Cats, Dogs, Birds, Rabbits, Fish, Lizards, ssssssssnakes…in my 10 years as a Letting Agent I have seen them all! Some cute and fluffy, some scaly and slimy but all are the heart and soul of the family in which they live. But for landlords, the fear of pets in their property is a harsh reality.

With every tenant stating that their pet is well behaved and fully house trained, should you allow pets to live in your rental property?

The national average, according to a PMFA survey in 2017, stated that a whopping 44% of households in the UK currently have a pet of some description. In the North West alone, 27% of households own a dog and 16% own a cat.

With families flocking to The Heatons for the excellent schools, parks and family friendly atmosphere you would be excluding a large section of the market if you declined to have pets in your property. However, can we ignore the potential damage that cats and dogs in particular can cause?

The good news is that tenants are responsible for any damage/issues caused by their pets with most offering a higher deposit as a sweetener to encourage landlords to accept their four legged friend(s).

When accepting pets in your property it is imperative that you take a healthy deposit and carry out a detailed, photographic inventory so that a deposit claim can be made in the event of any damage (I always recommend inventories of this standard, pets or not). I would also recommend an addendum is added to a contract (if there isn’t one already) stating that a professional flee treatment is carried out at the end of the tenancy and proof of this provided upon vacation.

The decision ultimately lies with yourself and how comfortable you would feel with allowing pets to live in your property however with the proper measures in place, tenants and their companions can live in harmony in your house.

If you would like any further advice, or would like to submit a question for Septembers ‘Ask Anna’ then please feel free to call me on 0161 442 1118, email me at annacorrigan@julianwadden.co.uk or visit me at my office on Moorside Road.

Anna