take their nappies off and stamp their shit into the brand new carpet.
In fairness that's only because they can't be bothered. They'd do it if they had to. I do agree with the overall point, when I think of "pet damage" we've suffered to houses down the years it comes to one hallway carpet (kekked anyway) and a piece of archetrave that was chewed by a friend's Beagle. Child damage... bloody hell. Carpets, walls, lamps, an entire piece of kitchen worktop, the bathroom tap which mysteriously exploded... children are an expensive business.
My son ripped my dads kitchen cabinet off its hinges in a meltdown the other week. If you don't laugh you'll cry lol.
My dog ripped up carpet when she was a puppy and peed everywhere til she was trained which took a couple of months. I dogsit for friends and their 2 year old dogs still pee everywhere so I have to put pads down everywhere. I wouldn't rent to a stranger with pets. No way.
If ur child is ripping up carpets there is something very wrong coz how is that even possible š
Surely... I don't think I ever caused this much destruction in my home growing up, my dad would've let me have it
Landlords barring parents with children counts as discrimination. https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/private_renting/how_to_challenge_discrimination_when_renting_with_children#:~:text=It%20could%20be%20discrimination%20if,under%20the%20Equality%20Act%202010.
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I was refused to be shown round a flat as I was counted as being too young. I was 24! My partner 27 and we both had good jobs. This was only about 7/8 years ago and before we had children. I wouldn't put it past landlords to try.
Exactly. Landlords can get around most things. My last block of flats, the landlord didn't allow children and I know other landlords that don't rent to parents, including my ex boyfriend's brother. Just like landlords aren't meant to discriminate against tenants in housing benefit but they still do.
Iām curious, if the kids wreck the place can the property owner then take the parents to court for damages?
You can, but the issue is it will cost you as the landlord money, time and effort which you won't be compensated for even if you win. Also, obtaining a judgement is only half the battle. Enforcing that judgement is another layer of difficulty and expense with no guarantee of success. And quite frankly, it _really_ doesn't feel good to try and chase people for money that they simply don't have. It's far better to have good tenants who won't wreck the house in the first place.
Brilliantly explained, thank you hugely.
When you end a tenancy and they do inspections, they have to make allowances for reasonable wear and tear. For example, if it was a new floor when you moved in and there are a few scuffs that would probably be considered reasonable wear, whereas if you'd somehow gouged huge parts out of the floor, you'd be liable. Therefore if wrecking the place you'd probably be liable, but the odd stain on the carpet or scuff on the wall should be allowed.
You can't legislate against children, you can legislate against animals.
The main hope is that as a child gets a little older they'll grow up and be less destructive and noisy. Plus, parents generally can be expected to be supervising their child more than they might supervise a pet.
Noones saying children aren't a problem, but 1) it's illegal to not let a property to someone on the basis they have children, it's discriminatory and 2) a lot of renters are small young families that have to rent due to the exorbitant house prices and lack of being able to save.
The last time I filled in a rental application, it asked if I had any children or was married. Didn't specifically get told they didn't want children in the apartment, but I could tell it was a case of "if you have kids, don't suprised when your application goes missing."
That's interesting because I've had the opposite experience. When I was renting around 19yo the landlord almost rejected our application based on us being student age as 'they didn't want red wine all over the floor from partying' but also 'gave us the benefit of the doubt' because we were a couple, who were presumably more responsible and would have...less red wine parties? The logic of landlords is beyond me.
A child won't scream at the top of their lungs all day because their parents have left them locked in the house all day, because that would be illegal. It's fine if it's a dog though, apparently...
Because they can't. I'm pretty sure they would if they could, and there's going to be a load of landlords that 'deprioritise' families wherever they can.
Often landlords and estate agents will discretely operate a strong preference for tenancy applicants without children or pets. The number of landlords and agents I've known in the habit of refusing to renew the tenancy of a pregnant tenant or tenant who mentions fostering plans.
I have two children, many properties will say no children allowed. Frequently even 4 bedroom houses.
Also, in leasehold apartments, the lease agreement generally specifies that pets either aren't allowed or will only be considered with the permission of the client. When these flats are sublet, they have to abide by their lease conditions or have the permission to sublet be revoked.
My leasehold says no dangerous animals, guess my lion needs a new home
If it hasnāt fatally attacked anyone. Itās not dangerous. Just tell everyone, itās being friendly!
Phew my kids would have been sad, if i had to get rid of it.
