Cats in rented property

hellokitty08

Hello,

I am due to move into a one bed ground floor flat, with a garden, this week, however I havent told the company that im renting from that I have two cats. Very lazy animals they are, they mostly sit in the house all day. I wont have a landlord as such, as my flat is owend by a building company that rent out some flats / houses in the new developments, but i just didnt want to risk the chance of them saying no, especially as i have two!

Now i used to live in this flat a couple of years ago and my next door neigbour (who is still living there) also had a cat. I assume that this would have been fine, for me to have a cat, but then realised that he might own his flat! So i was to scared to say anything. What do you think i should do, as i dont want to lose the flat, I am happy to pay for any possible damage, etc.

Thanks

PasturesNew

Just stay quiet. So long as your cats aren't out pooing in neighbours' gardens they won't report you. You're prepared to pay for any damage, which is one issue. However, one thing to be aware of is that if a property has had a cat/dog, then it could potentially cause problems to the next tenant if they have asthma. So perhaps you can find a way to sort that out when you leave; deep carpet cleaning that removes pet hairs.

wornoutmumoftwo

Have you got a contract/agreement? If so does it specifically say no pets?

I've rented in the past with two cats but have to confess the landlord always knew and had no problems with it, even allowed me to install a cat flap.

halia

I'd be careful, people who have cats dont' always realise just how much mess and smell they create. (i've had cats and also rented a house to someone with cats and now live without cats myself)

If your contract says no pets and you have cats anyway you may get stung for breach of contract.
Even if there isn't a NO PETS clause be aware that with cats around its MUCH more likely that your landlord would have cause to complain about the state you left a property in at the end of tenancy.

After my tenant with pets moved out I literally had to replace ALL soft furnishings because of the smell, plus there were scratches on the wallpaper etc. Please note this wasn't a tenant from hell at all and his cats were lovely quiet well behaved ones, but you just can't expect them not to have an impact on the house.

You'd be amazed at how much the smell lingers, the first time I visited my tenant after my own cats had gone I couldn't believe the smell, but i'd enver noticed it before because I was used to it at home. After they left I aired the house 3x weekly for a month while it was vacant but still had to rip things out in the end. Theres the risk of flea eggs too, all animals get fleas now and again and eggs linger in carpets and cracks for ages only to resurface in warm weather when a new tenant turns up. Think of all these thigns and think how you can reassure your landlord that these won't apply or that you will pay for/deal with them.

So you may be taking a bit of a risk, if you think they will turn you down due to the cats then I'd offer to discuss a 'cat damage' deposit and arrangements for professional cleaning.

Idiophreak

tbh I'd just ring them up, tell them you have cats and see what they say. It seems to me the owner should have the right to know who, or what, is going to be living in their property...

chickmug

Hellokitty -- I know those who have pets are very passionate about them but if I were your landlord I would be absolutely furious. I have a daughter who suffers Asthma very badly and who did move in somewhere that was not supposed to have pets. After moving in she found her asthma flared up big time and found out from the neighbours the last people had kept cats there.

My daughter had to move out and the flat was recarpeted and throughly cleaned out and she moved back in with a slight problem due to the fresh paint. Thank goodness the LL was exceptionally good.

tbs624

hellokitty08 wrote: »

. I wont have a landlord as such, as my flat is owend by a building company that rent out some flats / houses in the new developments, but i just didnt want to risk the chance of them saying no, especially as i have two! .......What do you think i should do, as i dont want to lose the flat, I am happy to pay for any possible damage, etc.

If you are renting a property then you have a landlord - the property belongs to someone.

Talk to the agent/builder/LL asap & ask them if they'll agree to the cats being there if you pay an additional deposit/confirm in writing that you'll cover an additional cleaning/damage costs.

Trying to be sneaky about it will cause you problems later on - for goodness sake just be honest: everything is negotiable. They want tenants, you and your cats want a home -discuss the matter.

hellokitty08

hello,

I have no problem in getting all the carpets! (it only has carpet in one room) professioanlly cleaned before i move out, and there is no wallpaper to worry about either as all the walls are plastered. All the furnsishings will be mine, so acutally, your right, they might not mind.

There was a space on the application form for the property for pet details. but i left it blank.

hellokitty08

Last time i checked, my cats both smelt of fabric conditioner! Although we have no idea why they do, so hopefully they are not smelly old cats.

(sorry obviously i have a landlord in the sence that someone owns the property, its more of a building company then a person though.)

Drea

I live in a rented property with my cat, which the LL doesn't know about. It wasn't a strict 'no pets' written on my tenancy agreement but said I should ask her permission. Really should have told her, and she will know when she comes to do the itinerary check, but just never did. Now moving to another place (if it's still there tomorrow when I take in the holding deposit) and I asked about my cat. They have said as long as I am willing to fill in an agreement that says I will pay for any damage or odours then it's fine to have him there Worth while asking.

roguebrogue

You really should of told them, especially if there was a bit on the form for it.

I know you were probably worried, but there's no point not telling them. Given that you're renting and they may do inspections etc they're bound to find out eventually and then it may cause you problems.

Or they won't find out until you move out, and again, that may cause you problems deposit wise.