Landlords - How can I gain your trust?!

Tenant Discussion
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I am 34, I am professional. I have been working since I was 18 years old and have been operating in Marketing for about 12 years.

I am based in Ireland but trying to relocate to the UK (Bristol). My job is in England plus I am starting a part-time postgrad over there in the new year. I will throughout all of this work full-time.

I understand and empathise with landlords, they have to be able to trust their tenant and it might feel like a risk to take someone like me on.

But how do I convince you it isn’t?

OK - So against me is all that I have pets. But pets which I can provide referencing for. Pets which have lived, hassle-free in rental accommodation with me for 12 years - that is 8 years in one property and 4 in another.

I have landlord references, the works. I know I am reliable. I know I am mature and responsible. I’m the type of tenant who would paint a wall, who isn’t afraid of DIY, who would do stuff to add value to a place.

I’m not after a place to take advantage of, I am after a place to call home!

The market is crazy, yes. It is mad competitive, I know. But my gosh, my heart is broken trying to get a place (in Bristol).

  • If anyone wants to use my topic as a launchpad to have a moan please do!

  • If any landlords want to supply genuine advice, please do - if you have any tips or tricks with how to engage, what to state up top. Anything, please! Tips, tricks etc welcome!

FYI, this move has been in the works for some time. Unfortunately, a couple of years ago when it was on the agenda, my father became very ill. After he passed away, I didn’t fancy up and leaving immediately. Then with Covid things just came to a grinding stop, I was still working but travel was not an option.

I am vaccinated. I am a professional. I am a decent human being and I really, REALLY want to get over!!

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You should probably be aware that with pets there will be a lot of landlords that legally can’t rent to you.
Many flats here have “no pets” clauses in the leasehold, so whilst I have no issues with pets personally, I’m not allowed to let my flat to someone with pets. If you’re looking for a place bigger than a flat, and you’re single it’s probably going to be an expensive move.

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I am both a dog owner and a landlord. I know what my dog does to my own house, hence I would never want a pet owner in my flat. Not only is the wear and tear much higher (and tenants unwilling to accept they have to pay for it) but other tenants in future will object to being in a house with dog hairs, etc. Nowadays a lot of people have allergies. Maybe one thing you could do is let landlords know up front you will increase the rent to cover the costs of damage, it is so hard to deduct damage from security deposits that most landlords won’t be interested if you say you will pay a higher deposit, but if you pay it as part of the rent that you will not be able to argue about at the end of the tenancy then people might feel a bit more secure. But I think of the times my dog got sick with kennel cough, throwing up all over the floor for 2 days, and I dread to think what might happen if I let pets into my flat. Also, like the man above said, my flat is a council leasehold so pets not allowed by council.

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By the way, suggest you don’t say things like you would do DIY, this is the last thing a landlord wants to hear!

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Just so . Especially tileing!!!

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That’s interesting. My dogs don’t cause wear and tear or any damage in a house.

An interesting one indeed. I’m sure you love your dogs and if you had no choice but to move and needed to rely on renting I wonder how you’d feel to see a lack of openness towards pets.

I don’t know what kind of damage your dogs do but mine straight up don’t. My most recent tenacy was for 4+ years. The landlord allowed the dogs and has provided me with a reference about how the place was left after I moved out.

Zero damage, zero signs of dogs having lived there.

I’ve no issue mating extra security deposit the same way I have no issue paying for a deep clean whenever I’m leaving.

I think it’d be nice for landlords to decide on their priority at times, a reliable tenant who is going to care for their property as if it were their home has to hold value.

Just my opinion.

I hope one day I am in the fortunate position of being able to be a landlord and perhaps do so with empathy.

Here in Ireland there is a desperate homeless crisis and a lot of it is being caused by the rental market. It’s actually quite horrendous what is happening. It would make you lose faith in the humanity behind the objective.

I get all the logical reasons why someone might not want a pet, but with all due respect, I find your response quite disheartening and lacking in empathy.

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It’s business, there are no feelings involved.

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LOL. BS.

Some puppies will chew on things like carpets and edges of wooden trim, but they’re not going to scratch carpets and furnishings like cats.

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my puppies are far from puppies! I think though that is also important, there is a massive difference between a very young pup and a middle-aged, sensible dog. Mine are 12 years old, all they want is to be as cosy as possibly, if it’s raining then I don’t see them, they are past the age of damaging furnishings!

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Well, Graham, on the one hand I appreciate the sentiment because it is business.

unfortunately, it is a people driven business. So for you as a landlord there may not be feelings, for your customers there are. The prospect of being homeless is a very emotive reality.

