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Parking & Pets are just what the tenant ordered

Tue 12 Mar 2019

New research from property portal 'Zoopla' shows that parking sits firmly at the top of requirements for tenants - but with pet-friendly facilities a growing expectation. The search term "pet-friendly" has grown in popularity in the last year, jumping from 5th place to 3rd in the national rankings and appearing for the first time in the top 10 most searched rental property terms by Londoners. Parking was consistently ranked as the most frequently searched feature of rental homes across all regions of Great Britain.

Pet Rentals at Wills & Smerdon:

At Wills & Smerdon we understand how finding a property where the Landlord accepts pets can be very difficult. Unlike many other UK letting agencies, we want to help pet owners and we do not automatically insert a 'no pets' clause into our standard tenancy agreement. Of course, not all of our rental properties will accept pets, but we have a large majority who do, and as pet owners ourselves, we encourage Landlords to consider this option. We fully understand that Landlords who exclude pet owners from their properties are missing out on a large share of the rental market as almost half of the households in the UK currently own a pet.

  

Pet Rental Successes!

So Landlords, by adopting a pet-friendly approach, you can easily increase demand for your property and attract long-term, responsible tenants. Here are some tips for adopting a 'pet-friendly' approach to lettings:

  1. Landlord Insurance: If you rent your property to a tenant with a pet, you may wish to consider taking out a landlords insurance policy that will cover you for accidental damage caused by your tenant's pet.
  2. Pet Reference or even an 'interview': It's a good idea to ask prospective tenants to provide you with a reference for their pet from a previous landlord if they have rented before. If not, ask to meet them with their pet, it will give a good indication of the pet/owner dynamic.
  3. Professional clean: Ask pet-owning tenants to professionally clean the property when they move out, including all soft furnishings and carpets and treating the property for fleas and mites. This can be written into the tenancy agreement.

The Tenant agrees to pay for the professional cleaning of the property at the end of The Tenancy including the cleaning of all carpets and treating the property for fleas and mites.

  1. Professional clean: Ask pet-owning tenants to professionally clean the property when they move out, including all soft furnishings and carpets and treating the property for fleas and mites. This can be written into the tenancy agreement.

Pet Clause Example:

It is further agreed between the Landlord and Tenant that the Landlord grants permission for the Tenant to keep a pet {insert animal type and breed} named {insert animal name} (The Pet) in The Property for the duration of the Tenancy. The Tenant agrees not to keep or permit to be kept on the Property any further pets or animals of any description without the previous consent in writing of the Landlord.

Pet Damage Clause:

The Tenant hereby undertakes and agrees to remedy and pay for any damage caused to The Property and/or contents of The Property which shall have been caused by The Pet residing in The Property. For the avoidance of doubt, any such damage shall not be deemed to be fair wear and tear.

Click the image for your 'Pet Information Form' download
Pet Information Form

Further advice for those who are setting out on the viewing process for a rental property, either with or without a pet in tow!


As ARLA Propertymark members, we are dedicated to ensuring our tenants or viewers have all of the information about a property, that they need in order to make an informed decision about whether to rent a property, or not, we think that this video produced by ARLA Propertymark is worth a watch before you set out on your rental viewings.