The new pet rules being introduced as part of the Renters Rights Act presents landlords with a major opportunity, a lettings agency claims.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, part of the Lomond property empire, says searches by renters say suggest the most sought-after feature last year was for a pet-friendly home.
KFH says properties that welcome pets may also encourage tenants to stay longer, helping to reduce turnover and offering landlords greater stability.
And it believes this can help address concerns around periodic tenancies and tenants’ ability to serve notice more freely.
From May tenants will have a formal right to request permission to keep a pet.
Landlords will no longer be able to refuse these requests without a valid reason.
Landlords must respond to all pet requests on a case-by-case basis within 28 days and, where a refusal is necessary, clearly demonstrate that the request is unreasonable or unfeasible – for example, due to lease restrictions.
So-called service animals, like assistance dogs, must always be permitted.
Landlords cannot ask for additional ‘pet deposit’ to cover damage caused by any pets.
The government ruled that the standard deposit of one month’s rent was enough to cover any possible damage caused by a pet in a property.
Kinleigh Folkard & Haywar says landlords should not be concerned by this.
Its advice is: “You can still indicate a preference to let your property as ‘no pets’, and with managing agents in place, you can rely on them to remove any uncertainty and stress by conducting thorough tenant referencing and offering comprehensive insurances.
“They can also help protect your property by providing detailed inventories at the start of each tenancy, carrying out regular inspections and managing thorough checkouts.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today