Are you considering allowing tenants to own pets in your rental property?
While some landlords have concerns about pets, there are a number of benefits. Not only does it increase the number of potential tenants interested in your property, but, as a majority of landlords don’t allow pets in their properties, tenants are likely to stay in your pet-friendly home long-term.
We’ve put together seven top tips for making your rental properties pet-friendly and ensuring a smooth process with a tenant.
Get details of the pet
Just like you’d reference a tenant prior to letting to them, you could also ask for a reference for the pet from a previous landlord.
As well as getting a mini reference, it’s also a good idea to meet the pet. This way, you can get a better idea of the pet’s behaviour.
Another indication you can gauge into the suitability of a pet, and also the tenant, is through its veterinary records. If a pet is up to date on all its vaccinations, this shows that the tenant is a responsible owner and will likely look after the pet within your rental property. You can also see from the records whether a pet is up to date on its flea treatments, meaning you don’t have to worry about fleas in your property.
Include a pet clause in the tenancy agreement
If you’re letting to a tenant with a pet, you should ensure that you include a pet clause within the tenancy agreement.
The clause will need to state that any potential damage caused by the pet, as opposed to the tenant, will still be the responsibility of the tenant to right.
Similarly, when your tenant’s tenancy agreement comes to an end, the rental property may require a thorough clean before being let to a new tenant. The cost and responsibility for a deep clean may be something to include under the pet clause.
Consider the flooring
If you’re concerned about the maintenance costs of your rental property may increase through letting to a tenant with a pet, you could consider changing the flooring within the property.
Getting rid of all remnants of pet hair may be a worry for landlords, but you can reduce this by swapping carpets for tiled flooring instead. The other benefit is you can reduce the risk of stains with a wipe-free floor!
Avoid light coloured furniture
If you’ll be renting your property to a tenant with a dog, you should ensure the furniture in your property isn’t light coloured.
The UK weather is unpredictable, but you can guarantee it’ll rain at some point. As a result, dogs can get muddy during their walks, which is when you’re property is most at risk from dirt and stains.
Swapping carpets to flooring is one way you can prevent engrained dirt, but a leather sofa may also be an option to consider. In comparison to a fabric sofa, a leather sofa can simply be wiped down. However, you should also take into account potential scratches from a dog or cat’s claws with a leather sofa.
A pet hair vacuum cleaner
Although a standard vacuum cleaner can suit most rental properties, you may want to consider a more advanced one that is specially designed for cleaning pet hair.
Tenants with a pet also need to vacuum more than those without a pet, so make sure the one you provide is up to the job of clearing up pet hair.
Secured garden
Tenants with pets who are on the hunt for a rental property want to ensure their pet will be safe.
If your rental property has an attached garden, you could make it pet-friendly by ensuring it’s properly secured. This could be through placing an automatic closing gate or putting up a fence that is high enough that a dog wouldn’t be able to escape.
Landlord insurance
We all know accidents can happen. You can protect your rental property from being damaged, whether it’s from the tenant or a pet, by having landlord insurance. However, not all landlord insurance providers include accidental pet damage within the policy, so you should double check in advance before letting to a tenant with a pet.
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