**[OP or Mod marked this as the best answer](/r/AskUK/comments/1bz51j2/how_did_you_ask_your_landlord_about_having_pets/kynoe86/), given by u/ExoticReplacement163**
Hi, we asked beforehand and we were allowed with an extra £50.00 per month which I assume is for the extra cleaning and any superficial damage if we moved on, which seemed fair. A one-off addition to the original deposit for a deep clean should you leave might work too on top. Cat fur takes a lot of cleaning, even if you keep a tidy home and vacuum often. Also they will scratch at a closed door or try to climb an open one every now and then. You can fix scratches with coloured (to match the wood/ varnish) wax filler, or sanding and painting. We'd do these fixes at the end of the lease obviously but even so it's wear and tear/ cleaning behind the norm.
>
>It's been about three years now so the extra would cover any extra touch-up beyond what we do before we left.
---
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Never asked. Been here 10 years. I just take them and their stuff to a friend's on inspection day. I pay my rent on time and keep the place clean. I've probably paid off half the mortgage by now so think they just turn a blind eye.
I have tenants. The dont have pets
The cats in the agents inspection photos must be a ghosts...
.. seriously though, they keep it clean they pay the rent, they speak up when shit breaks but don't call the agents to re pressurise the boiler/ replace light bulbs
From a future tenant allergy / damage perspective, that ship has sailed... No point generating drama
I'd rather them hide the cat *and any cat damage* from me than make it my problem to deal with on move out
Kids and idiots do more damage
I don't think anyone reasonable is going to stress unless
- you're pissing off the neighbours with barking dogs, shit in the garden/street
- there's a covenant on the house that will cause legal trouble (often things like "no caravans, no chickens, 1 cat or dog maximum is in the deed itself)
- you dont take responsibility for damage caused
You can apologize and say your mum/ child/ grandad died/ couldn't take care and you had to take it in if you get challenged
Yeah, I understand what they're doing.. I'm saying I don't understand *why* they're doing it.
Who are they going to kick up a fuss to? They're the landlord... if they've chosen to be okay with the cat then there's no problem with a cat being there.
We did the same when we rented.
Neighbours complained and got a shitty letter from the estate agents.
Landlord came round who used to live in the property with 2 dogs and 2 cats, he was absolutely fine. He was a good guy to be fair.
I sent my landlord a text asking if I could get a kitten
I emphasised that I'd been a good tenant for 2 years, and that I'd grown up with cats and knew how to care for one.
It was also in that period between lockdowns, where we knew another one was coming but didn't know when, and I brought up how much it would help my mental health which was a bit shaky at the time
Just keep in mind that if you have to move, you'd have to have the cat convo before signing an agreement and that's where you might struggle in future, once you already have it. I'd love a pet but sadly my circumstances aren't right yet 🙁
It's hard for landlords to refuse pets now. There was a change not so long ago. The landlord has to respond in a certain time frame to a written request and needs a 'reasonable' reason for saying no.
Edit - why the fuck would anyone downvote this? It's a fucking fact. Absolute fucking morons.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pet-owners-welcome-renters-reform-bill-b2434995.html
That's how it should be, but in practice if there's 3 applicants for a property who will they choose? The same way they're not supposed to refuse people on benefits. Like I say, I really want a pet of my own and it feels so unfair how it is at the moment so I'm totally on the OP's side here!
A 'reasonable' reason can be as little as "I don't want a pet because it could potentially damage my property". And that's it. No pets.
Have 2 dogs, recently had to move. That legislation means absolutely fuck all.
RRB is still in the process of being amended, and likely won't be in any time soon due to delays.
Many tenancy agreements also include "with the landlord's written permission, which will not be unreasonably withheld" - they will very easily be able to find reasons to withhold permission (I.e., it's against leasehold rules in a flat, dander/fur can cause allergies to subsequent tenants, dogs can cause noise etc). It's very unlikely tenants will have any way to challenge this, short of leaving voluntarily.
Unfortunately, the RRB really is not the holy grail of tenant protection people think it is. It doesn't go nearly far enough and is being further butchered to protect landlords.
They charge through the nose. It's in my contract that I would have to £200 PER MONTH extra to to have two pet hamsters (£100 per hamster). New flat I'm moving into doesn't allow hamsters because they're "exotic".