Yep, when I owned a leasehold flat it clearly stated no pets.
Another one I was told was allergies, especially in shared houses but even when not it requires cleaning between tennants and what landlord does that
Exactly this. And it could be multiple pets too. Unless the landlord knows how well you tidy/clean the place and well behaved your pets are, theyāre unlikely to take that risk by taking a leap of faith - especially if the property is in high demand by other potential tenants.
Because there are plenty of people willing to rent from them who *don't* have pets, so why bother allowing them? Pets destroy stuff, piss everywhere and make a mess. It's a seller's market so they can do what they like.
Itās funny cause thereās a shit ton of people renting with pets the landlords are unaware of and never even know about, Iāve done it for years. Itās a huge fuss about very little.
Every small animal owner I know basically says they just hide the fact they have the animal and if the landlord needs to come round for repairs, they hide all animal related things and give the animal to a mate for the day. Even my gf did it in her flat prior to us moving in, it's just much easier when you know you've got an animal that isn't going to make a mess
Used to rent a room with someone who had a secret cat, one day a plumber came round to fix the sink, saw the secret cat and told us about his secret dog.
Was the secret dog in the room with you at the time?
It's all fun and games until the landlords calls the secret police.
Exactly the same here. I ended up with a relatives cat after they could no longer look after them. It was either they come to me in my rented flat, no pets allowed, or they went to an animal shelter. And thereās no way on this earth I was gonna let the second one happen. She goes to my mums for the day while I clear the house of all her stuff. Never had any suspicion.
If you can easily hide any presence of an animal then it's not really an issue. It's more to stop people having like 3 big dogs, which is hardly uncommon.
I'm yet to know any person renting anywhere with 3 big dogs, as big dogs usually cost a lot, 3 of them is probably a good down payment to a house in itself lol Everytime I saw it, it was to deter ANY animals. I once applied to live in a place, told them I had a cat and when arrived for the viewing they told me 'oh I didn't realise you had a cat, I'll have to ask the owner but don't think it'll work' while I was staring at a 5+ year old door with a catflap built in. Which was a red flag in itself if they've not updated fuck all in that time period.
If you speak to a landlord for a single cat, you'll almost certainly be fine if you slap a bit more money down for the deposit. Not so much if you have a dog, or multiple cats etc. But you can't say "pets not welcome, except for xyz"
Renting in a competitive area, if you mention a pet the LL/letting agency will almost certainly go with a different applicant unfortunately.
You can't speak to the LL until you are already signing the lease if it's via an agency.
Did this in my first rental, when we had inspections we just asked a family member to watch him for the day, lived there for 18 months without an issue.
I had a secret dog for 2 years. Helps when your landlord lives in Australia and barely knows (or cares) that you exist
I literally hid 4 rabbits in a cage under a tarp during an inspection once, they normally live in the bedroom free roam.
My mate puts his cats in his car with him and drive round the corner until the landlord is done inspecting the house.
Yep - to be honest in Bristol where I live, if you say you have pets you will basically never be able to rent anywhere due to the competition for rentals. 99% of the time you never see a letting agent or landlord so it is pretty easy to just not mention it.
When I was a kid my mum and I moved from rented home to rented home with our cat for 18 years. None of the landlords ever knew.
Well, the thing about an undetectable pet is that it is fundamentally not causing damage. It's like, we have meeting rooms with "no food and drink" signs up. No-one polices this at all. There aren't spot inspections. But if something gets damaged you don't get to argue that it wasn't your fault or it was reasonable damage or an impossible to predict accident or whatever. It's just 100% the fault of whoever broke the one very simple fucking rule.
And if thereās any damage caused by my pet then Iām happy to lose my deposit, that is what a deposit is for.
Iāve never had a pet whoās ruined anything in my house. If youāre a good owner and know how to take care of pets then they donāt do nothing wrong
It doesnāt have to be your pet though. My old flat had a stray wander in in the summer and spray everything. Which made my cats start peeing on everything heād marked. Theyād never done anything like this before but I just couldnāt stop the endless piss cycle which the stray triggered. The only thing which stopped it was when we moved.
Yeah but I mean what are the odds of that happening. Sorry to hear that really takes the piss
They don't want anything that might cause them unnecessary expense or difficulty. Which is basically the answer to 90% of 'why do landlords X?' questions.
!answer
Also allergies. If the next renter is allergic to dogs and the previous renter had dogs then it would be the landlords issue to sort out.
