Feb

LATEST: Landlord’s pet referencing system snapped up by digital lettings giant

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A leading digital lettings platform used by agents has acquired PetsScore, the pet referencing company that lets owners build up a profile for their pet to show landlords and letting agents.

The Lettings Hub plans to launch a range of pet-let products to tenants, landlords and letting agents this year, all integrated within BOX, its tenancy progression platform.

The supplier of digital products and services says that as 3.2 million households have bought a pet since the start of the pandemic – with 59% of new owners aged 16-34 years old – it’s inevitable that this will impact the rental market.

PetsScore, which only officially launched last September, lets tenants register their pets including information about microchip, breed/size/weight, vaccinations, pet insurance, medical treatment, training, and landlord references.

The Lettings Hub CEO Heidi Shackell (pictured) explains that if, as expected, the Renters Reform Bill scraps section 21 notices, landlords have little protection against a tenant moving in a pet without permission during their tenancy.

She says: “We believe a significant section of the market are looking towards newer solutions, focused on better due diligence and increased protection for landlords, whilst providing tenants with a valuable tool to overcome objections and encourage more long-term lets.”

Natasha Homer-Earley, a landlord and tech professional who set up PetsScore last year, adds that there is a chasm between the availability of pet-friendly rental properties and the overwhelming demand for them. “Over the coming months and years, there will be more opportunities to bring together fintech, proptech and data to improve the matching process between landlords, tenants, and pets,” she says.

Tenants with pets are still a hot topic in the PRS, after the government altered its voluntary model AST contract to require tenants to take pets unless they have good reason not to, while campaigning group AdvoCATS continues to receive cross-party support in its bid to alter the Tenant Fees Act to enable pet deposits to be legal.

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