Lets with Pets
We are happy to announce that we are now a member of the Dog's Trust Lets with Pets campaign.
This means that we are happy to help applicants with pets find a home, where appropriate. We are guided by the Lets with Pets campaign, and we would recommend that everyone reads the booklet from the Lets with Pets website.
We have used the Lets with Pets advice for letting agents to help craft specific 'Pets' clauses for each tenancy agreement. Your pet(s) will be listed on your agreement and you will pay a higher deposit and agree to professional cleaning upon leaving.
These are some of the Top 10 Tips from Lets with Pets for finding privately rented accommodation with your pet (from the booklet):
1 Don’t leave your house hunting until the last minute. Give yourself plenty of time to find a pet-friendly property and begin searching at least 6-8 weeks before you need to move out of your current home.
2 Be as flexible as possible. The more restrictive your search criteria are, the more difficult it will be for you to find a pet-friendly property. Try to be flexible on location and property type as this will increase your chances of finding somewhere for you and your pet to live.
3 Write a CV for your pet. Provide your prospective landlord with as much information about your pet as you can. Write a CV and include contact details for your veterinary practice and for someone who can care for your pet in case of an emergency. You could also include details of your pet’s last vaccinations and any flea and worming treatments they have received.
4 Get a reference for your pet. By providing your landlord with a reference from your previous landlord or your vet, you can show that your pet is both well behaved and capable of living in rented accommodation without causing problems or damage. This will also demonstrate that you are a responsible pet owner.
5 Offer to pay a higher deposit Many landlords are concerned about pets causing damage to their property or furnishings. By offering to pay a higher deposit, you will reassure the landlord that you will cover any damage that your pet may cause.
6 Offer to have the property professionally cleaned. Landlords often worry that accepting pets will lead to flea infestations, excess pet hair and dirty carpets and soft furnishings. To put your landlord’s mind at ease you might consider offering to pay for the property to be professionally cleaned when you move out. Some landlords and letting agents may ask for a nonrefundable payment in advance to cover the cost of cleaning.
7 Be honest, don’t sneak your pet in without permission. It’s never advisable to keep a pet in a property without the landlord’s consent. This will only lead to problems in the future and could result in the termination of your tenancy. It’s possible that keeping pets in the property may even violate the landlord’s own leasehold agreement. It’s advisable to always be honest about your pets from the start.
8 Raise awareness of Dogs Trust’s Lets With Pets campaign. By spreading the word about our campaign, you can help us to encourage more landlords and letting agents to accept pets.
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