Rentals with Pets

Keats Lettings raises awareness of pet friendly lets in Haslemere and the surrounding villages. It follows claims from a pet care company, that millions of private renters are being denied the benefits of pet ownership because of landlords and tenancy agreements.

Mars Petcare UK commissioned polling firm YouGov to speak with 1,007 tenants. 64 per cent said they would like a pet but have delayed getting one because of tenancy restrictions; however, the same survey says 43 per cent of tenants had a pet-friendly rental policy allowing them to keep animals.

Rita Tinney, Director of Keats Sales and Lettings commented: “We have a strong demand for pet friendly homes; after all we are based in gorgeous countryside ideal for dog walking. Apart from our canine friends, we have tenants with a diverse range of ‘exotic companions’ to include lizards and parrots as well as the more usual cats, rabbits and hamsters. 

“The key to successfully managing a tenancy with pets is not to make additional charges (in any event these have been unlawful since 1st June 2019) but to have a well drafted tenancy agreement protecting both the tenant, landlord and the pet. 

Keats Letting take their guidance from Lets with Pets who have a wealth of useful information and suggestions particularly around the welfare of our furry, feathered and scaly friends.

Rita continued: “Unfortunately, not all properties are suitable for pets – for example, there are often restrictions on leasehold properties and a felines delight in being able to roam between home and the great outdoors is severely curtailed if their owner lives in a fourth floor apartment!

“Tenants with pets usually have to accept that they will probably have to rent a small house which incurs a slightly higher rent than an apartment – there is often a compromise to be had but never an unsurmountable reason for a tenant to give up their beloved pet in order to go into rented accommodation.”