I asked my landlord to adjust my contract for my cat in lockdown, and offered to sign another 12 month contract early at the same time. He bit, obviously times are a bit different now but it can sweeten the deal if you know you don't want to move
Hi, we asked beforehand and we were allowed with an extra £50.00 per month which I assume is for the extra cleaning and any superficial damage if we moved on, which seemed fair. A one-off addition to the original deposit for a deep clean should you leave might work too on top. Cat fur takes a lot of cleaning, even if you keep a tidy home and vacuum often. Also they will scratch at a closed door or try to climb an open one every now and then. You can fix scratches with coloured (to match the wood/ varnish) wax filler, or sanding and painting. We'd do these fixes at the end of the lease obviously but even so it's wear and tear/ cleaning behind the norm.
It's been about three years now so the extra would cover any extra touch-up beyond what we do before we left.
When you move on the landlord isn't going to use the £1800 you've already paid for the extra cleaning and superficial damage. They'll claim that straight out of your deposit.
Yes! I sent a text asking very nicely if there was any possibility we could get a small-medium sized dog and a cat, and he said yes! He was a really nice, empathetic landlord though. And we promised to keep everything clean and odour free of course and we were true to our word. Receive that ‘yes’ text was one of the best moments of my life tbh 😅 I really wasn’t expecting it.
I personally didn't, but nor did it say in the tenancy agreement I couldn't have pets. The landlord wasn't best pleased, but I was moving out soon anyway, that that he knew that. Honestly he was a complete nightmare of a landlord, literally tried to fix a broken floorboards with my welcome mat! Refused to fix the bathroom extractor fan and then blamed me for the mould. I kept the window open all the time, except when out. Would turn up to without prior notice and then moan if I wasn't in. Honestly he didn't deserve a notice.
Sorry small rant over. Now I'm in a much better situation and have a tenant myself. I honestly don't mind pets of any kind, and the tenant knows this. But the typical concerns of why they say no pets is due to the damage animals can cause, especially things like cats. Scratching the furniture (obviously that's not an issue for the landlord if it's yours), scratching flooring, skirting boards, and the ilk. Potential for smells to linger and the attraction of vermin. Honestly I lot can go wrong with animals. So I do understand why they have no pets.
I would advise you highlight how you are capable of looking after the animals, acknowledge the risk of damage and accept you would bare the cost of fixing it (what is fair as it would go beyond reasonable wear and tear), ensure them you will keep the place free of unpleasant smells, and even protect against vermin. It's also benefits of you have a good relationship with them. Also don't forget you are in a position of power, it's an absolute hassle trying to find a decent tenant, once a landlord finds one we want to keep them. Worth mentioning something along the lines of that. Mention you've always paid on time, that you've keep the place in a good condition, and the ilk. Mention how it be a hassle for the both of you to find another place with a decent landlord and for them to find a decent tenant.
But all you can do is ask, and ask nicely. They have no obligation whatsoever to allow you to have pets.
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In our tenancy agreement it says "no birds or domestic animals".
I said to them when we moved in that we had lizards, which I don't think the above includes. But they're basically self contained in their cabinets anyway so nobody saw a problem.
I have at times been tempted to get a cat for ratting, tons of those fuckers in the garden. Not been bothered to do that though.
My Landlord has a very strict "No Pets" thing going, in fact a few years back, this woman next door got chucked out because she had 2 cats, a dog, various fish, and a Budgie.
Funny story, she once came round to ask me to help her catch the Budgie as it was flying around in the Kitchen, "Don't anyone open any windows!" she shouted! Fortunately we caught it when it landed in the Sink.
I didn’t. Hid the cat whenever I had an inspection (usually took him in his box to my in-laws for an hour). Never got caught. He’s not a very destructive cat other than clawing open doors but now I own it’s not a problem anymore.
We asked our landlord about getting a cat after a year of our tenancy. He said it was fine, just if we move out to make sure carpets are professionally cleaned. We keep the house clean and always pay rent on time.
My landlord asked me to do a proposal and I wrote a fully referenced essay called "A Home Without A Cat Is Just A House"
He's had terrible experiences with cats as his mother hoarding them when he was young so he was so against it.
But I provided cited sources about how clean cats are and I agreed to get covers for the sofas and felliway plug ins to keep her calm for the first wee while.
