In Australia, more than two thirds of households have pets. We have the highest incidence of pet ownership per household of any country in the world, yet finding pet-friendly rental accommodation, be it a house, unit or apartment, is not always easy.
For many years, I rented houses with my dog Toby and every time I had to fill in a rental application, I crossed my fingers for a pet-loving landlord. Luckily, Toby had a television profile of his own and people understood from the beginning that he is a well adjusted, obedient dog. In fact, all my landlords seemed to get a thrill out of having a famous dog in their house.
Of course, many people are not so lucky. Landlords are not allowed to discriminate against people based on race, religion, class, marital status, or if they have children. However, many landlords discriminate against pets. And yet, as a vet and pet owner myself I would say that very often responsible pet owners are just the sort of people that make responsible tenants.
So, if you have a dog or cat and are looking for rental accommodation in Sydney for example, I’d suggest you consider the following:
- When you inspect a property, raise the issue of having a pet. It is often more effective to talk about this sort of thing once the owner or manager has seen you in person – rather than over the telephone.
- Prepare a “résumé” for your pet. Written references from other landlords, neighbours, obedience schools or your vet can help to demonstrate that you and your pet will be responsible tenants. You might also ask the owner or manager if they would like to meet your pet, so they can see for themselves that he or she is well-behaved and will be suited to the property.
- Offer to have a contract drawn up outlining expectations and how you should manage your pet… for example, dogs must be leashed on common property.
You can further demonstrate that you are a responsible pet owner by explaining that:
- You provide appropriate levels of exercise and attention to your pet at all times
- You do not let your pet roam the streets
- You make suitable arrangements to care for your pet if you are away on business or holidays
- You always keep control of your dog in public places; and
- You hygienically clean up after your pet at all times
In addition, mention anything about your pet's age, activity level or traits, which help reinforce that he or she is a 'good tenant'.
I know some Body Corporate regulations limit pet ownership but I also have friends who live in apartments where the Body Corporate allows pets, provided they are kept in circumstances that do not impact on other residents.
With many property owners or managers owning pets themselves, they are often sympathetic to fellow pet owners – provided you demonstrate that you are responsible and prepared to deal with any issues that might arise.