November 08, 2011
As the demand for rental property continues to go through the roof, more and more people are being forced to give up their pets because their landlords won’t allow animals in their properties.
According to a survey of more than 5,000 pet owners, the number of people handing in pets to the Dogs Trust as a result of housing problems has risen by 56% in the past five years.
Last year 276 people handed their dogs to 17 re-homing centres because of housing problems and the charity warned that many pet owners will be forced to abandon their animals or even have them put down, as high property prices force more people into rented accommodation.
Worryingly, 47% of those surveyed who looked for a property said their lettings agency did not help them to find a pet-friendly home, while 30% could not find a suitable property to live in with their pet.
But while many landlords may shrug at these figures, research shows that pet owners who were successful in finding a tenancy tended to stay longer in their chosen property.
In addition, 59% of pet owners would be willing to pay a higher deposit to rent with their pets and 75% would be happy to pay for their carpets and soft furnishings to be professionally cleaned when they moved out.
"We're campaigning for lettings agents and landlords to take a 'pets considered' approach rather than rejecting all pets,” said Clare Kivlehan, who runs the charity's Lets with Pets scheme.
"We'd like people to be able to search easily on property websites for suitable options rather than having to make individual enquiries and we're keen to hear from any agencies interested in becoming campaign supporters."