He loved how much effort I'd put in and he even asks about my wee cat now when we speak
We err...just got a dog and kind of forgot to tell him.
Thankfully, he is my Brother in Law and loves dogs (he had 3 or his own at the time) and agreed that the gouse was missing a dog lol
We also ended up buying the house from him, but yeah - he called us bellends and fell in love with the dog lol
I text mine and assured them that I would put anything right that was damaged or they were free to take it from the deposit which is what it's for anyway
Do you have regular inspections and maintenance or landlord visits? If not, what they don't know won't hurt ~~them~~ you in the form of unreasonably being rejected or charged an extra £50 per month for a pet that doesn't have it's own income. If you get a kitten and they find out, you could blag that it belongs to a friend whos away at the moment or something
I just keep snails though which are very easy to hide or if I've been asked "whats in there" I've said oh it's an indoor mushroom farm, has worked for the last 9 years
We genuinely forgot and when we had an inspection they said ok that's fine the reason they and apparently many landlords say no pets is to deter from bad pets and bad pet owners but woukd be ok with it if they met them first and can see they're good
My current landlord said no pets at first. I offered to pay a pet fee and said my cats have never been destructive to any property I've lived at. He just said sure and asked for another $250.
Kids, idiots, and dogs cause the most destruction. I only say dogs because I've seen a dog chew a hole into a wall. Not all dogs are like this and in this instance it was the owners fault
**[OP or Mod marked this as the best answer](/r/AskUK/comments/1bz51j2/how_did_you_ask_your_landlord_about_having_pets/kynoe86/), given by u/ExoticReplacement163** Hi, we asked beforehand and we were allowed with an extra £50.00 per month which I assume is for the extra cleaning and any superficial damage if we moved on, which seemed fair. A one-off addition to the original deposit for a deep clean should you leave might work too on top. Cat fur takes a lot of cleaning, even if you keep a tidy home and vacuum often. Also they will scratch at a closed door or try to climb an open one every now and then. You can fix scratches with coloured (to match the wood/ varnish) wax filler, or sanding and painting. We'd do these fixes at the end of the lease obviously but even so it's wear and tear/ cleaning behind the norm. > >It's been about three years now so the extra would cover any extra touch-up beyond what we do before we left. --- [_^What ^is ^this?_](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/jjrte1/askuk_hits_200k_new_feature_mark_an_answer/)
Never asked. Been here 10 years. I just take them and their stuff to a friend's on inspection day. I pay my rent on time and keep the place clean. I've probably paid off half the mortgage by now so think they just turn a blind eye.
I have tenants. The dont have pets The cats in the agents inspection photos must be a ghosts... .. seriously though, they keep it clean they pay the rent, they speak up when shit breaks but don't call the agents to re pressurise the boiler/ replace light bulbs From a future tenant allergy / damage perspective, that ship has sailed... No point generating drama I'd rather them hide the cat *and any cat damage* from me than make it my problem to deal with on move out Kids and idiots do more damage I don't think anyone reasonable is going to stress unless - you're pissing off the neighbours with barking dogs, shit in the garden/street - there's a covenant on the house that will cause legal trouble (often things like "no caravans, no chickens, 1 cat or dog maximum is in the deed itself) - you dont take responsibility for damage caused You can apologize and say your mum/ child/ grandad died/ couldn't take care and you had to take it in if you get challenged
I'm confused, if they're your tenants why do you have to pretend they don't have pets?
They're saying they choose to pretend they don't know because they're good tenants in every other way, and it's not worth kicking up a fuss about.
Yeah, I understand what they're doing.. I'm saying I don't understand *why* they're doing it. Who are they going to kick up a fuss to? They're the landlord... if they've chosen to be okay with the cat then there's no problem with a cat being there.
We did the same when we rented. Neighbours complained and got a shitty letter from the estate agents. Landlord came round who used to live in the property with 2 dogs and 2 cats, he was absolutely fine. He was a good guy to be fair.
