Hi, all.
We’ll be renting our new flat soon and we don’t want pets. However, it looks like it may not be up to us if they’re assistance animals. In this case, it looks like T can tick “no pets” box and be quiet about having an animal. What would you do?
when you ask about everyone if they have a car, a family, pets, etc. then make no coment . But do not choose them
I understand it’s extremely difficult for both parties involved, especially if the animal is classed as an Assisted animal for individuals with disabilities.
I can empathise - as I’m disabled and has to rely on wheelchair (although I appreciate a wheelchair is not an animal) - however some people discriminate just because I am disabled!
Being a person with severe allergies to animals, I would have no choice but to refuse!
Either way, the property is ours and it is our right as to whom we choose to live in our homes.
Some have and continue to spend a lot of money - commitment’s with debt/mortgages - working and saving for our properties.
We should be able to say who can live in them!
Same here - allergies.
The chances of someone with an assistance dog is very slim.
Ask them in your initial screening questions.
I can see both sides of the argument here. Any landlord would be unhappy if a prospective tenant has provided false or misleading information but I can see it from the tenant’s viewpoint too, in fact these applicants were absolutely correct to tick the “no pets” box. This is because the Equality Act 2010 specifies that an assistance dog is not a pet, it’s an “auxiliary aid”, sometimes referred to as an assistance dog. They could have waited until they’d moved in before mentioning the dog, so I’d say they’ve behaved in a decent, honest way.
Cancelling this tenancy is a clear breach of the Equality Act and I hope the book is thrown at the landlord. It’s possible that even asking about the existence of an assistance dog could be discriminatory too.
All this assumes that the applicant does indeed have type 1 diabetes and is not making this up, so it might be a good idea if evidence of this could be obtained. I’d be surprised though, as I say these applicants have so far behaved in an absolutely open and honest way.
just ask do you have any “animals”? To say it is not a pet it is an auxilary aid is being deceptive . The tenant knows full what the landlord is asking and wanting
Problem with this auxiliary aid is it still poops, chews and claws through the furniture and smells. So, I wouldn’t agree that the applicants have behaved in an honest way. And what if LL has allergy to fur, like I do? And what does all that have to do with discrimination?
Yes, Colin, that’s what I thought - “No animals” would cover it.
How do you prove you have a allergy apart from a doctors note ! And if you do what about data protection etc !
I had a drs note and it had my DOB , nhs number and address! And I do not want my tenants knowing my address?
I ask for nat ins number off tenants and driving licence ID . No number? no tenant
I don’t think I need to prove it to TT. I will only have to prove to the judge if they decided to sue me for discriminating against them.
“Diabetes dogs” are scientifically proven to be far less reliable than medical devices. Nobody with diabetes should be relying on a dog.
I didn’t know that. I guess assistance dogs will bark and attract attention of others or seek help in other ways. Not sure if devices serve this purpose. Do they start beeping? Sorry, I don’t know anything about it, even though my cousin is diabetic. But it’s a different country, and the rules are different.
The dog is supposed to be able to monitor blood sugar levels by smell. It’s completely unreliable, like witchcraft. There are plenty of real proven monitors available. Some people just use this as an excuse to keep a dog.
Sorry,
But I feel it only right to defend people who have assistance dogs for whatever reason.
These dogs are among the best trained dogs around, they have to be to become assistance dogs & are extremely crucial to the independent living of the person who have been assigned 1.
I have had 3 homes now with a dog in the property & have never had a problem. There has been no chewing, no clawing or digging. I have found the houses kept extremely clean. The dogs are walked & have never witnessed any mess in the gardens. All 3 properties were & are extremely well maintained.
As long as you stipulate & the tenant signs paperwork, observing that you expect the standard & condition is to be kept in & that in case this doesn’t happen then they will be liable then I don’t see the problem.
Dogs even none assistance dogs are a mainstay in a huge number of properties to some, they are like their own child…i think it’s an insult to say that all dogs stink, chew & poop…the latter obviously as does yourself, but I find most dog owners are as clean if not cleaner than some of your more “suitable tenants”, also the Equalities Act was bought in for this very reson
In our case it’s a flat in a block. We looked up our lease agreement, and it does not allow to keep dogs or other animals. So, it’s the end of the matter for us.
Dogs as pets….Plenty of potential problems. Pursuing tenants through courts, clear up costs, loss of rent, complaining neighbours, ruined lawns. Every dog at some point wets on carpets, or worse.
Unable to increase deposit.
Unfortunately not usually possible to know how tenant with their dog will behave in advance.
The usual dogs locked up all day alone while owners goto work is not a good thing.
When it’s a landlords market those who are lowest risk will win.
it always makes me laugh that when people like the one above jump out and speak up on behalf of dog owners, they assume that landlords don’t have dogs themselves. I am a LL and I have my own dog and hence I know what happens with a dog living at home. I know exactly what liquids flow out of exactly which holes in the dog’s body. I wash the furniture covers so I know how much and what kind of dirt gets spread around.
And how about that for a laugh?
i think it’s an insult to say that all dogs stink, chew & poop…the latter obviously as does yourself
I’d say more, it’s a blatant discrimination against dogs to say so!!! It’s always like that - a small minority of ill-mannered dogs ruin it for the rest of nice dogs who don’t chew, smell roses and don’t poop, a bit like the Queen or King. Generalizing is an insult to all dog population and I am thoroughly ashamed of myself.
In my defence, I’ll say one thing. I do go to the toilet but NEVER on the carpet. And if I want to go while I’m outside, I ALWAYS wait till I get back. Hope it smoothes things over a bit.
I used to live inWales , no neighbours I could wee outside.! That is probably more info than you need to know.