By Tessa Shepperson of Landlord Law

They say that almost half the population in Britain has a pet of some sort. However most landlords and letting agents routinely prohibit pets in their properties. The main reasons for this are the potential damage that pets could cause to the property, the risk if flea infestation, and the potential costs and additional work involved in preparing it for a new tenant after the departure of the pet owning tenant.

However, the majority of pet owners are law abiding people who look after their pets responsibly. Consider:

• 78% of pet owners, according to a recent survey by the Dogs Trust, have experienced difficulty in finding accommodation which accepts pets
• 54% were never able to find a suitable property, and
• 8% had to rehome their pet

This means that landlords who permit (suitable) pets will have a much larger pool of potential tenants to choose from.

Note: Information in this article is reproduced with the kind permission of Dogs Trust. For further information on Dog Trust's Lets with Pets® campaign, please go to www.letswithpets.org.uk

Is renting to pet owners an option for your property?