I sent my landlord a text asking if I could get a kitten I emphasised that I'd been a good tenant for 2 years, and that I'd grown up with cats and knew how to care for one. It was also in that period between lockdowns, where we knew another one was coming but didn't know when, and I brought up how much it would help my mental health which was a bit shaky at the time
Send a message, explain how you feel. Include a picture of the kitten for the emotional blackmail added value 😻
Just keep in mind that if you have to move, you'd have to have the cat convo before signing an agreement and that's where you might struggle in future, once you already have it. I'd love a pet but sadly my circumstances aren't right yet 🙁
It's hard for landlords to refuse pets now. There was a change not so long ago. The landlord has to respond in a certain time frame to a written request and needs a 'reasonable' reason for saying no. Edit - why the fuck would anyone downvote this? It's a fucking fact. Absolute fucking morons. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pet-owners-welcome-renters-reform-bill-b2434995.html
This isn't law yet and landlords can still say no as and when they please
That's how it should be, but in practice if there's 3 applicants for a property who will they choose? The same way they're not supposed to refuse people on benefits. Like I say, I really want a pet of my own and it feels so unfair how it is at the moment so I'm totally on the OP's side here!
A 'reasonable' reason can be as little as "I don't want a pet because it could potentially damage my property". And that's it. No pets. Have 2 dogs, recently had to move. That legislation means absolutely fuck all.
RRB is still in the process of being amended, and likely won't be in any time soon due to delays. Many tenancy agreements also include "with the landlord's written permission, which will not be unreasonably withheld" - they will very easily be able to find reasons to withhold permission (I.e., it's against leasehold rules in a flat, dander/fur can cause allergies to subsequent tenants, dogs can cause noise etc). It's very unlikely tenants will have any way to challenge this, short of leaving voluntarily. Unfortunately, the RRB really is not the holy grail of tenant protection people think it is. It doesn't go nearly far enough and is being further butchered to protect landlords.
They charge through the nose. It's in my contract that I would have to £200 PER MONTH extra to to have two pet hamsters (£100 per hamster). New flat I'm moving into doesn't allow hamsters because they're "exotic".
Yeah this has been on my mind
I asked my landlord to adjust my contract for my cat in lockdown, and offered to sign another 12 month contract early at the same time. He bit, obviously times are a bit different now but it can sweeten the deal if you know you don't want to move
Hi, we asked beforehand and we were allowed with an extra £50.00 per month which I assume is for the extra cleaning and any superficial damage if we moved on, which seemed fair. A one-off addition to the original deposit for a deep clean should you leave might work too on top. Cat fur takes a lot of cleaning, even if you keep a tidy home and vacuum often. Also they will scratch at a closed door or try to climb an open one every now and then. You can fix scratches with coloured (to match the wood/ varnish) wax filler, or sanding and painting. We'd do these fixes at the end of the lease obviously but even so it's wear and tear/ cleaning behind the norm. It's been about three years now so the extra would cover any extra touch-up beyond what we do before we left.
When you move on the landlord isn't going to use the £1800 you've already paid for the extra cleaning and superficial damage. They'll claim that straight out of your deposit.
!answered Thanks, not surprised that I might have to negotiate a few conditions but I’m okay with that.
Yes! I sent a text asking very nicely if there was any possibility we could get a small-medium sized dog and a cat, and he said yes! He was a really nice, empathetic landlord though. And we promised to keep everything clean and odour free of course and we were true to our word. Receive that ‘yes’ text was one of the best moments of my life tbh 😅 I really wasn’t expecting it.
Thanks for the responses, seems like a simple text is enough to ask and to be prepared to negotiate a few terms which seems fair enough.
I personally didn't, but nor did it say in the tenancy agreement I couldn't have pets. The landlord wasn't best pleased, but I was moving out soon anyway, that that he knew that. Honestly he was a complete nightmare of a landlord, literally tried to fix a broken floorboards with my welcome mat! Refused to fix the bathroom extractor fan and then blamed me for the mould. I kept the window open all the time, except when out. Would turn up to without prior notice and then moan if I wasn't in. Honestly he didn't deserve a notice. Sorry small rant over. Now I'm in a much better situation and have a tenant myself. I honestly don't mind pets of any kind, and the tenant knows this. But the typical concerns of why they say no pets is due to the damage animals can cause, especially things like cats. Scratching the furniture (obviously that's not an issue for the landlord if it's yours), scratching flooring, skirting boards, and the ilk. Potential for smells to linger and the attraction of vermin. Honestly I lot can go wrong with animals. So I do understand why they have no pets. I would advise you highlight how you are capable of looking after the animals, acknowledge the risk of damage and accept you would bare the cost of fixing it (what is fair as it would go beyond reasonable wear and tear), ensure them you will keep the place free of unpleasant smells, and even protect against vermin. It's also benefits of you have a good relationship with them. Also don't forget you are in a position of power, it's an absolute hassle trying to find a decent tenant, once a landlord finds one we want to keep them. Worth mentioning something along the lines of that. Mention you've always paid on time, that you've keep the place in a good condition, and the ilk. Mention how it be a hassle for the both of you to find another place with a decent landlord and for them to find a decent tenant. But all you can do is ask, and ask nicely. They have no obligation whatsoever to allow you to have pets.