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It’s hard enough finding somewhere to live here without the complication of moving across the sea as well. Landlords definitely seem to prefer couples, and if you have a dog… phew… good luck!

I know it’s not going to be ideal, but you might want to consider a house share to start with - just to “get over here”? Perhaps buddy-up with another female, or find a live-in landlord? Try SpareRoom if so…

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LIke I said, I have a dog in my own home. In addition to biting the carpets, furniture corners and scratching the wooden floors, doors, etc if we don’t trim his nails on time, he “leaks” various body fluids (all dogs do). I put a white cover over the sofa where he sits and it is covered in hairs and green spots of leaks (not urine, a lubricant). I give him all his tick and flea medicines on time but who knows if tenants do? It isn’t worth the risk.

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What kind of dog do you have?!?! Sounds like a total nightmare!!

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All dogs are different, as are we as humans. The behaviour described is not uncommon and a given for virtually all younger dogs.

No one can gauge how any animal (or person for that matter) is going to behave, as Graham said, it’s an extra risk to worry about.

I am a dog owner (a sedate elderly dog!) so feel for you but also feel for landlords who are left to pick up the pieces.

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I too have a leasehold flat where pets are not allowed.

My thoughts on pets? Not all pet owners are responsible and leave their dogs barking etc, and cats can do a load of damage. I have until recently always been a cat owner myself, and have got used to scrawped walls, carpets and sofas and cat hair everywhere. Dogs…well they usually smell (I agree you get the odd one that doesn’t).

As a landlord I have to be aware of my responsibilities to the neighbourhood my tenants live in. I would rather not take the risk of their pets being a nuisance to neighbours. I would also much rather not run the risk of my property being damaged. And how could I tell whether or not you are a responsible pet owner?

If I were allowed to have pets in my property, which I am not, even if I lived there myself, then I may grant permission to have pets to existing tenants who I knew were responsible people, not to a new tenant who is unknown to me.

However, many landlords do allow pets and I hope you will find something soon.

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Thanks. It is interesting to learn that often the landlord is making the call on the pet policy.
I absolutely appreciate the wariness, I genuinely do. I think that is why sometimes you’d hope it was case by case but I can see how that even is a tough one… Maybe if people with pets had a note in their contract that if there were neighbour complaints that a 3 strike policy would be actioned? I don’t know… I have a reference for my landlord which includes a note on the pets, she actually spoke to neighbours after to get their input too. I also have a past neighbour who is down to be an additional reference, she was obsessed with my dogs!!

I know that I’m insanely wary of being a nuisance to neighbours, mostly because I just want a quiet life! I want to pay my rent and have a cosy place to just chill out with my dogs. I don’t tolerate any behaviour that I deem as not OK, inclusive of excessive barking, which is why they don’t, and they will never damage furniture because, again, I wouldn’t have it.

But I absolutely appreciate that some people don’t give a sh1t and will let their dogs do whatever they want… So I can empathize with landlords. I suppose that is why I really wanted to learn more, so I can try and think of ways to put potential landlords at ease.

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I think you prove my point, it seems you can see no wrong in your dogs, they are uniquely perfect and don’t do anything like slobber, shed hair, drip body fluids, etc like other dogs. I can imagine the discussion with you at the end of your lease - “look at the scratch marks around the door handle” “that can’t have been my dog, it is perfect” “look at the urine stains on the wooden floor” “that can’t be my dog, it is perfect”, etc etc. Not worth it.

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You’ve had a horrible personal experience obviously. I just am strict with the dogs and as they are now 12, they just have good habits in place. I think it’s a shame you’ve had the experience you’ve had, or you are just trolling me, either way, you do you.

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I completely agree with you. I’m facing a similar situation. I’ve just moved to the UK from the UAE. I’m a physician who is joining a senior post in a hospital and want to move in with my family. Yet whatever property I see the landlord just simply refuses to let on the fact that I’m new to the UK and have no credit history. I have even been asked to cough up rents of 6 months to upto 12 months in advance. My kids aren’t going to school because we don’t have proof of address yet. I mean how can I gain your trust to rent me your property. I thought finding a house to let would be the easy part but its turning into a nightmare!!!

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Quite frankly, if you’re a physician relocating to the UK your hospital should have known this and either provided the 6 months rent up front (and deducted it from your pay) or volunteered be your guarantor.

It’s simply a question of who to choose. If I have a choice, as a landlord, between someone with a track record (credit history) and someone without it’s an easy choice.

You probably look at nicer/better/more expensive properties where it’s even more of an obstacle with no credit history.

Part of the problem is why you thought it would be easy to find a property in another country (and thus didn’t prepare) and the other is why you can’t come up with 6 months rent?