All we are Saying is give Pets a Chance

It’s no big secret that we’re all mad pet lovers at Lawton & Dawe.  The problem is, some landlords out there aren’t quite so keen or, even if they do generally like pets, they don’t want them being kept in their rental properties.  You can see why when you hear reports of animals running riot and destroying carpets and other furnishings.  However, most pets are perfectly well behaved and cause no harm to properties whatsoever.   In fact, lot of tenants with pets are very keen to settle and be long term tenants.  We believe that landlords are actually missing out by not accepting tenants with pets so we’ve joined the Dogs’ Trust’s ‘Lets with Pets’ scheme to help landlords accept tenants with pets while minimising risk to their properties.

Your Choice

The Lets with Pets scheme recommends that landlords use the words ‘pets considered’ on their property listings so the final decision lies with them.  It’s quite a different matter to accept a family with a Chihuahua, a cat and a goldfish to accepting a family with two Rottweilers and a Great Dane.  We think this is a good idea as it lets the landlord keep their options open and not write off perfectly good tenants just because they have a well behaved and totally house-trained pet.

Pet Clauses

If you do decide to accept pets, we can add a pet clause into the lease agreement. This will, again, allow you to keep control by specifying what you will and won’t allow when it comes to pets.  You can also detail exactly what the tenants’ rights are when it comes to their pets so there is complete clarity between you and them when it comes to furry friends living in your property.  Don’t forget though that if you’re letting out a leasehold property, it may already have a pet clause in the covenants of the building which may not permit pets.

Pet Deposits

It’s not unreasonable to ask tenants to pay a higher deposit or a separate pet deposit to cover the costs of any damage their pet might accidentally cause.  Some landlords like to add in an extra cleaning fee to have the property thoroughly cleaned, including the carpets, after tenants with pets vacate the premises.  This is reasonable too since no non-dog owner wants to live somewhere that smells of dog!

Extra Insurance

Another measure landlords can take to pet-proof their property is to take out an insurance policy that covers damage by tenants’ pets.  Some policies may cover it automatically and some might require an extra premium.  If you want to open up your properties to a wider range of tenants and accept their pets, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re covered.

We thoroughly support the idea of more homes being available for people with pets so are very glad to advise any of our landlords on the best measures to take to prepare their property and their lease agreements to accept pets.  Once landlords accept pets, we can market their properties to a whole new audience of reliable, well behaved tenants looking for long term leases.  Call 01273 917791 to talk about opening your properties up to pets.