Pet Friendly Flats to Rent

Finding pet friendly flats to rent is a surprisingly tricky task. Anyone who’s tried to find rentals with a dog or cat in tow will know that they’re few and far between.

Here are some statistics that show just how skewed the pet friendly rental market:

• There are around 4.4 million rental homes in the UK
• Only 7% (or 308,000) are advertised as pet friendly
• Yet 45% of all UK households (12.5 million) are home to a family pet

So the message here is pretty clear. If you want a pet, you have to own your home. If you’re renting a home, then your pet isn’t welcome.

Looking for pet friendly flats to rent? Cut to the chase and view our pet friendly homes now.

A nation of pet lovers

This is a colossal misstep from landlords, as the UK is a nation of pet lovers.

Here’s a breakdown of all pets in the UK, by total population and as a percent of households:

	Population	% households
Dogs	12,000,000	33%
Cats	12,000,000	27%
Rabbits	1,100,000	2%
Indoor birds	1,300,000	2%
Guinea pigs	800,000	1.2%
Domestic fowl	1,200,000	1.1%
Hamsters	600,000	1.7%
Tortoises/turtles	400,000	1%
Snakes	400,000	0.8%
Lizards	400,000	0.7%
Horses/ponies	500,000	1%
Gerbils	400,000	0.6%
Rats	200,000	0.3%
Ferrets	100,000	0.1%
Frogs and toads	200,000	0.2%
People keep insects	300,000	0.3%
Newts/salamanders	100,000	0.1%
Pigeons	500,000	0.8%
Mice	100,000	0.1%

 

Landlords that don’t accept pets

To a certain degree, you have to sympathise with landlords who decide not to accept pets.

They’re handing over their property into the care of someone else for a long period of time. They want that property to be looked after, maintained and kept clean.

And as many pet owners will know, a pet can cause a lot of damage. Even well behaved pets can still cause a lot of wear and tear in a home.

Some common causes of damage or excess wear and tear are:

Shedding hair

Pets – particularly cats and dogs – shed a LOT of hair. If a tenant doesn’t stay on top of the cleaning, then the flat will require a thorough clean at the end of the tenancy. And to be honest, even if the tenant does stay on top of the cleaning, pet hair gets everywhere!

So that’s either an extra cost for the landlord, or an issue for incoming tenants. Many people are allergic to cats and dogs, and might turn away from renting the home if they saw pet hair left from the previous tenant.

Scratching

Cats and dogs have claws. Cats like to scratch furniture and carpets. Some even like to climb the curtains! And dogs can scratch at the floor when irritated or even just cause extra wear and tear when walking back and forth on wooden floors.

This treatment can lead to long term damage of the floors and furnishings in a flat. And it’s a big reason that many landlords say no.

Accidents

It’s only natural that pets get sick from time to time. And the outcome is usually a stain on the carpet! And owners can also be lazy or forgetful and miss walk time, which can lead to further stains…

Smells

And finally, pets can leave an odour in a home. To many of us, a mild smell wouldn’t be an issue. But to some it can be a reason to not rent that home.

And some pets can cause quite significant odours, if they aren’t cared for properly. Rats for example can create quite a pungent, musky odour from their urine if their accommodation isn’t cleaned regularly.

Gradual wear and tear

You might not notice the change yourself as it’s gradually happening day by day. But a landlord who hasn’t seen inside the property for a year will probably notice the difference straight away.

In fact, damage can be so significant that the tenancy deposit doesn’t cover the cost to rectify it. In these cases the landlord can be left seriously out of pocket.

So it’s understandable why some landlords want to avoid this issue.

Landlords that do accept pets

But attitudes might be changing. There are a growing number of landlords who now do accept pets in their rental homes.

Instead of just saying “no” to pets, landlords are finding ways to manage this better. There are numerous benefits to allowing pets into rental properties. And ways to reduce a landlord’s risk too.

In fact, it’s build-to-rent landlords who are leading the charge.

Brand new developments are popping up all over the UK offering an elevated renting experience. And a big part of that is pet friendly flats to rent.

Pet friendly developments

Pet friendly build-to-rent landlords

There are two main reasons why build-to-rent landlords are going to great lengths to offer pet friends homes.

Firstly, they’re capitalising on a gap in the market. Renters are being under-serviced by what’s currently on offer, and can’t live with their pets as a result.

Build-to-rent landlords are meeting that demand and becoming a popular choice in the process.

Secondly, they recognise that pets are a fundamental part of the home. They’re a key piece of the family and a big part of people’s lives.

Aside from the clear benefit of having a buddy to hang out with in your flat, there are loads of other, scientifically proven benefits to owning pets. They:

• Combat loneliness
• Reduce stress
• Can help with fitness
• Can even boost your immune system

Owning a pet is also a handy way to meet new people and make new friends. Link up with fellow dog walkers or use your experiences with a pet as a useful conversation starter.

So by not offering pet friendly flats to rent, landlords are limiting their residents’ lifestyles. And that’s not something that build-to-rent landlords are willing to do.

Rules and fees

Although it’s great to know that build-to-rent landlords offer pet friendly flats to rent, you need to be aware that there are usually (but not always) rules and fees in tow.

Types of pets

You can expect a lot of landlords to have restrictions on the type of pets they can accommodate.

Dogs and cats are fine as you’d expect. Rabbits, gerbils and guinea pigs may also be allowed by many.

But there are likely to be lines drawn at some exotic pets and birds.

Build-to-rent landlords may also say no to pets that are more likely to cause odours, such as rats.

Shared spaces

There may also be restrictions on whether your pet can come with you to the shared areas of the building.

The corridors or lifts are fine of course as you’ll need to take them out for walks. But many build-to-rent developments come with shared lounges, work areas and roof terraces.

Double check the rules on these spaces are some landlords don’t allow you to bring a pet along for allergy reasons.

Pet interviews

Some landlords will ask you to attend a pet interview. Here, the building management team will meet your pet just to double check that it will fit in with the rest of the community, and that his or her veterinary records are up to date.

Pet fees

Pet fees can sometimes be a one-off fee paid at the start of the tenancy. They can sometimes be a recurring monthly charge on top of your rent. And sometimes there’s no additional charge at all.

In all cases – for fees and rules – check with the landlord before you sign the tenancy agreement. They will probably have a pet policy they can share with you.

Pet friendly flats to rent

Whether you have a dog, a cat or something more exotic, there’s a pet friendly rental out there for you.

Build-to-rent landlords are a great choice as so many have decided to become either partially or completely pet friendly.

And that makes Right Rent a great choice for finding pet friendly apartments to rent, as we only list properties from build-to-rent landlords.

Browse the homes on offer now to find a place for you and your whole family.