Tenants with a dog.

tumbledowngirl

Hypothetical question.

If someone with a dog wanted to sign a tenancy agreement, are there any special measures you should take/ ask for to ensure the tenancy runs smoothly? eg a larger deposit, agreeing specifics like professional carpet cleaning at the end of the tenancy etc.

Any pitfalls to be aware of - like noise issues with neighbours etc?

Pixie5740

You can ask for a bigger desposit when they move in. It might be a good idea to see them with the dog to get a feel for how well they can handle it.

The property should be returned in the same state it was first rented out in, minus wear and tear so if the carpets are clean when the tenants move in they should be clean when they move out. I'm not sure putting a clause in saying the carpets have to be professionally cleaned is enforcable anyway.

If the dog is a noisy dog and barks a lot the neighbours might complain but then again if you end up with an inconsiderate tenant who blasts music and has the tv blaring the neighbours would complain about that too.

EDIT: Tenants with a dog could be a good thing. Many landlords are funny about tenants with pets so you might find you get some good long term tenants moving in.

tumbledowngirl

Pixie5740 wrote: »

You can ask for a bigger desposit when they move in. It might be a good idea to see them with the dog to get a feel for how well they can handle it.

The property should be returned in the same state it was first rented out in, minus wear and tear so if the carpets are clean when the tenants move in they should be clean when they move out. I'm not sure putting a clause in saying the carpets have to be professionally cleaned is enforcable anyway.

If the dog is a noisy dog and barks a lot the neighbours might complain but then again if you end up with an inconsiderate tenant who blasts music and has the tv blaring the neighbours would complain about that too.

EDIT: Tenants with a dog could be a good thing. Many landlords are funny about tenants with pets so you might find you get some good long term tenants moving in.

Thanks for your reply.

Just a question, re wear and tear. Would we have to include the dog in what's fair? ie fair wear and tear for 2 humans * may* be less than you'd consider fair for 2 humans plus dog. How would you differentiate between dog wear and tear and actual damage??

We have 2 dogs ourselves, so I have a pretty good idea of what sort of extra work they create when trying to maintain a house.

The potential tenants have actually offered to have the carpets professionally cleaned and provide receipts as proof, at check out.
I was thinking maybe more along the lines of extra deposit or even asking them to pay landlord's insurance for a year (I read this on another site as a suggestion).

I guess I need to ask them at least whether the dog is left alone for hours at a time when they're both at work - less likely to cause damage or nuisance if it's not.

Road_Hog

As a LL that allows pets, I find that the owner is a good indication of what the dog will be like. If they're a scummer then quite often you will find the dog will not be well behaved and vice versa.


Avoid puppies (I am a dog owner) they always cause damage to furniture, carpets etc. Even if you work from like I do, unless you have eyes in the back of your head, they'll be gnawing at something.

LSfan

from personal experience I would say if you can afford to then wait for another tenant without pets - you can clean carpets but how do you get rid of smells afterwards.

if above is not an option then definatley speak to previous landlord for references

pawsies

It's hard enough having a dog and trying to find somewhere to live. Please don't refuse them! I would take pictures of everything in the room and get the tenant to sign and date to say they agree this was the state when they moved in and then if the dog does cause any damage it's clear that it was not there initially. Include in the contract something like "I agree to pay for any damages caused by pets which is equal to the cost of repair or replacement of said possessions"

tumbledowngirl

I admit - it feels hypocritical to have dogs (and cats AND chickens!!) myself and refuse them, purely on the grounds of having a dog.

However...having been stung by other tenants (minus dogs) for all sorts of issues that look very clear cut on paper and in law,but transpire to be very hard to persue against the tenants, it's difficult not to feel reluctant to agree to grey areas such as fair wear and tear etc. I'm sure I could ask the tenants to agree to any number of things to try to safeguard my property - but most if not all will surely prove to be unenforceable if I have reason to claim on them.

These particular applicants wanted the house previously but missed out, I have been reminded by the LA. If memory serves me correctly, we turned them down because they were both working out of the house for long hours and the dog was going to be left in a kennel in the garden during that time. The property is a small semi with an even smaller garden, and I believe the dog is a springer spaniel - so not exactly a couch potato and not small. (I've had a springer and currently have a cocker and they are busy dogs!!)

