Pets in rented property

braun_2

Reue wrote: »

Change the locks. Once again; theres tonnes of information and advice on the internet about this. Changing the locks is totally legal and recommended if they come round without permission.

Thanks Reue,

I certainly won't be changing any locks, but i will make sure to raise this as an issue if it is in the tenancy agreement for my next rental.

lauraland

Keep looking OP - I found a landlady that is happy for me to have my 2 cats. She had requested no pets in her advert although when I met and spoke to her she told me she really just wanted to avoid tenants with dogs in case they barked ~(The dogs not the tenants!) and disturbed others within the building - and said that as long as my cats didn't bark she was happy enough! The flat is unfurnished also so I think that is another plus as she doesn't have to worry about damage to her furnishings.

I was initially not going to mention my cats to any prospective landlords but I seem to be developing a nervous disposition these days so felt living with the stress of being caught out might have pushed me over the edge :rotfl:. My friends have successfully hid their cat from their landlords throughout 2 previous tenancies so it can be done if you want to go down that route

GL

Turnbull2000

Reue wrote: »

Change the locks. Once again; theres tonnes of information and advice on the internet about this. Changing the locks is totally legal and recommended if they come round without permission.

Yeah, and expect to be changing 'home' too, as the landlord and letting agent evict you for being difficult.

Lilith1980

Hi OP, we have a cat and like yours he sleeps virtually all day - such a lazy old man!

We are due to move into another rented property this coming weekend and we had some issues when looking for houses as so many said 'no pets'.

However, if a place said 'no pets' and we really liked the look of the property we would still contact them and tell them about our cat to see what they would say. Some seemed a bit more open with a cat and some were downright rude and cut me off

I would not advise lying, it would only get you in trouble if the LL found out as you'd be in breach of your contract.

We have found a lovely house where the LL said he would accept a small dog, so he was fine about our cat

Just keep looking, you WILL find somewhere

NeverEnough

Turnbull2000 wrote: »

Yeah, and expect to be changing 'home' too, as the landlord and letting agent evict you for being difficult.

I doubt if you can be evicted on the spurious ground of being "difficult". If you are paying rent on time and there is no other reason for anyone accessing the property, I think it is an absolute outrage that someone should try to force an enforced snoop around my personal possessions just becuase the property is rented. People renting are now somehow lesser beings, to be subjected to humiliating and degrading snooping sessions by nosey EAs or LLs.

I had to rent a small property a few years ago while doing a long term contract too far to commute and the EA tried this on as well and was given very short shrift. If they suspect a crime is being committed, then the police should be told, not Detective wannabes. And if they think you are dismantling the property then there are legal remedies for that too. LLs seem to get it all their own way and treat people like dirt if they are renting. I was quite shocked at the demeaning treatment doled out to tenants by EAs and ensured that this particular EA was sharply pulled up about his behaviour.

I also changed the locks for the duration of my tenancy and had the originals replaced before I left - definitely not illegal and actually an extremely good idea if you value your privacy and security as who knows who has copies of the original keys?

Icecold_2

We had great difficulty looking to rent with dogs but finally found somewhere although we had to pay double the deposit, now we are in a position where we will be looking for tenants for a BTL property and have decided to allow pets, although we will meet them first our logic is really that we are animal lovers and responsible tenants realise how difficult it is to rent with pets, therefore we hope will make sure they don't cause damage we had 4 dogs in rental and when we bought our own place there was no sign they had ever been in the rental

grifferz

ognum wrote: »

I think this is a very sad statement, I actually think there are plenty of good landlords who would consider a cat.

I would like to think this is the case, but from the stated experience of OP it seems not. Why would this thread even be here if there were plenty?

As a dog lover myself I'd love to have one but I won't because we're renters and even if our current landlord was okay with it, I know that future ones probably wouldn't. I don't understand why people risk it. Around here all decent rented places go within days or weeks so I can't see how anyone with a pet is going to get much. Unfortunately.

Werdnal

Have you tried contacting private landlords without an agent? Many agents put the standard "non-pet" clause in all their ads, when the LL may not have an objection.

Have you tried offering a higher deposit for any perceived damage or extra cleaning a cat can bring? My neice is extremely allergic to cats - she cannot visit us as we have one. If she even enters a room where a cat has been, she develops severe asthma type symptoms. A LL has duty of care to future tenants to remove the allergens which may cause problems, so a deep clean and de-flea (yes even your cat may have them and the eggs can lie dormant and come to life again when the weather warms up), is usually the norm after a pet tenancy.

Failing that, go for a viewing, then if the place is suitable, try to find out by hook or crook (land registry search for instance) who the LL is, and approach them direct to see if the non-pet tenancy is their requirement or agent driven.

Don't start off with a lie, get it sorted and above board from the start, as if you try to hide the cat, and LL finds out, whilst they may not have grounds to evict you on a Section 8, they may issue notice once the FT is over, and you will be back to square 1, looking for another rental that will take pets ...

Werdnal

braun wrote: »

hmmmmmm..... these guys have keys lol..... they will write to me, tell me they are coming round, then just come round.

EA have to appear to be offering some service otherwise LLs wouldn't use them.

You have a right to change locks whilst you have a valid tenancy, so long as you replace the originals before you move out. LL/LA has no automatic right of entry, and if they give 24 hours notice, and you refuse, they have to get a court order to enforce their entry clause. This takes time and money, but could backfire in getting you notice at the earliest opportunity.

They cannot keep your deposit without good reason and proof that their deductions are valid - damage, lost rent, etc. If you know little about tenancy agreements and are about to sign one, you need to find out and fast - read the Sticky post "A tenant's guide to renting" at the top of the forum. Never sign an agreement without checking it thoroughly, and that does not mean in the agents office whilst he hovers over you with a pen - ask for a copy ahead of the signing date, and read it thoroughly and query anything you do not understand. Agents get things wrong too, but they are also adept at pulling the wool over your eyes ... and the LL's too, especially if there is money to be made out of either of you!

Turnbull2000

NeverEnough wrote: »

I doubt if you can be evicted on the spurious ground of being "difficult". If you are paying rent on time and there is no other reason for anyone accessing the property, I think it is an absolute outrage that someone should try to force an enforced snoop around my personal possessions just becuase the property is rented. People renting are now somehow lesser beings, to be subjected to humiliating and degrading snooping sessions by nosey EAs or LLs.

I had to rent a small property a few years ago while doing a long term contract too far to commute and the EA tried this on as well and was given very short shrift. If they suspect a crime is being committed, then the police should be told, not Detective wannabes. And if they think you are dismantling the property then there are legal remedies for that too. LLs seem to get it all their own way and treat people like dirt if they are renting. I was quite shocked at the demeaning treatment doled out to tenants by EAs and ensured that this particular EA was sharply pulled up about his behaviour.

I also changed the locks for the duration of my tenancy and had the originals replaced before I left - definitely not illegal and actually an extremely good idea if you value your privacy and security as who knows who has copies of the original keys?

Of course you can. Either immediate notice if you're on a rolling tenancy, or notice to apply upon expiry of a fixed term. No reason needed.