Oct

POLL: Minority of landlords back pet renting changes OR use new Model Tenancy

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Just 17% of London landlords have welcomed pets since changes to the Model Tenancy Agreement were introduced earlier this year.

Research by estate agency Bective reveals that the chance of finding a pet-friendly rented home in the capital remains incredibly low and that only 3% of rental homes currently on the market describe themselves as pet-friendly.

Its survey of 1,678 London landlords found that only 37% backed further measures to allow tenants the right to rent with a pet.

The best chance of renting with a four-legged friend is in Barking and Dagenham where pet-friendly homes account for 18.5% of all those currently on the market, while at the bottom of the list is Enfield where only 0.8% of properties welcome pets, according to Bective. Islington has the highest level of pet-friendly tenant demand at 55%, followed by Kingston upon Thames (44.4%), Havering (40%), Wandsworth (35.1%), and Sutton (33.3%).

Bective head of lettings and property management, Tom Dainty, says it’s imperative that landlords are considered within any decision-making process and allowed the flexibility to decide who, or what, has the right to live in their home.

Adds Dainty (pictured): “Failing to develop a two-way conversation is only likely to cause many landlords to exit the sector or resort to a more selective approach to tenant sourcing – both of which will be detrimental to the capital’s tenants in the long run.”

The AdvoCATS lobbying group is spearheading the latest push to change the law, by calling for the Tenant Fees Act to be amended to allow landlords to either take additional deposits off tenants seeking to rent with pets or require tenants to take out extra insurance.

It already has the backing of 41 MPs and hopes that – unlike the Model Tenancy Agreement – any new legislation will not be voluntary.

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