For some of you, the knee-jerk reaction to this question may be no, absolutely not, pets are more likely to make mess and cause damage to my property. But, by automatically discounting the idea of letting your property to tenants with pets you could be limiting the potential of your portfolio.
Benefits of allowing pets in a rental property…
With tenants spending longer in rental accommodation than ever before, there is growing demand for properties which allow pets. By discounting the idea of opening your property up to some furry friends, you could be significantly reducing the number of tenants who are interested in your property.
Whilst your initial concerns may be that pets will cause damage or disrepair to the property, in fact it could be quite the opposite. Tenants who are responsible enough to care for a pet are often more likely to look after the home well but also be conscientious about making sure rental payments are made on time.
If you are thinking about allowing tenants with pets to rent your property, consider increasing the rental payments or deposit to better protect your property against damages, this is something that we offer as standard to our landlords. To ensure you are marketing your property at the correct value, it’s important to get an up-to-date rental valuation, particularly if you have not let it out with the pet friendly option before.
Tenants with pets may rent for longer as there aren’t as many pet-friendly properties on the market and so their options are limited. Plus, many pet owners simply don’t want to put their pets through the undue stress of moving unless it is an absolute necessity.
Risks of allowing pets in a rental property…
Pets might damage your property, particularly if they are young and still in training. Damage caused by pets can include anything from scratch marks, to bad smells and destroyed gardens and is something you should be prepared for if you let to a tenant with a pet.
Thinking ahead to the next tenancy, there is a risk of your new tenant having an allergy to pet hair and so by letting in a tenant with their pet, you will need to notify any future tenants of the fact it is a pet-friendly home so they understand there is a possibility of allergens. However, we would ensure that the tenant is responsible for a deep clean throughout, including carpet cleaning where necessary. Documentation would need to be provided that this has been done with a reputable external company before the deposit is returned to the tenant.
Vetting tenants with pets
If after reviewing the benefits and risks associated with allowing pets into your rental property, you are interested in increasing the number of tenants interested in your property, then there are a few things to consider to ensure your investment is protected.
For some landlords, putting a size restriction on dogs allowed in the property makes them feel more assured. For others, limiting the number of pets allowed stops their home becoming overrun –although, it is unusual for a tenant to have two or more pets.
If you are not going to allow pets into your rental property, then we recommend stating that in your tenancy agreement.
If you are allowing pets it is also a good idea to include this in your tenancy agreement and to add in some information about the deposit (if you are taking additional funds to protect against damages caused by the pet) and you may want to stipulate some rules in the tenancy agreement stating tenants are responsible for cleaning up any animal waste and ensuring it is properly disposed of as well as steam cleaning the carpets and upholstery at the end of the tenancy.
For more information or advice on renting a pet friendly home please contact the team on 01904 393989.
