Help! Should I let a tenant keep a pet, Fortitude Valley Vet?
To start helping you to find the correct answer, let's look at a couple of statistics that Fortitude Valley Vet has found on the web:
A survey published by the REIA has found almost a third of the landlords would allow pets in their rental homes, whilst 39.3 percent would not, with the rest undecided.
RSPCA has indicated that 63% of Australian Households have pets but a whopping 42% of pet-owning renters could not secure a home.
This would suggest that there is a very high number of prospective tenants with pets that are having a lot of difficulty finding a rental property.
I have asked a few of Fortitude Valley Vet's clients who are rental estate agents for their advice. And this is what they have suggested:
Pet owner tenants are more likely to be houseproud, and would take more effort to ensure your property is well-taken care of.
Pet owner tenants are more likely to stay longer at properties. This would also suggest that they are more likely to accept yearly rent increase as tenants know it is difficult to secure another property.
Pet owner tenants are more willing to pay a premium to stay in pet-friendly rentals as they know there is a huge lack of supply.
Pet owner tenants are more likely to be honest and upfront from the start about their pet situation.
Consider asking for a Pet Resume to help you decide if the particular pet's breed, age, activity level and health would be suitable for you. References from a vet or previous landlord/agent would be helpful.
It is also important to ask the Body Corporate if approval is required for pets. Many apartments in Fortitude Valley, Newstead and Teneriffe often have an application process before a pet is allowed.