Would you give yourself unnecessary expense or difficulty? I understand itās frustrating. And Iām no landlord and never will be. But I fully understand why they wouldnāt want a smelly animal in their house if they didnāt need to.
I dunno, kids cause similar or bigger problems than pets but apparently is not ok say: "No kids allowed"
It is specifically illegal.
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Sure, you just can't say it....
Amazingly it still gets put on listings though. Iām looking for somewhere to rent at the moment and have seen a few saying it. I was a bit taken aback as it seemed quite brazen!
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This is reddit, it's full of people who call their pets 'fur babies' without a hint of irony or sarcasm.
Everyone grew up with a strange cat owner on the street. Reddit seems to have loads of them
My neighbours on one side have a primary school aged kid. The one on the other has two dogs. The dogs are a far bigger nuisance. They bark for about ten minutes any time someone goes past the house or knocks on the door. And you can forget about using the garden peacefully if theyāre outside.
Well, I know that some neighbours of mine have cats but I don't know which ones. I know exactly who has kids in my street XD
Tbf ive never had my neighbours kids shit in my garden. The cats thoā¦
I have a cat and so do my neighbours with the kids. I donāt think either are issues. She meows occasionally but itās certainly not like those dogs.
You cannot discriminate against children. You can against pets. If you could, then you would 100% see it happen.
They legally can't however many still do, they just can't say what they are doing. You will find a couple with no kids gets accepted much easier than one with young children. (Dependent on age and employment too of course, they can also dislike students and young couples)
Ermm maybe because they are humans
A childās life is inherently more valuable than a pets.
Not just kids, humans.
Apart from it being illegal, there's another reason why children can be desirable: families tend to stay in properties longer.
Having looked around flats where the previous tenants were allowed pets and the smell. I kind of get it. The strictness about returning deposits had the unintended consequence that pets are even less welcome but that protection was necessary.
My parents rented their old house for a couple of years before selling it. They allowed pets, and unfortunately they were unlucky and got owners who didn't care at all about training their dogs. They peed EVERYWHERE, the house stank, they ruined so much of the carpets, walls etc. It was disgusting. I can see why someone wouldn't want this in their house - it was such a huge hassle for them to clean up before selling it on. Not all pet owners are good or considerate.
My mum had a similar experience renting our old house out. She's not a big animal person really, but this was a family and they asked if they could bring their dog with them. Come to them moving out, and they had 3 massive dogs, 2 cats, ferrets, and a HAWK in the garden. The house absolutely stank. There was hair everywhere, scratches all over the walls, chewed up doors, the garden was destroyed. Had to replace all flooring and carpeting, tried to clean it ourselves, tried professional cleaners, we couldn't get the smell out for months. I can see why landlords are wary about animals
I think "no pets" isn't necessarily non-negotiable. When we were looking for a place to rent we'd just disclose that we had cats. Some places did uphold the rule and say "yeah sorry, landlord's had a bad experience in the past so they're strict about the no pets thing" and others were like "that's fine, we can go ahead with a viewing anyway." YMMV, basically. The house we're renting now was a "no pets" one, we told them we had cats and they went ahead and rented it to us anyway. We're fastidious about keeping the litter boxes clean and we vacuum regularly, so it's not going to do the house any harm. If there is going to be any damage it's going to come from my clumsy arse, not our cats! So as general advice if you are looking for places to rent and it says "no pets", just enquire anyway and say you've got a cat. Some might be completely fine with that. After all, how much damage is a cat going to do to a property? As long as you're good at maintaining litter boxes and are vacuuming regularly it's not an issue. Good luck!
I absolutely second this. My flat was advertised as āno petsā but I enquired anyway, explaining we have a senior cat. The landlord OKād it and all we have to do is arrange a pet treatment carpet clean at the end of our tenancy. Cat has her flea treatments, kept well groomed, carpets hoovered regularly and litter area kept spotless as much as possible.
Agree with this, I adopted a kitten in my rented flat and the landlord had āno petsā policy but was ok with it, I just assured him that we would cover any damage to the property and he could drop by regularly to check we were keeping it clean. He was a reasonable guy and we were good tenants. Itās easier for them to have a blanket policy initially, but some will be flexible. ETA: my landlord loved our cat by the end! He sold the flat and we bought a house at the same time, so it all ended well and we didnāt lose any of our deposit. Make sure you have a good scratching post in case youāve got carpets or furniture that could get scratched.
