"The good news is that while pet-friendly rentals may be hard to come by, there are changes being made to make renting with a pet more widely accessible"
- Sam Reynolds - Zero Deposit
Tenancy deposit alternative, Zero Deposit, analysed current rental market stock looking at pet-friendly property availability using the term “pet allowed”, as well as the additional cost involved in renting such a property.
As it stands, the Government’s model tenancy agreement states that a tenant must seek the prior written consent of the Landlord should they wish to keep pets or other animals at the Property.
However, changes were made to the model contract in 2021 to alter the default position of landlords to consent for pets to encourage the removal of a blanket ban. A Landlord can then object to the request in writing within 28 days for ‘good reason’ but must not unreasonably withhold or delay their written request from a Tenant without considering the request on its own merits.
However, there could be further changes on the horizon via the Renters (Reform) Bill 2022-23. It contains measures to amend the Housing Act 1988 to remove the blanket ban on pet ownership and make it an implied term of an assured tenancy that a tenant may keep a pet with the landlord’s consent unless the landlord reasonably refuses.
Pet owners will, however, be required to have pet insurance to cover the cost of any damages incurred as a result of having a pet in their rental property.
According to the research, finding a pet-friendly rental in the current market could prove a tough task. In fact, just 9% of all rental properties currently available across England are listed as pet-friendly - that’s just over 8,000 out of some 94,000 rental properties.
The South West is home to the highest proportion of pet-friendly rentals, but even still, just 15% of current rental properties available to tenants are listed as such.
The South East (11%) and East of England (10%) also boast some of the highest proportions of pet-friendly stock, although this only equates to around one in 10 rental properties.
However, it’s London that boasts the highest total number of pet-friendly rentals. Of the 8,343 pet-friendly properties currently available to tenants across the nation, 3,439 are found within the capital, accounting for 41% of all pet-friendly rentals across England.
For those who are able to find a property that allows a pet, it’s likely to cost them more for the pleasure, with the current asking rent for a pet-friendly rental property is £1,719 per month. That’s £281, or 20% more per month when compared to the average cost of renting a non-pet-friendly rental property.
Sam Reynolds, CEO of Zero Deposit commented: “A pet is a huge commitment and it’s one that should be carefully considered regardless of your living status. For many tenants, the cost of renting is already substantial so they really need to be confident that they can afford the additional outgoings of pet food, insurance and the often inevitable vet bills.
"The good news is that while pet-friendly rentals may be hard to come by, there are changes being made to make renting with a pet more widely accessible. Of course, it’s important to remember that while a rental property is your home, it’s also someone else's investment so you should be rightfully prepared to cover the cost of any damages caused.
"Many landlords may understandably be apprehensive about pets within their rental property, but in many cases, a clear and upfront line of communication is the best plan of action for tenants when considering introducing a pet to their home.”
