Apr

LATEST: Leading veterinary body urges more landlords to accept pets

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Influential veterinary organisation the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has launched a campaign urging landlords to let more renters live with their pets.

The body, which represents the UK animal medicine industry, hopes to encourage wider use of the model tenancy agreement and wants to work with landlords and tenants’ associations to promote new pet-friendly policies and responsible pet ownership.

As part of its campaign – Securing the Right to Rent with Pets: Making One Health Housing a Reality – it’s urging supporters to send a letter to their local MP or the Housing Minister, Christopher Pincher, calling on him to make legislative changes to support pets in rented accommodation.

NOAH believes that despite the significant and clear benefits, owning a pet in rented accommodation remains very difficult.

It says that according to rental start-up Home Made, only 2.8% of property owners in the UK advertise homes as suitable for tenants with pets, while Tenants Voice reports that 78% of pet owners experience problems finding a suitable rental property.

Chief executive Dawn Howard (pictured) believes that widening access to pets will actually bring benefits to landlords that outweigh their often-inflated fears.

She adds: “The RSPCA found that tenants who are given permission to look after a pet in their rental property were likely to live in that property for twice as long compared to other tenants – creating long-term, secure tenants for landlords.

“Allowing responsibly kept pets also increases the pool of prospective renters for properties, meaning landlords are far less likely to struggle to find tenants, and will in turn have a more secure stream of income.”

In January, the government updated its model tenancy agreement, aiming to end blanket bans on pets in rental properties.

However, the agreement is voluntary, and it has since hardened its position on the hurdles that tenants will have to clear before a landlord needs to allow pets into their property.

PIC Credit: Antti | Flickr

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