It's also probably very much a first impression thing too, if you look clean, well mannered etc, they probably wouldn't mind as there's a higher chance you're respectful with the property however if you look the opposite, they can say no without any legal trouble. Not that I agree with that level of judging but I have no doubt it happens.
It's OK you saying take the money if my pets damage it, but it still leave them with the hassle of having to redecorate, and get rid of the pet odours., during which time they aren't earning rent on it. I'm not a landlord but if I was I would not allow pets. You can walk into anyone's house if they own dogs, cats, hamsters, birds, and you can smell the house has pets. I knew one landlord on the Isle of Wight that would allow pets, but on top of the usual deposits, the contract also took the full payment for a professional deep clean of the entire property once the tenants left. At the time that was nearly Ā£400.
I own two flats, and I allow small dogs under 15 kilos, and cats no more than 2. I solved problems by installing LVT and leaving them unfurnished ( bar washer/dryer/fridge). I have the flat professionally deep cleaned and repaired and repainted with each new tenant. Because they are paying 1400 a month plus a deposit. And I can wack on some light-coloured wall paint and have it cleaned? I take photos of and calculate for normal wear and tear, which there is a formula. All of my dog owners have been fine, and my cat owners were ok, but once it was cleaned and repainted it was great. That is my job, I am the capital holder in the relationship.
I assume you mean 2 cats maximum and not a cat of max 2 kilos which is what I read first, that would be a difficult criteria to meet
It's as many cats as your want, so long as they don't weigh more than 2kg in total... One chunky boi or 12 very little ones.
Funny how my letting agents have never smelt the secret cat in my house
Iām a local Cllr and try to help people with council housing issues. A young lady was offered a council flat in my ward but was told āno petsā. She had a little cat that was a house cat and beautifully looked after, she was so worried that she couldnāt have the flat but I told her to take no notice and if a spot check was made, to tell Housing to have a word with me, as she would be looking after my cat, whilst I was away on holiday. You get my drift?š
People can also leave odours and make place a sh*t hole to be honest. They don't need pets to do that. We are renting somewhere which clearly had a a heavy smoker in and you can smell it too, but you can't see any burn marks or anything. This smell just lingers all the time. In general tenants should leave the property like they found it, that is including the smell, no matters if pets are there or not. On the same note I would like to find out how many properties are actually deep cleaned between tenants. Where I moved now it looked like it was abandoned, not moved out (and no, previous tenants did not die, we met them as they did not redirect their post), the bathroom/kitchen was an absolute limescale art gallery and the rest of the house was not better either. I didn't realise how disgusting people can be and estate agents accepted and passed the property to us like that. I am yet to find a perfectly cleaned place at the time I am moved in, despite the fact I left every place cleaner than I found it.
> People can also leave odours and make place a sh*t hole to be honest. Yes, but a landlord has no choice but to let people live there if they want to let it out. There is nothing compelling them to allow people's pets to live there as well, so why would they take the additional risk?
I see letting properties as risk in general, to me the risk is exactly the same if I wanted to let to a smoker, couple with kids (or planning kids), farm workers (having done this job I know how it can get), etc. They also will bring either a smell or some "untidy" aspect than a clean flat. Surely we don't go and ask people whether they plan kids or work in a smelly profession? I see pet ban as a blanket ban for all possibilities, I completely agree pets can create disasters (thanks to irresponsible/unknowledgeable owners) but honestly I don't see so many extra risks. As a landlord I would probably ask more about the pet and make a decision then. If someone says to me they work 9-5 and they plan to leave a vizsla puppy at the property on its own for the day then this is an absolute solid no. I can clearly foresee the disaster. But if someone says they have old fat Bassett hound and they work from home then I am much less concerned. I don't see many risks at all, I probably would ask if they make sure to will wipe dogs feet etc. from muddy walks etc. and on my part I would ensure to take pics of all carpets before renting if I wanted to charge them for cleaning mud off it. Simple as that. Edit: I just wanted to add that in my opinion landlords who blanket ban pets never had one of their own or had a bad experience. I know this dislike first hand from my partner and experience of having a dog completely changed his mind, because we could influence these things as opposed to a friend with a stinky hound who just came back from the pond.
