Finding Rental Accommodation When You Have Pets

Finding a place to rent when you have pets might seem like one of life’s many impossible tasks, but it honestly isn’t. As someone who’s accomplished it twice now, I should know.

At this moment in time, I live in a lovely rental property in the middle of a major city, home to my four cats, two dogs, two guinea pigs and me. This is the second time that I’ve rented property with pets. To complicate my searches, both of those times I had a Great Dane in tow.

So how did I do it, and how can you? Here are a few tips from one animal-loving tenant to another…

Look for ‘Pets Allowed’ Rentals

It might seem obvious, but the simplest solutions often are. Although many landlords have a ‘no pets’ policy, they are all human like the rest of us, and some will be animal lovers who don’t object to a little bit of fur and a dollop of drool.

Some websites will allow you to make this a criterion in your search, and letting agents will often be able to cipher out these properties for you. There are even schemes available to help you look, like the Dogs Trust’s LetswithPets.

Read Between the Lines

Some property adverts might not state that pets are allowed, but won’t state that they’re a no-go either. Often, this is simply because the landlord hasn’t considered such a scenario. A quick phone call or email should help to ascertain their stance on pets, and can often prove fruitful. Make sure that if you do decide to make contact, you emphasize your pet’s good benefits from the off, making it clear that they’re house trained, don’t chew, are quiet and friendly – as long as these things are true, of course.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

The majority of adverts nowadays are placed through agents, and state as standard that no pets and no smokers are allowed. However, the stance of individual landlords may be different. As we mentioned above, it doesn’t harm to ring the contact number or send a quick email to ascertain whether the landlord would be willing to reconsider. Again, emphasize the good points of your pets, and make the property owner aware that, should any damage occur, you will be willing to take personal and financial responsibility, as recommended by rental expert HomeLet. If you’re willing to provide some form of insurance, and you can guarantee that your pets will behave, there are landlords out there who may reconsider.

Ask for Help

Although most landlords do, not everyone will use a letting agent or online advertisements to find tenants, so it’s always worth employing the good, old- fashioned method of asking around. Friends and family might know of private landlords in your area who would be willing to take on a tenant with pets. The internet can also be a great place to search for recommendations, and a well- worded post on a pet or countryside forum can deliver fantastic results.

Although having pets undoubtedly makes the search for a rental property harder, don’t let yourself fall into the trap of believing that it’s impossible. People like me are proof that it isn’t. Yes, it’s harder than your average search, but the boon of getting to stay with your pets outweighs all of the added stress and complications. Keep looking, and one day soon you, too, can sit in the front room of your new property, your loyal pet at your side.

Tags: dog apartment, dog rental, dog-friendly rental