Increased rent due to pets

robthenewboy

We've been renting for a number of years and our landlord has informally told us that he may have to sell the house in the coming months.  No definite decision yet but we quite understand if we have to move and have no problem with it apart from the uncertainty.  We have to small (older) dogs so this makes the process of finding somewhere new harder.

However we're starting to look around for potential new homes on Right Move and have noticed a worrying trend.  I'm sure this won't be news to any landlords on this board, but it now seems pretty much standard that there's an extra £25-£50 PER MONTH rent increase per animal, to get around the loss of 'unfair' fees at the start of the tenancy.  So instead of paying an extra (say) £300 security deposit at the start, we'd be paying up to £1200 extra per year.
I quite get that landlords are trying to recoup their "losses" but to me this just looks like exorbitant profiteering.  Where is the justification for going from (say) £300 one-off deposit increase to an extra £1200 per year? Is it a landlord thing or an agent thing?  

Hasbeen

I would assume most landlords would take 1 month deposit equivalent to 1 months rent.

And also 1 months rent in advance.

Some Landlords do charge extra rent for people with pets to account for any damage, smells, disruption, complaints etc.

I would not consider your accusation of profiteering as accurate. It is not to get around any fees that the Landlord would not get anyway?

Landlords were banned under new legislation to "protect" tenants from paying an extra deposit to cover damage, so some have upped their rental charges to cover damage.

Who pays for the dog chewing the skirtings and the kitchen units etc, or the cats scratching the walls and peeing on the carpets. Pets do sometimes cause damage and are incorporated in, as a risk factor.

Do you ever get asked on your home insurance if you have pets?

And at up to £50 per animal? That means you are talking about an extra £100 per month for your 2 dogs?

Try sites like Gumtree etc as many private landlords do not use agencies because of the excessive fees.

Edit:
One extract about pets, but that is no pets. Some landlords as you say, do allow with extra rent. I must say the original extra deposit scheme sounded better for tenants? no damage deposit gets paid back. but at least you are now protected by the new legislation?

Reasons not to allow pets in your rental property

• Pets can be destructive, with expensive damage to flooring and furnishings a possibility.
• Even well-behaved animals can increase the amount of wear-and-tear, so post-tenancy cleaning bills may be higher.
• Dogs may annoy the neighbours if they’re noisy or badly behaved. Some dogs howl when they’re left alone, and many dogs bark when someone comes to the door.
• Once a pet has been kept in the property, it may be difficult to rent the property to anyone with allergies in the future.
• Animals can carry fleas and mites, which can infest a property.

Murphybear

I worked in the business for years and this is the first time I have heard of this.  I worked in rural Devon where pet owning is very common.  Things may be different in towns/cities.  I met more than one LL who had trouble finding a tenant as she wouldn’t take dogs. 

 It may be due to the fact that the amount a LL can ask for the deposit has been capped.

It is a LL thing usually because it’s much easier to let a property if pets are OK.

Stubod

That's the problem with ongoing changes to the legislation, (no doubt all being done for the right reasons), but where they can LL will just "play the system" to compensate for these changes as best they can.

It's only right and proper that good tenants are protected from bad landlords but there does not seem to be anything being done to protect good landlords from bad tenants? 

Scotbot

I have rented with dogs and had to pay for carpet cleaning when we left. It seems fair to pay for any damage caused. I believe the LL can't ask for extra deposit so has to get the money via rent. 

robthenewboy

No issue at all with a higher security deposit to cover potential damage (with the stress on 'potential') but an extra £100 per month - £1200 per year -  is massively out of proportion to any damage our dogs could (or would) do.  Plus it provides no security for US - at least the old way of having a higher deposit meant we would get it back if no damage from pets happens.  Now it just goes into the LL (or agent's) pocket never to be seen again.  I know they're not allowed to take a larger deposit now.

">> "Who pays for the dog chewing the skirtings and the kitchen units etc, or the cats scratching the walls and peeing on the carpets. Pets do sometimes cause damage and are incorporated in, as a risk factor.  Do you ever get asked on your home insurance if you have pets?""
OK well look at this way - an extra monthly rental charge for pets didn't happen before the law changed on 'unfair' charges so from a tenant's position it really does look like blatant profiteering.
Do they charge extra for having young kids?  Just as much if not more potential for damage.

[Deleted User]

robthenewboy said:

We've been renting for a number of years and our landlord has informally told us that he may have to sell the house in the coming months.  No definite decision yet but we quite understand if we have to move and have no problem with it apart from the uncertainty.  We have to small (older) dogs so this makes the process of finding somewhere new harder.

However we're starting to look around for potential new homes on Right Move and have noticed a worrying trend.  I'm sure this won't be news to any landlords on this board, but it now seems pretty much standard that there's an extra £25-£50 PER MONTH rent increase per animal, to get around the loss of 'unfair' fees at the start of the tenancy.  So instead of paying an extra (say) £300 security deposit at the start, we'd be paying up to £1200 extra per year.
I quite get that landlords are trying to recoup their "losses" but to me this just looks like exorbitant profiteering.  Where is the justification for going from (say) £300 one-off deposit increase to an extra £1200 per year? Is it a landlord thing or an agent thing?  

It has nothing to do with the ban on tenant fees in England and everything to do with the cap on deposits.  As of 1st June 2019 in England landlords can request a maximum deposit equivalent to 5 weeks of rent.

robthenewboy

Scotbot said:

I have rented with dogs and had to pay for carpet cleaning when we left. It seems fair to pay for any damage caused. I believe the LL can't ask for extra deposit so has to get the money via rent. 

Absolutely fair.  Our last rented house we paid for a full professional clean of the carpet, got a gardener in to tidy everything up outside and had no issue at all about doing so.  
Getting the extra front rent - yeah except that over a few years the tenant is paying massively more money out even if no 'damage' actually occurs.

Scotbot

robthenewboy said:

Scotbot said:

I have rented with dogs and had to pay for carpet cleaning when we left. It seems fair to pay for any damage caused. I believe the LL can't ask for extra deposit so has to get the money via rent. 

Absolutely fair.  Our last rented house we paid for a full professional clean of the carpet, got a gardener in to tidy everything up outside and had no issue at all about doing so.  
Getting the extra front rent - yeah except that over a few years the tenant is paying massively more money out even if no 'damage' actually occurs.

I agree it's a combination of LLs having to get the money  via rent and greed. For 1 dog £25 over 1 year is £300 which is fair but £50 over 3 years is £1800 which  isn't. 

NinjaTune

Maybe the landlords don't really want pets in their home so are trying to price pet owners out of the market?  Others may well be taking advantage in order to make a bit more money.

Unfortunately it's always been difficult to find rented properties that will accept pets.  Even if you buy a leasehold flat you will often find a no pets clause (there was a thread on here recently about this).  I'm fortunate that my HA freeholder is okay with pets but I still had to fill in an application form to get consent.

Hasbeen

robthenewboy said:

Do they charge extra for having young kids?  Just as much if not more potential for damage.

Some landlords will not charge extra to renters with young kids.

That is because they will not rent at all, to people with young kids.

The same landlords that will not rent at all, to people with pets.

But you are correct. But young kids do not usually have fleas, mites, pee on curtains, chew skirtings/kitchen units and howl when left all day alone?