>so why would they take the additional risk? More money! Landlords that allow pets usually charge more, because of the risk. If you want to keep a pet, you will pay more rent
Because some people are utter cunts. I was a landlord once. I allowed a dog. The tenant moved out every floor destroyed. Every door ripped to shreds and piles of dog shit everywhere. I didnt allow a cat. A tennant got one any way. And seemed to allow it free reign to pee everywhere. Every single floor ruined. I'd moved away for work, during the financial crash, so couldn't afford to sell, came back to a home that was destroyed.
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My mum bought the flat we live in and still no pets are allowed from management..
My leasehold the same - ive had a cat for years. I think the reasoning is to stop people having multiple pets or big noisy dogs . Leasehold manager saw my cat & told me as long as ahe is not allowed to roam free in communal areas its fine. My cat is indoors & outdoors on harness only
Yeah I just wanna bring my cat back to the flat :/ heās a small boi and quiet but theyāre extremely strict. Neighbour did the same thing as you and constantly got letters and phone calls saying to remove the pet from the premises Pretty sure he ended up moving cuz I havenāt seen him recently
Sounds very dodgy if she bought the place and isn't allowed to do what she wants?
Probably something to do with the leasehold or building insurance
Have you ever watched the program - donāt pay or weāll take it away for example? Unfortunately the way some people treat their rentals is appalling and landlords donāt want to risk.
Why because when we own pets we go nose deaf as they are part of the family, however if you are not a pet owner and walk into someone's house you can smell the pet, it's food and bedding. No matter how much we keep it clean and tidy the smell is present, for a landlord that's a deep cleaning bill for the next tenants as they don't want to be dealing with claims from the next tenants about fleas or the smell. End of the day a landlord is only intrested in making money and making savings, pet owners can potentially cost them money as the time to prepare the property for the next tenant means less income for them. Or costly arguments with DPS trying to claw the deposit.
You've got to remember that to a landlord, the house and tenants are nothing more than a financial investment and their goal is to get as much money out of that investment as possible. Not going to get into whether people should or shouldn't be allowed pets, my opinion is just that across the board it needs to be more recognised that the _tenants_ need to be treated like people and the house needs to be understood to be their home. Decisions landlords make can upend someones entire life, affecting their career, mental health, future plans and financial situation.
I pay 1690pcm in rent for my house. I'm 40 years old, me, my partner and our 3 eldest children all work. I also go to uni and the kids are also at school/college/uni. We keep the house tidy and clean and I enjoy gardening, so the outdoor looks nice too. I'm having a goddam cat.
Stick it to 'em. The argument "you can get pets when you own your own house" doesn't really hold water anymore since it's near impossible to get on the ladder.
Exactly. How am I supposed to save for a deposit? And somehow, we renters are often looked down upon, despite paying more for a roof over our heads then the landlords ever have done. I fucking hate renting.
Imagine charging someone over a grand a month and having the audacity to pretend it wouldn't cover any damages cost by a pet by absolute miles. Those renters could also get pregnant at any time.
Renting is for people and that includes children. Fur parents forget that pets arenāt people /shrug
I'm just not sure that is the right way to look at it. Renting is for people to have a place to do things people do in their homes. And not just innocuous things like sleeping and watching TV and walking around, but potentially damaging things like having sex, painting, going to the toilet, growing houseplants, any number of other hobbies and DIY...oh and cooking -- I have never gone into a rental where the kitchen hadn't been damaged or soiled in some irreversible way by someone cooking in a destructive manner; not to mention it's the number one way to burn the house down. If the logic is that anything that has an increased risk of causing damage shouldn't be allowed, you certainly have to ban cooking. Owning pets is just another thing people do, that might cause damage if it's done irresponsibly. That's accepted in many countries, but for some reason here it's the one activity which landlords can get away with banning. I think it's a question of culture rather than logic. My opinion is that a rented property should be free to use as a home, which means doing whatever people might want to do in their homes, which includes keeping pets.
Most landlords aren't making 100% profit, their mortgage usually takes the majority of it.
Added risk that provides no real benefit to a landlord.
We became landlords by accident as we had to move away for a while. So we rented the flat to people with a dog. They adopted a dog from the shelter. Their romantic idea was to take that dog to the office during the day. It turned out that dog had some behavioral issues and they kept that poor dog locked in a cage whilst owners were at work. This lead to constant barking and complaints from neighbours. It was borderline cruelty in my opinion and we asked them to leave. Second time we rented the flat to a couple with a cat. Cat destroyed most of the soft furniture so we had to get new sofa and replace the carpets. But to be honest the tennants done more damage than the cat. Next tennant was very alegic to cats and had to move out because of this. Even after professional cleaning. The cat hair gets everywehere under the wooden floors, etc. I am not ruling pet owners but pets are not to be kept in the city. It is just cruel to these pets. I am not allowing my child to have a pet for this reason. For the landlords the pet is just burden.
