Owners of rental properties in Liverpool often receive requests from their tenants for permission to keep a pet. As owners, they have the legal right to refuse such requests. However, with more and more people living permanently in the rental market who are pet lovers, owners also don’t want to lose good tenants.
Do Tenants with Pets Take Better Care of Owners’ Properties?
The composition of the family unit has changed considerably in the past ten to fifteen years, and many tenants are now sole occupants. For them, the need for the companionship of a pet is a driving force, and refusal to keep a pet can be distressing enough for them to move out. If these people are dream tenants who pay their rent, look after the property and cause no problems, simply refusing permission may not be the best solution for the owner, who now has to find another quality tenant in Liverpool.
Should the owner decide to be flexible and allow some pets to be kept at the rental property, the number and type of pets and also the conditions of keeping them must be given to the agency managing the property. A Real Estate agent will add these conditions to the tenancy agreement so that the tenant knows up front what has been permitted and what has not. If a new tenant wants something different, they can still negotiate it through the agent. The final decision always rests with the property owner.
Conditions in Tenancy Agreement Clear and Binding
By including all the arrangements into the tenancy agreement, which should then be signed by all parties, everyone knows where they stand. If any disagreement does arise, the agent or owner has only to refer to the tenancy agreement to remind the tenant of their obligations. Once signed by all parties, with a copy given to the tenant, a tenancy agreement is a legally binding document, and breaches of its conditions can lead to eviction from the property.
The biggest issue most owners have with pets in rental properties is the potential damage they can cause. Anyone who has a pet that is mobile, such as a dog or cat, has already experienced having to replace chewed furniture, torn curtains, clean up “accidents” on a carpet or maintain a fence to contain the animal. Birds and fish are not quite as much of an issue, although having a fish tank break and flood a room is certainly a possibility. An owner who accepts these risks and has landlord insurance to cover such damage may be willing to have pets on the rental property.
Owners who allow pets generally require a comprehensive pest control treatment be performed and any carpets thoroughly cleaned when the tenants vacate. This should extend to the exterior of the premises and under the house if it is elevated. This intensive cleaning process is necessary to eradicate pests such as fleas which are very difficult to kill.
Having quality tenants with pets in a rental property can be an advantage for owners. They have someone who provides them with a good return on their investment, and who values the agreement they have with the owner to keep their pet. In most cases, they will act responsibly as the consequences of breaching their tenancy agreement will make it very difficult for them to find a similar arrangement.
