Mutual exchange, pets?

Anon2213123

I currently live in a house with my dog (permission to have a dog here was requested and granted).

I joined homeswapper and a first floor flat (with communal gardens) advertised seemed ideal. The person messaged me, viewed my property and was happy. I am due to view theirs soon.

One of their homeswapper pictures featured their dog sitting in the living room. The advert stated pets are allowed. Anyway, today as their HA landlord is different to mine, I was having a browse through the online handbook of their HA. Alarmingly I came across "In line with out pets policy, we will not grant permission for a dog or a cat if you live in a flat or maisonette that does not have direct access to a private garden".

Has anyone else been in a situation like this before?

Perhaps the swapper is trying to pull a fast one? Knowing they aren't allowed dogs there and are keeping dogs in breach of their tenancy agreement, so are keeping it quiet from me in the hope I swap and they get somewhere which does allow dogs? But then isn't it a bit odd how their HA approve and pay for the advert on homeswapper which clearly has pictures of dogs and says dogs allowed?

Cakeguts

Anon2213123 wrote: »

I currently live in a house with my dog (permission to have a dog here was requested and granted).

I joined homeswapper and a first floor flat (with communal gardens) advertised seemed ideal. The person messaged me, viewed my property and was happy. I am due to view theirs soon.

One of their homeswapper pictures featured their dog sitting in the living room. The advert stated pets are allowed. Anyway, today as their HA landlord is different to mine, I was having a browse through the online handbook of their HA. Alarmingly I came across "In line with out pets policy, we will not grant permission for a dog or a cat if you live in a flat or maisonette that does not have direct access to a private garden".

Has anyone else been in a situation like this before?

Perhaps the swapper is trying to pull a fast one? Knowing they aren't allowed dogs there and are keeping dogs in breach of their tenancy agreement, so are keeping it quiet from me in the hope I swap and they get somewhere which does allow dogs? But then isn't it a bit odd how their HA approve and pay for the advert on homeswapper which clearly has pictures of dogs and says dogs allowed?

You have to have direct access to a private garden then you can have dog in the new HAs properties. If the flat you are swapping to doesn't have this then you can't have a dog.

Anon2213123

Thanks but that's a bit generic and not really an answer. What do you mean "new HA properties" ? As in new builds?

What I'm saying here isn't that clear cut. The person advertised their flat on homeswapper, they uploaded pictures featuring their dog in the front room and stated their property allows pets. When someone lists a property on Homeswapper, their HA is notified and from what I gather, they pay for that swap to be listed. When I listed mine it took a while for it to be approved and I was sent the email:

"your landlord has now paid for and approved your membership, so you can access HomeSwapper for free!"

So a HA has paid for and approved a listing on homeswapper that is in breach of their own policy?


It's no use telling me "you can't have a dog". The current tenant there has a dog. So either they are breaching their tenancy or what the HA says in the handbook isn't as set in stone as it seems.

Bear in mind I effectively take on their tenancy which may or may not have approval for owning a dog. For all I know, they've lived there 15 years and applied for and got given permission to own a dog way before this no dogs in flats policy was implemented. If so, I've already got permission contrary to the new policy.


I'm just wondering if others have been in a similar situation where a homeswapper listing said they are allowed pets only to find out down the line they aren't, or, if they've been with a HA which says no pets in flats but they've later been allowed one?

I remember my HA on the bidding site said no pets allowed (I didn't have any at the time). However, in the welcome pack was an application form to request permission to own a dog, the housing officer even showed me it on the day I moved in and said if I wanted a pet I would have to fill it in and send it back to them

PasturesNew

I'd say it's cut and dried you can't have a dog in that flat.

The swapper might be trying to pull a fast one, or might be one of those "clueless/oblivious" people who dopily go through life just doing what they want... and nobody's said to them "Oi, get rid of that dog".

You need to speak to the organ grinder direct.

Slithery

I only read the title and was about to suggest you move this to the Pets board...

Anon2213123

Slithery wrote: »

I only read the title and was about to suggest you move this to the Pets board...

I'm not sure? I came across forum posts here about homeswapping and pets via google searches which showed up in this forum section?

Slithery

Ignore me (I'm sure most people here do), it was just a joke on the title.

It sounded like you wanted to exchange pets

Anon2213123

Slithery wrote: »

Ignore me (I'm sure most people here do), it was just a joke on the title.

It sounded like you wanted to exchange pets

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: Damn!!! I'm usually much quicker off the mark there. That actually made me laugh out loud when I noticed

Norman_Castle

Bear in mind I effectively take on their tenancy which may or may not have approval for owning a dog. For all I know, they've lived there 15 years and applied for and got given permission to own a dog way before this no dogs in flats policy was implemented. If so, I've already got permission contrary to the new policy.

Ask the HA directly. Only they can give a definitive answer.

Pointing out the property is offered allowing pets and already has one might be a good starting point.

Cakeguts

Anon2213123 wrote: »

Thanks but that's a bit generic and not really an answer. What do you mean "new HA properties" ? As in new builds?

What I'm saying here isn't that clear cut. The person advertised their flat on homeswapper, they uploaded pictures featuring their dog in the front room and stated their property allows pets. When someone lists a property on Homeswapper, their HA is notified and from what I gather, they pay for that swap to be listed. When I listed mine it took a while for it to be approved and I was sent the email:

"your landlord has now paid for and approved your membership, so you can access HomeSwapper for free!"

So a HA has paid for and approved a listing on homeswapper that is in breach of their own policy?


It's no use telling me "you can't have a dog". The current tenant there has a dog. So either they are breaching their tenancy or what the HA says in the handbook isn't as set in stone as it seems.

Bear in mind I effectively take on their tenancy which may or may not have approval for owning a dog. For all I know, they've lived there 15 years and applied for and got given permission to own a dog way before this no dogs in flats policy was implemented. If so, I've already got permission contrary to the new policy.


I'm just wondering if others have been in a similar situation where a homeswapper listing said they are allowed pets only to find out down the line they aren't, or, if they've been with a HA which says no pets in flats but they've later been allowed one?

I remember my HA on the bidding site said no pets allowed (I didn't have any at the time). However, in the welcome pack was an application form to request permission to own a dog, the housing officer even showed me it on the day I moved in and said if I wanted a pet I would have to fill it in and send it back to them

It is back to the usual situation of the current tenant might have got permission for the dog from the housing association or it may be a service dog. That doesn't mean that anyone else will automatically get permission from the housing association for a dog.



From the information you have it does say that if the flat doesn't have direct access to a garden you cannot keep a dog. So going on that it is quite likely that this is the rule of the housing association in which case this is not the flat for you.

Anon2213123

Thanks all. Yeah I've sent a message to their HA but due to data protection and stuff I'm not sure they would be able to reveal those details if that tenant has been given permission. Which means I might only find out when it comes to signing the paperwork?

Thanks cakeguts. Certainly it's not a service dog (I've met the tenant and it's not a breed that could be a service dog). What about the deed of assignment though?

From what I've seen that's the last bit of paperwork to sign to make it official. It doesn't start a new tenancy agreement. I get given their original tenancy documents and they get mine.

For example if they were granted permission to install a shower on the condition they remove it when they move out (or get charged for HA to remove it), they wouldn't have to remove it for the swap. I would take on the tenancy and removing the shower would fall on me when I left.

By all means if it was a brand new tenancy starting up then I'd be already looking elsewhere for a HA that does have a property that officially allows dogs.