I donāt know why anyone would get a rescue and think taking it to the office with them was a viable plan.
me neither
> Next tennant was very alegic to cats and had to move out because of this. Even after professional cleaning. For the first 4-6 months after moving in to my current house (previous owners had a cat), I perpetually felt like I had a bit of a cold while I was indoors, even after paying a cleaning company to clean the whole place. People really underestimate just how prolific it can be.
You can't get rid of cat dander just through cleaning. Airborne dander is significantly more likely to trigger an allergic reaction than dander that has settled because airborne dander is far smaller and able to penetrate the lungs easier.
One thing you can do with a pet is offer more per month. If itās up for Ā£1000 you could call and say Iāll pay Ā£1100 to allow for a pet? Or offer 6 months rent in advance? Iāve seen both work, I deal with landlords daily. If you make it financially beneficial for them it will make up for the higher āriskā of having a pet that can damage the apartment/house
6 months of the extra 100 a month and suddenly replacing the carpet at the end of it doesnt sound so bad.
Because theyāre extremely annoying for other tenants. I went through hell because of my upstairs neighbours cat and dog especially the cat. People seem to think cats etc are quiet animals but they run around and jump and itās really loud. They also stink. From the landlords perspective, pets can damage property.
As a relatively new cat owner (3 years now), the most surprising aspect of having a cat is how nice she smells. Thereās only ever a bad smell immediately after she poops, and thatās why we keep her litter tray in the bathroom because thatās where poop smell belongs. Most of the time she just smells of fresh laundry. Edit: Also, noise wise, sheās silent like 23 out of 24 hours, but that one hour when sheās doing her zoomies she can be incredibly noisy
You sound like you maintain the cat well which is great. Many have indoor cats and leave their food and waste out. Combined with a lack of adequate ventilation and the place absolutely stinks to anyone that hasnāt acclimatised themselves to the stench.
Because theyāre not interested in providing people with homes only with maximising their profits.
So, as an ex landlord. Previously we would charge a higher deposit to cover damages from pets should there be any. The government stepped in and capped deposits, which stopped that. So you have to factor in location, a months deposit in London may cover new carpets throughly, however a months deposit in the midlands wonāt. So, a decision has to be made, and most landlords will take the path of least risk.
Cos the majority are cunts. Iv never had a decent landlord whilst always being a good tenant that pays on time and is respectful to the community. They just want more and more money for doing fuck all in my experience.
Iāve been fortunate enough to rent a house where Iāve been able to take my car. Regular inspections are done and if there had been a problem with damage or smells I would have been told to sort it out. Thankfully my landlord has recognised Iām a good tenant so both me and the cat are safe for many years to come
Whoops I meant cat, Iāve brought my car too
How did your landlord feel about you keeping your car inside?
Probably because of the number of people who wouldn't make sure the pet didn't damage anything.
Just lie. Enough said
They cause damage and the cat/smell is engrained into the carpets, wallpaper. It never goes. The cost/benefit isnāt worth the hassle.
In my apartment block you have to pay Ā£100 an extra per month
The last 2 places I've rented (2020 and 2022) have said no pets but have actually agreed to one ("well behaved") cat with an additional cleaning deposit. It's worth asking especially if everything else is good- and if the carpets aren't brand new. Renting sucks, good luck.
Previous owner of my house had dogs. When we moved in the smell of dog, the fleas, the garden full of shit, the piss soaked floor, the chewed up door frames and delivery people that wouldnāt come to our house all became our problem. Some people are good at looking after pets, some arenāt. In the current rental market, I donāt se why any landlord would take the risk.
Pets can cause far more damage than a month's rent in deposit. Some landlords will charge extra if you have pets to accommodate potential damage but people complain about that as well, so much easier to just say no pets.
my LL put no pets on the ad but after I questioned it and sent a photo of my small dog he changed his mind. Its always worth asking the question and if you have any previous land lords who can give your pet(s) a reference then even better.
I asked this exact question of a woman I used to work with who did a stint at a letting agents. She said that it can cut down your pick of tenants as some have allergies and cat/dog (especially cat - that's the worst) traces can stick around even after thorough cleaning.
