Government expects landlords to take more pets…

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Pets in rentals:

The new government
is to bring forward a bill to revolutionise the relationship between
tenants and landlords. The Section 21 no-fault eviction system is to
be abolished, a Lifetime Deposit scheme will be introduced, and
landlords will be expected to allow pets, when they are well behaved.

Full details are still sketchy about the new regime envisaged by government, but a good deal of information, and the general direction of travel, can be gleaned from the government’s guide, “A new deal for renting: resetting the balance of rights and responsibilities between landlords and tenants”

Further clues are in the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick’s press announcement of 4th of January calling on landlords to make it easier for responsible tenants to have well behaved pets in their rental homes, the new rules to be included in his forthcoming overhaul of the government supplied model residential tenancy agreement.

“More young people
and families than ever before are renting and should be able to enjoy
the happiness that a pet can bring to their lives. However, currently
only around 7% of landlords advertise homes as suitable for pets,
meaning many people struggle to find a home suitable for themselves
and their pets.

The national model
tenancy agreement provided by government is the recommended contract
for residential landlords to use when signing on new tenants for
their properties in England. This comprehensive circa 50 page
agreement (with guidance text) sets out the minimum requirements for
a new residential letting. The template has provision for alteration
by landlords to suit specific circumstances, tenants or properties.
The revised model tenancy agreement will be published by the
government sometime this year.

Currently it is
difficult for would-be tenants to find a landlord who allows tenants
to keep a dog or cat, with just 7% of landlords said to advertise
their homes as suitable for pets. Landlords argue that there are good
reasons for this: badly behaved pets can potentially cause hundreds
of pounds worth of damage, a fact which many landlords have learned
to their cost. The introduction of pets, sometimes without permission
or agreement between the parties, is often cause of friction between
landlords and tenants.

The government is
accused of making the situation more difficult for landlords taking
in pets, by removing their ability to protect themselves financially
by banning their taking of additional damage deposits and fees – by
capping deposits at 5 week’s rent.

Despite this, the
government is now calling on landlords to make it easier for people
to have pets in rented homes: “Landlords should no longer stop
renters from having pets if they are well behaved, according to the
government,” says Robert Jenrick MP:

“Pets bring a huge
amount of joy and comfort to people’s lives, helping their owner’s
through difficult times and improving their mental and physical
wellbeing. So, it’s a shame that thousands of animal-loving tenants
and their children can’t experience this because they rent their
homes instead of owning property.

“So, I’m
overhauling our model tenancy contract to encourage more landlords to
consider opening their doors to responsible pet owners. And we will
be listening to tenants and landlords to see what more we can do to
tackle this issue in a way that is fair to both.

“This is part of
this new government’s mission to improve life for tenants,
recognising that more are renting and for longer in life. We’ve
already taken action, banning unfair letting fees and capping tenancy
deposits, saving tenants across England at least £240 million a
year, and I will continue to take more steps to secure a better deal
for renters up and down the country.”

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