Battersea Guide for Pet Friendly Properties: Advice for landlords and tenants
Welcoming a new, furry member to the family can have a hugely positive impact on your wellbeing. A pet can increase opportunities to exercise and get outside, to socialise and connect with others in your area.
However, Battersea witnesses all too often the very real impact of people having to give up a dog or cat due to housing issues. With the rising cost of living making house ownership a pipe dream for many, more people than ever are renting. Often this makes pet ownership impossible.
At Gumtree, we take pet ownership incredibly seriously. We believe education and information are crucial to avoid people having to give up their pets and ensure that pets and their owners can stay together. It’s why we’ve championing Battersea’s Pet Friendly Properties campaign, which aims to promote an open and constructive dialogue between landlords and tenants to support responsible pet ownership in rented accommodation. For the benefit of pets, tenants and landlords.
Pet Friendly Properties
Did you know?
- 60% of people living in rented accommodation where pets are banned would like to own a pet. Either now or in the future.
- More than half of landlords said they would consider allowing pets. Start that conversation today with the help of Battersea’s tips on how to ask to allow pets.
Championing pet friendly rental properties
To drive any sort of change in the rental market, practical and simple steps need to be put in place. Battersea have created a Pet Friendly Property report to support both landlords and tenants to do just that. It highlights practical recommendations about how the situation can be addressed and improved including:
- Reviewing the impact of the revised pets clause in the UK Government’s Model Tenancy Agreement.
- Incentivising pet insurance options for tenants against potential pet damage, enabling more landlords to accept pets.
- Ensuring that wherever public funds are invested in building new homes for rent, pet-friendly policies should be a condition of funding.
- Companies promoting pet friendly properties and landlord organisations should develop practical advice specifically on how to assess requests to keep a dog or cat in a flat.
The Government has indicated it may make reforms to support pet-owning renters. So the opportunity for real change is now one step closer.
What are the benefits of pet ownership for both tenants and landlords?
In Battersea’s latest survey, over a third of people said they got their pet for mental wellbeing benefits. But for many, the possibility of pet ownership is a challenge as they will be long-term renters.
There has been a shift in the demographics of renters with more families and those with young children renting their homes for longer periods. Groups most typically likely to want to also own pets. Therefore, landlords who take a progressive view open their property to a wider group of potential tenants, With the added bonus that pet owners are more likely to want the security of longer tenancies than non-pet owners.
But many landlords remain apprehensive when it comes to renting to tenants with pets. The main reason cited by landlords is concern around a pet causing damage to their property.
But Battersea’s research shows that just 3% of dog owners said their dog had ever damaged property they had been living in, or been subject to any sort of noise complaint. It’s why this campaign is seeking to challenge misconceptions that tenants and landlords may have about each other. And instead promote positive and constructive dialogue to find solutions.
How can we help Battersea?
Show your support for Battersea’s campaign by signing their pledge to support Pet Friendly Properties here.
How can you find a pet friendly property on Gumtree?
Check out out rental listings of properties that allow pets. Landlords can also find tenants in our ‘property wanted’ section.