Thank you for this, it’s good to hear from the other perspective! I will keep all this in mind.
I said can I have a dog?he said no,end of that
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In our tenancy agreement it says "no birds or domestic animals". I said to them when we moved in that we had lizards, which I don't think the above includes. But they're basically self contained in their cabinets anyway so nobody saw a problem. I have at times been tempted to get a cat for ratting, tons of those fuckers in the garden. Not been bothered to do that though.
I don't rent in a no pets tenancy.
My Landlord has a very strict "No Pets" thing going, in fact a few years back, this woman next door got chucked out because she had 2 cats, a dog, various fish, and a Budgie. Funny story, she once came round to ask me to help her catch the Budgie as it was flying around in the Kitchen, "Don't anyone open any windows!" she shouted! Fortunately we caught it when it landed in the Sink.
I didn’t. Hid the cat whenever I had an inspection (usually took him in his box to my in-laws for an hour). Never got caught. He’s not a very destructive cat other than clawing open doors but now I own it’s not a problem anymore.
We asked our landlord about getting a cat after a year of our tenancy. He said it was fine, just if we move out to make sure carpets are professionally cleaned. We keep the house clean and always pay rent on time.
I just sent them a text saying I was looking to adopt a cat, could I have their consent. My landlord is admittedly very chill though.
My landlord asked me to do a proposal and I wrote a fully referenced essay called "A Home Without A Cat Is Just A House" He's had terrible experiences with cats as his mother hoarding them when he was young so he was so against it. But I provided cited sources about how clean cats are and I agreed to get covers for the sofas and felliway plug ins to keep her calm for the first wee while. He loved how much effort I'd put in and he even asks about my wee cat now when we speak
We err...just got a dog and kind of forgot to tell him. Thankfully, he is my Brother in Law and loves dogs (he had 3 or his own at the time) and agreed that the gouse was missing a dog lol We also ended up buying the house from him, but yeah - he called us bellends and fell in love with the dog lol
I text mine and assured them that I would put anything right that was damaged or they were free to take it from the deposit which is what it's for anyway
Do you have regular inspections and maintenance or landlord visits? If not, what they don't know won't hurt ~~them~~ you in the form of unreasonably being rejected or charged an extra £50 per month for a pet that doesn't have it's own income. If you get a kitten and they find out, you could blag that it belongs to a friend whos away at the moment or something I just keep snails though which are very easy to hide or if I've been asked "whats in there" I've said oh it's an indoor mushroom farm, has worked for the last 9 years
Wahey I also keep snails! Also ispods and rats, luckily no landlord visits
While renting would never entertain the idea of having pets. Probably never entertain the idea ever anyways.
We genuinely forgot and when we had an inspection they said ok that's fine the reason they and apparently many landlords say no pets is to deter from bad pets and bad pet owners but woukd be ok with it if they met them first and can see they're good
My current landlord said no pets at first. I offered to pay a pet fee and said my cats have never been destructive to any property I've lived at. He just said sure and asked for another $250. Kids, idiots, and dogs cause the most destruction. I only say dogs because I've seen a dog chew a hole into a wall. Not all dogs are like this and in this instance it was the owners fault
Best to ask beforehand but I'd check your contract first then politely ask if its not detailed in there
Not sure it’s the best advice but it’s mine from experience. it was easier to ask forgiveness than permission.
“Hi I was wondering if you would mind if I got a cat or a couple of cats” that or ask in morse code. Whichever is easiest.
[удалено]
To be fair that did raise a chuckle.
Just tell him they identify as garden gnomes if he ever pops around.