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Pets in Properties

 

The headlines published around this topic have been misleading. There has been no change in the law regarding landlords accepting pets in properties.

The government published a Model Tenancy Agreement which can be used in the private rented sector where an assured shorthold tenancy is being entered into. Letting agents generally have their own tenancy agreements and do not use the government one.

It is not compulsory for landlords to use the Model Tenancy Agreement.

The clause in the example model tenancy agreement relating to pets has been changed from a blanket ban on tenants having pets to giving tenants the right to request in writing, permission from the landlord to have a pet.

The landlord ‘must not unreasonably withhold or delay a written request from a Tenant without considering the request on its own merits. The Landlord should accept such a request where they are satisfied the Tenant is a responsible pet owner and the pet is of a kind that is suitable in relation to the nature of the premises at which it will be kept.’

The intention is to make it much easier for tenants to have pets in their rental properties. The full clause is below:

“A Tenant must seek the prior written consent of the Landlord should they wish to keep pets or other animals at the Property. A Landlord must not unreasonably withhold or delay a written request from a Tenant without considering the request on its own merits. The Landlord should accept such a request where they are satisfied the Tenant is a responsible pet owner and the pet is of a kind that is suitable in relation to the nature of the premises at which it will be kept. Consent is deemed to be granted unless the written request is turned down by a Landlord with good reason in writing within 28 days of receiving the request. A Landlord is prohibited from charging a fee to a Tenant who wishes to keep pets or other animals at the Property. Permission may be given on the condition that the Tenant pays an additional reasonable amount towards the deposit, but the deposit must not breach the deposit cap requirements under the Tenant Fees Act 2019(see section B10).”

The UK is a pet loving country, 41% of all households have a pet, 23% have at least one dog, according to statista.com; so it does make sense for landlords to welcome responsible pet owners into their properties. Landlords are of course concerned about the potential additional damage which could be caused by pets, and especially as they can’t charge deposits higher than six weeks’ rent due to the Tenant Fee Act.

Will this become law?

At the moment, the change to Model Tenancy Agreement is more symbolic than anything else, an indication that the government wishes the private rented sector to be more accepting of tenants with pets.

To create legislation to enforce this policy would be complex, defining what a ‘responsible pet owner’ is for example would be difficult; on the other hand, a policy like this would be popular with renters who make up approximately 37% of all households.

We Love pets

As a company Thacker and Revitt love pets and are happy to try to assist all pet owners if possible.  This is however still at the discretion of each individual landlord.  We do not use the governments Model Tenancy Agreement.  If you feel that you are a responsible pet owner we are happy to talk to landlords on an individual basis, if you can pass the referencing criteria.  We do however still have some landlords who refuse to accept pets for their own personal reasons, usually because they have had a bad experience with renting to tenants with pets in the past.