Gaining permission for painting/hanging and pet?

SJE89

My partner and I have recently moved into a new home (still within first 6 months of AST), I am a housing officer by trade so I have some knowledge of renting, but private rent is very different so I am wary of a few things.
We plan to be here for a good few years as we save to buy our own home. the house we have moved into is a wonderful victorian terrace and we feel very content here, that I would actually love to buy this if it was ever possible.
I plan to contact the landlord soon to request permission to hang some pictures etc and possibly paint a wall or too to make it feel more homely, as everything is currently plain magnolia. We would certainly be advising the LL that we will return to the original maggie before vacating, whenever that might be.
My mother has a 7 year old Labrador, which she is struggling to look after since losing my dad and has asked if we can take him.
The tenancy agreement says that pets cannot be kept without permission (and permission will not be unreasonably withheld), and is not something I would ever contemplate as I am an inherently honest person, often to my detriment, and I even fret about asking such questions as I am not keen to tread on any toes.
At work it's not something we would ever unreasonably refuse.
The dog is well behaved, quiet (only ever heard him bark a couple of times at birds), does not go on Furniture or upstairs (which is the only part of the house that is carpeted) and is regularly groomed and bathed.
The advert for our property prior to renting said "No Pets/No Smokers" and we don't smoke, but I wonder if this was a standard advert text by the Estate Agent, who have absolved themselves of any further responsibility, past the sign-up stage, and directed us to the LL for any enquiries/repairs.

So I wondered the chances of getting a positive response in asking?

Emmia

I don't think anyone on here can tell you what the landlord will say... The only person who knows the answer to your questions is the landlord. 

I suggest you ask them.

I would however counsel against getting too attached to a rented property, which isn't 'yours' (either outright or via a mortgage). The landlord, (whatever your aspirations to be there for many years) could decide to serve notice - and then you'd need to move.

bbat

Do you have a picture rail in the rooms? Victorian properties often do. You can hang the pictures from these with picture rail hooks and then there is no date to walls ans you wouldn't need permission. So one less thing to ask. 

dimbo61

You can also use command sticky picture hooks to hang light weight pictures.
Please get in writing permission to paint any walls or have a pet.
A 7 year old Labrador should be calm and less likely to cause damage ( chew woodwork or scratch floors )
If you have permission via an email or letter you have proof the Landlord agreed to this.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Command-17002-VP-6PK-Small-Hooks-Strips/dp/B000OEGCL8/ref=asc_df_B000OEGCL8/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=207961523712&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2784893142810751830&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006663&hvtargid=pla-406644664255&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Robin9

Do you and your partner work ?  If so think about the dog - can someone take it out for a walk during the day?  A local dog walking service perhaps ?

theartfullodger

A rented abode is the tenant's property (merely landlord's investment) whilst there is a tenancy (verbal or written) , even if rent not being paid. 'sfunny how many landlords and agents don't understand this. (For all types of tenancy...)

But indeed, thanks to Thatcher's 1988 Housing Act a landlord may give notice and then evict using section 21 notice for no reason at all, after that initial 6 months.


Time it was abolished.

SJE89

theartfullodger said:

A rented abode is the tenant's property (merely landlord's investment) whilst there is a tenancy (verbal or written) , even if rent not being paid. 'sfunny how many landlords and agents don't understand this. (For all types of tenancy...)

But indeed, thanks to Thatcher's 1988 Housing Act a landlord may give notice and then evict using section 21 notice for no reason at all, after that initial 6 months.


Time it was abolished.

I do believe this has been raised in the House of Commons as recently as December 2021 to end "No Fault" evictions. Especially these days when so many people are stuck renting properties as they don't have the resources to buy. Fingers Crossed.

Owleyes00

theartfullodger said:

A rented abode is the tenant's property (merely landlord's investment) whilst there is a tenancy (verbal or written) , even if rent not being paid. 'sfunny how many landlords and agents don't understand this. (For all types of tenancy...)

But indeed, thanks to Thatcher's 1988 Housing Act a landlord may give notice and then evict using section 21 notice for no reason at all, after that initial 6 months.


Time it was abolished.

Just out of interest what would you suggest instead of S21? There needs to be a means of a LL getting their property back if they want/need it, for all sorts of reasons.

wilfred30

theartfullodger said:

A rented abode is the tenant's property (merely landlord's investment) whilst there is a tenancy (verbal or written) , even if rent not being paid. 'sfunny how many landlords and agents don't understand this. (For all types of tenancy...)

But indeed, thanks to Thatcher's 1988 Housing Act a landlord may give notice and then evict using section 21 notice for no reason at all, after that initial 6 months.


Time it was abolished.

The house/flat is the tenant's 'home' but remains the LL's 'property' IMO.

Silvertabby

Sounds like your rental agreement doesn't absolutely ban pets, just that you have to obtain permission.  I expect that a 7 year old well-behaved Lab is more more likely to get the thumbs up than 3 large  high energy dogs in a small flat. 

Mahsroh

Owleyes00 said:

theartfullodger said:

A rented abode is the tenant's property (merely landlord's investment) whilst there is a tenancy (verbal or written) , even if rent not being paid. 'sfunny how many landlords and agents don't understand this. (For all types of tenancy...)

But indeed, thanks to Thatcher's 1988 Housing Act a landlord may give notice and then evict using section 21 notice for no reason at all, after that initial 6 months.


Time it was abolished.

Just out of interest what would you suggest instead of S21? There needs to be a means of a LL getting their property back if they want/need it, for all sorts of reasons.

I'm in two minds about this. Until I recently sold by rental property and bought my own home I was both a tenant and and landlord for the best part of 10 years so I can see it from both sides of the fence.

As a tenant I lived with that constant fear in the back of my mind that I could be served notice at (almost) any time, and it is stressful, even if the is no real risk of it, because you don't know your landlord and have no idea what their intentions are.

Similarly, as a landlord I wouldn't have felt comfortable knowing that my tenants had a right to stay there for as long as they wanted and there is nothing I can do about it. That said I ended up selling to investor so my tenant could continue living there anyway, so I never had the need to ever issue an S21 at any point in my ownership. 

I think a compromise would be to enable more longer term fixed term tenancies but with break clauses (in the tenants favour). Then everyone knows where they stand from the off. I worked in Belgium for 2 years and our company rented a few houses. From memory they were 10 year fixed terms that could only be ended early by the tenant (don't quote me on that) but to end it early you needed to pay the equivalent of X amounts months of rent depending on how much of the fixed term remains. We cancelled one of ours after 2 years and had to pay 3 months rent for early termination.