chihuahua puppy and my rented property?!

PIXIEBUM

Hello

i am looking into buying a puppy and have a 2 bed ground floor flat with garden 2 minutes from the sea by foot, the problem is my property is rented and in the tenency agreement it says no pets.

firstly what should i do about this?

and secondly if the answer is to write a letter what do i put in it?

and before you ask why do i wanted a dog it is because i found out the likely hood of having a baby is very slim and i have always had dogs when i was at home so now living on my own with my partner this feels like the next step.

and i have thought about the vet fee's and the walks and the attention etc so please just try and stick to the question.

thank you

Pixie. x

maggirl

The no pets clause is usually in any standard tenancy, especially for a flat (even a ground floor one)

You could try writing a letter, and stating your case, but the bottom line is that the landlord would probably prefer no pets (hence the clause) and if you do get a dog (however small and well behaved) you are breaking the tenancy agreement!

Your only option then, would be to move to a bigger property, one you own or one where pets were welcome.

I rented out my house many years ago and specified no pets. Surprise surprise when the tenants moved out they had kept a dog, who had scratched all the doors and paintwork, ruined the floors and the house stank of mutt.

Not being negative, but at the end of the day its not your house/flat and you have to stick to the rules.

why not write and just ask permission, you never know, they might agree!

morg_monster

You might be able to get around it by offering an additional deposit to cover any damage, stains etc, and also extra cleaning which would probably be required when you left the property, or in the worst case even replacement carpets . Do you have a private landlord or a letting agency? Either way I would start with a friendly phone call and explore the issue with them. You may get further if it's just a private landlord, and also if you have your own furniture there.
But they may refuse - if so, don't try to just get one anyway, as these things do tend to get found out, especially if you have upper neighbours also renting off the same landlord...!
I have heard of people circumventing the no pets rule for fish, hamsters etc with the landlord's permission, but a cat or dog may be pushing it. Oh and you should tell them the breed you are considering as they may be imagining an alsatian!!

sooz

You could try writing to your LL, asking for permission to keep one small named dog (I know you don't have a dog yet, but this is better than asking to keep animals/dogs in general....& when & if you are allowed to get the dog, s/he is named as the only dog allowed on the agreement...so you can't exchange it later for a rotweiller & say the LL agreed ).

You could try offering to increase your deposit to cover potential dog damage, & offering to deflea the property when you leave & have the carpets professionally cleaned. Also suggest that you state what you plan to do to occupy the dog whilst you are out at work...or if you're not working, say the dog won't be left alone at home (even better!). You could try including good info on the breed, ie are they particulary quiet/small/hairless etc (can you tell I'm a cat lover?).

However, given you live in a flat, it may be out of the LL's control. The flat will have a lease, & this may not allow anyone in the building to keep animals. Also, the managment company may not allow animals.

In which case, start looking for somewhere else to live that will allow animals. Whatever you decide, make sure you get permission from this or any future LL in writing.

YorkiePud_3

You could also say that you are looking into getting a toy dog who doesn't need any more exercise than it would get running round the flat, so it wouldn't be making a mess outside the property ... (of course, you'll be taking it out for walks, but having had chis for years, they really will exercise themselves in mad dashes round your room a number of times per day! If the Landlord thinks you're going to be a petowner who leaves their dog's mess around the property for other rentees to tread in, he or she is going to be against you from the start, so do stress that to them!)

Piggles12345

All you can do is ask you landlord. If you are a long term tenant and have always paid the rent on time and had good inspections this will definately go in your favour.

I would echo what sooz said, offer to increase the deposit and make it abundantly clear to the landlord that you accept full responsibility for cleaning and keeping dog damage to a minimum and state that you will have the flat professionally cleaned when you leave.

Good luck with this. I rent a flat and would absolutely love a little dog. However, as well as the risk of the landlord refusing to allow it, my job is very unpredictable and it wouldn't be fair on the pooch. :-(

Liney_2

I owned my flat but still had to write a letter to the management company as my lease stated no pets. They charged me £50 and never wrote back so I went ahead anyway. Not advocating you do this by the way. But I lived there for 8 years with 3 dogs and a cat! Naughty me!
With rented propeties there propably would be damage caused by dogs so you would need to think about cost implications etc.

ginvzt

It is a flat - what about noise issues for neighbours? I think that is a rather bigger issue than just a pet in a rented accommodation.

PIXIEBUM

tbh the elephants upstairs make more noise than a dog.

the land lord is private rented and will take everything you have said people!

thank you very much

Mely

Pixie.... i hope you can get your Chihuahua puppy! I have a female Chihuahua and she is almost 4 years old. I think you have chosen the right breed of dog,for what you wanted, as ive found mine needs lots and lots of love, cuddles and affection. She is the best dog i have ever had, and i love her to bits. Im lucky with her as she very rarely barks at all, but i think that may vary from dog to dog. The only thing i would say is that if you are out for many hours a day then i would consider another breed of dog, or get two Chihuahuas for company together(they like their own kind). As they dont like to be left for long periods, they really are lap dogs. Mine has given me so much joy, and i hope yours does too! Please let us know how things go.
Mel xxXxx

Sagz_2

Theres some tips here about writing a CV for your pet

Good luck
x