Calls for all tenants in the UK’s private rented and social housing sectors to be able to have a dog or a cat in their rented home have been met with some scepticism by landlords.
The Labour party has pledged in a new draft policy document that if it comes to power it would seek introduce legislation to allow people renting to have a pet by default as long as they do not cause a nuisance.
Many landlords currently ban pets amid concerns about the damage to property and gardens. Tenants can request permission to have a pet and landlords can refuse on the grounds of the animal’s size, the damage it could cause, its impact on future rental prospects and the potential extra cost of repairs.
‘Recognising that currently for the majority of people under 30, buying a home is sadly less and less of an affordable option, Labour would seek to improve the rights of renters to own pets that do not cause a nuisance,’ said MP Sue Hayman.
But landlords may not overjoyed by the prospect. ‘You can’t take a blanket approach to keeping or refusing pets,’ said Richard Lambert of the National Landlords Association (NLA).
He explained that around half of landlords say they are reluctant to allow renters to keep pets due to a perceived added risk of damage to the property, and the increased costs of repair the end of a tenancy.
The NLA has consistently supported schemes that encourage landlords to take on pet owners, such as the Dog’s Trust’s ‘Lets With Pets’, but beleives that landlords should have a right to refuse permission so long as they justify their decision.
‘For example, common properties such as high rise flats or those without gardens, may simply not be suitable for keeping some animals nor beneficial to their welfare,’ he pointed out.
‘However, tenants who keep pets do tend to stay for longer periods of time, and there are a few simple steps that landlords can take in order to mitigate the perceived increased risks, such as by inserting specific clauses and policies into their tenancy agreements,’ he added.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) is seeking greater clarification from the Labour party as the proposal raises a number of issues for landlords. He said details are needed as to whether landlords could charge higher deposits where pets are in the home to cover the added damage risk.
He also pointed out that allowing a pet could affect a landlord’s insurance and the move would also have an impact on those living in blocks of flats and shared accommodation, such as houses of multiple occupancy.
‘Labour will need to respond positively to all these points if landlords are to have confidence in this suggested policy,’ he added.
However, there is backing from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, one of the country’s biggest homes for discarded pets. A spokesman said it would welcome plans to help more people in rented homes keep a pet. Many of the dogs and cats at the home have been taken there by people who have moved into a rented property and cannot take their pet with them.
