"Being a landlord is no easy task. It can be both demanding and stressful. It’s understandable why many prefer to keep pets out, reducing at least one potential worry. However, we’re finding that being pet-friendly can actually offer significant advantages for landlords"
- Sian Hemming-Metcalfe - Inventory Base
The latest analysis from Inventory Base explored the number of pet-friendly rental listings as a proportion of all listings across 15 major British cities to see how many landlords are welcoming pets into their properties, before looking at the ways in which being pet-friendly can actually improve the profitability of being a landlord.
As of 2024, it is estimated that 17.2 million UK households own at least one pet. This means that pets live in roughly 60% of UK homes.
In light of this love of pets, the UK government has made a number of moves in recent years to encourage landlords to welcome pet-owning tenants into their properties. First came a change to the government’s model tenancy agreement to state that a landlord’s default position should be that well-behaved pets are allowed, and more recently the Renters’ Rights Bill also suggests that landlords should not be able to ban tenants from having pets without good reason.
Despite this, there appears to be a continued reluctance from landlords to allow tenants to bring pets into the home.
Inventory Base’s research shows that of the 65,826 rental properties currently listed on the market across 15 major cities, just 4,688 are listed as being pet-friendly, equivalent to 7.1% of the market.
Landlords appear to be most open to pet ownership in Glasgow where 11.3% of all rentals are described as being pet-friendly. This is followed by Edinburgh (10.1%), Manchester (10%), and London (8.1%).
Meanwhile, the least pet-friendly landlords are found in Newcastle where just 2.1% of available stock is being marketed as pet-friendly.
This is followed by Nottingham (2.9%), Cardiff (2.9%), Leeds (3.2%), Leicester (3.4%), and Bristol (3.9%).
Why are landlords still reluctant to allow pets into the home?
Despite the nation’s love of animals, and regardless of the government’s attempted intervention, it remains up to the discretion of landlords to decide whether or not they’re going to allow tenants to keep pets in the home.
The main reason for not allowing pets is the age-old concern that pets cause additional damage to properties. At the end of a tenancy, this damage requires repair work which results in an increased cost for the landlord.
But recent research suggests that this might not be true and that our furry friends have been unfairly labelled as troublemakers for all these years.
Do pets actually cause expensive damage?
Recent academic research shows that yes, pets do cause damage to rental properties. In fact, they cause an average of £300 worth of damage during the length of a tenancy.
However, the same research goes on to show that the average damage caused by tenants without pets stands at £775 per tenancy – well over double the cost of pet-related damage.
Furthermore, the research suggests that landlords can actually see a financial benefit by being pet-friendly thanks to a reduction in void periods. Half of pet-owning tenants stay in properties for more than three years, while just 31% of those without pets stay for this long.
Siân Hemming-Metcalfe Operations Director at Inventory Base, comments: “While pets might seem like they could cause issues in rental properties, it’s becoming clear that their impact is often much smaller than the wear and tear from tenants themselves.
"Being a landlord is no easy task. It can be both demanding and stressful. It’s understandable why many prefer to keep pets out, reducing at least one potential worry. However, we’re finding that being pet-friendly can actually offer significant advantages for landlords.
"By welcoming pets, you not only attract a broader range of potential tenants, but you also encourage longer and more dependable tenancies. Pet owners are typically very mindful of their pets' reputation for causing damage, so when it’s time to move out, they often leave the property in excellent condition to demonstrate that both they and their furry friends are responsible.
"Landlords who are open to tenants with well-behaved pets can minimise most financial risks by implementing a thorough inventory process.
"The main risks of allowing pets in rental homes arise when there isn’t a solid inventory process in place at both the start and end of each tenancy. Conducting a detailed inventory at the beginning of a pet-friendly tenancy, as well as regular property visits throughout the tenancy, ensures that any damage caused by tenants or their pets is properly accounted for."