Obviously some pros and cons to weigh up - as has been said, if the tenants seem to be decent people, then hopefully it indicates that they're responsible regarding the dog. If the tenants didn't seem great, the issue of the dog wouldn't even be a consideration.

tumbledowngirl

Road_Hog wrote: »

As a LL that allows pets, I find that the owner is a good indication of what the dog will be like. If they're a scummer then quite often you will find the dog will not be well behaved and vice versa.


Avoid puppies (I am a dog owner) they always cause damage to furniture, carpets etc. Even if you work from like I do, unless you have eyes in the back of your head, they'll be gnawing at something.

Tell me about it!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
We have a 13 year old lab and a year old cocker - I'd forgotten how bad a puppy is!! Even with our old lab, we still have to watch her every move and have all edible (and most non-edible ) items on sky hooks...she is appalling!!! (but much adored )
The puppy is just as bad - he has decided to sharpen his teeth on every wall edge, plus remove the wallpaper next to his bed. Gotta love our furry friends! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

ConfusedofYorkshire

I've got a cat, and find it hilarious that landlords want extra money for the deposit because I've got her, but not because I have a toddler. Trust me, toddlers make a lot more mess than a cat! I guess it might depend on the cat but ours has never caused any issues.

Dogs I'd be wary of though. Depends on the dog but they can do a lot of damage. And you can normally tell by the smell if a dog lives in the house which might put future tenants off when they look around

DaftyDuck

A couple of years back, for some years, I rented out a bungalow and specifically advertised it as "pets very welcome". I was inundated with pet owners wanting the property, and that gave me a wide choice of tenant each time. In addition, on a couple of occasions, one good tenant advised me of a friend/colleague who would like the property next up, as it were. Dog owners tend to talk to each other, and the recommendations were valuable. No doubt to the disgust of some of the more "professional" LL about, as well as a contract there was an informal agreement that some of the cheap furniture was fine to trash (there was always a "dog's sofa" in the conservatory), so long as it was replaced with something suitable for the next dog... um.. tenant... It was, without fail, replaced satisfactorily. I never had a problem with any of those tenants.

Yes, there was more damage than in most lets. Table legs had teeth marks on. But, the table still had legs. There were a few carpets, and these lasted less time than they might, but I didn't scream, as I expected it. The garden could be a mess, but was always cleaned up on vacating (and was often property gardened, and appreciated for what it was). It was detached, so barking problems were not likely to be too problematic. Oh, and I supplied copious mops, buckets, and scrubbing brushes from the outset.

Sure, if I had wanted to change from letting it out to pet owners like myself to letting it to polite, civilised, posh people with shiny shoes, I'd have had to refurbish it throughout. However, there are a large number of pet owners out there, many LL treat them like lepers, and some pet owners can actually read, yet don't read the Daily Mail, aren't averse to the odd bath, and can actually be quite... civilised Frankly, I've found pet smell easier to clean up than smokers' stench.

Given there was an exit at the back straight onto fields, I was never stuck for tenants who cared for their pets, who were quite willing to pay a more-than-reasonable rent for a property that was ideal for their requirements. They were usually far less fussed about many minor problems that cropped up during their stay (that were nonetheless fixed), and really, really glad to find pet-friendly accommodation.

Practical points: it's worth meeting the dog (s), as a single well-behaved pooch is not the same as five scrapping "no-they-aren't-pitbulls-they're-xxx-crosses". Even a single dog that's obviously loved is going to be a better bet than a token tough-mutt. It's worth chasing a reference for previous occupation. It's worth making sure the deposit is quite high, but I wouldn't send it into the stratosphere. It's certainly worth looking over your property first and sensibly safeguarding stuff. If it's an antique chaise-longue from the 18th century, move it elsewhere. Same with a finely balanced 50" flat screen telly. If the carpet cost £30 per metre, renting to doggies is not for your property in all likelihood. Think of the dog's well-being and safety as well... fences, gates, if they work, then the dog will probably have free roaming some of the time, so not busily chewing through the kitchen door. If the house isn't dog-friendly, the dog will be miserable, and is likely to pee, !!!! and chew everywhere and anything ... so if it isn't suitable, don't rent to a dog, because that's what you may, in effect, be doing.

Finally, if you don't have pets, renting out to a pet owner may not be for you. They (we ) do have funny attitudes to some things, and you non-petty people just might not understand.

bazzyb

The Dogs Trust 'Lets with Pets' site is quite comprehensive and gives information about checking the pets as well as the tenants and includes sample 'pet contracts' that you can draft up to go along with the tenancy agreement.

http://www.letswithpets.org.uk/