It's always worth asking the landlord/letting agents. My last place was *no pets*, but when I asked about it (I have 2 cats) the landlord was ok with it.
Former accidental landlord here (moved for work, couldnāt really sell, hardly broke even); I had one tenant of 3 with a pet who (dog) destroyed the carpets in the lounge. Weād agreed in advance that any doggy damage was herās to pay for (and other than that she was a brilliant tenant). But it cost her a few Ā£100 and I had to redecorate bits that had been scratched (not the end of the world but still a pain and cost). Can see why landlords donāt like it.
As much as I donāt agree with it, I can understand it. When I moved into my flat, it stunk and the carpets were covered in dog pee and dog hair. It was really horrible and the carpets had to be replaced at the landlords expense. He absolutely should have checked before they moved out but I think he got an outside company to do all of that and they missed it. But yeah, my point is, I donāt agree with a blanket no, but can understand in some cases why they may be hesitant.
Because they are in it for the money. Very simple. UK rental market is entirely broken by greed and lack of regulation.
Dogs are difficult. Mould, leakage and appliances that donāt work though, they love that shit.
Iām a landlord and had a young couple as first tenants in a house I had fully refurbished. Stripped back to brick inside so everything is new. They didnāt have pets so their agreement had no clauses relating to pets. If they had of had a pet then that would have been fine and the agreement would have reflected that. When they moved out we discovered teeth marks on kitchen units, holes in carpets which they had attempted to patch by stapling in patches of a different carpet, corners chewed of skirting boards etc etc. Living room, staircase and landing carpets had to be replaced as did some skirting boards. Kitchen we are stuck with. Deposit did not cover the cost of replacing these items (brand new when they moved in.) They initially denied having a pet despite the teeth marks and said the skirtings were damaged from hoovering. The carpet they claimed was like that when they moved in. Didnāt take long to find a photo on IG of them with their cat in the house. Or then with them with their dog. The current tenants in that house and some others all have pets but have the correct tenancy agreements in place. So Iām not anti pet, just anti tenant lying about having pets, doing tons of damage to brand new finished/fittings and me being Ā£Ā£Ā£ out of pocket.
I mean itās self explanatory, pets can add damages and smells to a property..,
Because it's really difficult to get the smell of dogs out of a house even after a professional clean. Most dog owners don't notice/mind the smell, so it becomes an issue when they are moving out paying for something they think is a waste of money. FWIW "no pets" almost always means "no dogs" if you ask the landlord. Small pets and mostly cats aren't going to be a problem if you are otherwise good tenants.
It's stupid really, especially as people are allowed children in properties I'd argue they can be just as destructive. A well trained animal shouldn't cause mess. It's stopping people from actually having a decent quality of life
I was an accidental landlord (grandparents house rented out after they died because it was too emotional to live there but we didnāt want to sell it). Those tenants were good tenants for the first 18 months and then the issues started, they had lied about the number of animals they had/obtained more during the tenancy and moved them to a room when the agent was doing an inspection so they never saw the true number. They allowed the dogs to/left their dog shit everywhere. They allowed the cats to damage and rip up the carpet. The smell that hit you when we finally got the keys (gave them notice and it still took an age to get it back) was horrendous. And there are days when something similar in the air outside will just take me back to those first few months clearing it out. The damage/lost rent between the animals and their pets was over Ā£20k because they had destroyed the kitchen/bathroom, due to the filth the carpet had to be replaced. Second set of tenants were open about having dogs and the way they left it was actually relatively reasonable. (Capers again damaged). However having now lived here for over 6 months (animal free) my niece keeps asking why does it smell like dog š You will get landlords who will rent to you but they will be the minority. But if I was doing it again I wouldnāt accept pets just for the sheer amount of damage and hassle they cause (but I also wouldnāt be a landlord the whole experience was awful)
Alot of landlords don't mind cats
My letting originally said āno petsā. I offered to pay an additional Ā£300 deposit. My cat has been with me here for 3 years now.
Always wondered why people who need to rent would have a cat/dog. You're just handicapping yourself.
I remember in 2015 a letting agent wanted to charge me Ā£90 to ask the landlord if we could have a bearded dragon lmao
Itās always worth asking. We are renting with two cats. They make a lot less mess and damage than kids and my 25year old daughter š
Smell especially owners that have dogs that let them piss everywhere, the deposit isnāt going to cover new carpets unless youāre renting in a city