Owning a pet can be a fantastic adventure for so many reasons, and they really do become an essential part of the family! It can often be difficult, however, when renting a home, to be able to find landlords and letting agents who are willing to accept your cat or dog as tenants. This is an issue that can lead to owners having to give their pets to other family members, or to animal shelters or charities. At The Insurance Emporium, we never want this to happen, so we’re sharing our tips for finding a rental home with a pet!
Start early!
It might be obvious, but if you’re looking for a house with your pet, starting your search early could make the process easier! Some property websites, such as Zoopla, allow you to apply filters to show only pet-friendly properties.
Get a reference
Do you currently live in a rented home with your pet? If so, you might get your landlord to provide you and your pet with a reference. This could reassure potential new landlords that you’re a responsible tenant, with a well-trained pet!
Arrange a pet interview
The more a new landlord gets to know your cat or dog as an individual the better, as this could make them more willing to allow you to rent from them. Arranging for them to visit your pet might help dispel any doubts they might have!
Make a pet pack
In a similar vein, you could prepare a pet pack for landlords, letting them know all about your four-legged friend. You could include their history, characteristics, likes and dislikes, as well as anything else you can think of.
Vet’s treatments
As part of the information you give, provide evidence that your cat or dog is up to date with vaccinations, flea and worming treatments. This could be another way to prove your credentials as a responsible pet owner!
Deposit
Whilst not ideal, you may have to pay extra deposit to cover any potential damage your pet might create around the house. Also, you could try to sway reluctant landlords by offering to pay for professional cleaning when you leave.
Be realistic
Is the property you’re looking at suitable for your pet? If a landlord doesn’t seem keen on having your furry friend around there could be a good reason. For example, if you have a large dog, they probably won’t do well in a small flat! It could be a good idea to take a step back and look at the issue objectively – just in case!
Helpful resources
There are various online resources that can lend a helping hand in your search for a pet-friendly home. Lets with Pets and Cats Protection’s Purrfect Landlords are both full of information and advice for renters, landlords and letting agents about both finding a home and the benefits of renting homes to pets. It could be worth a look!
Even though finding a home with your dog or cat can be an arduous process, once you’ve moved into the perfect pad it’ll be more than worth it! When you come to moving, you might also want to take a look at our post about moving home with a dog! Something else you could do as part of responsible pet ownership is take out pet insurance for your furry friend. The Insurance Emporium offer flexible Pet Insurance with a host of Optional Benefits to choose from, and you could get up to 30% discount*. Head to The Insurance Emporium to get your quote!
* The 30% discount is made up of 20% Introductory Discount plus 10% Multi-pet Discount (if appropriate). The Introductory Discount is available for the first 12 premium payments on lunar and calendar monthly policies or one premium payment on annual policies.
This blog is in no way sponsored, endorsed, associated with or administered by Zoopla, Lets with Pets or Cats Protection.
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