Pet insurance (for tenants to take out)

OpenRent Chat
1

Does anyone know any good pet insurance for tenants to take out?

My property is a Grade 2 C16th listed building, the tenant wishes to get a small dog and is willing to get an insurance policy against pet damage (eg chewing or other damage that is not the result of a one-off accident caused by a pet).

But there seems to be a wide range of insurers and miles of small print exclusions that basically say only "accident damage caused by pet (eg pet knocks a vase over) rather than chewing, etc).

Welcome your recommendations of good insurers / policies.

I don’t want to simply say “no” as the tenant is great in all other respects. The property is rented unfurnished, the tenant works from home and has said they will get all carpets professionally cleaned at end of tenancy anyway and will pay for any repairs if needed.

Many thanks, stay safe,
Andrew

2

You can charge rent for the pet on a PCM basis

3

Make sure you don’t call it a pet rent though. Just a rent increase.

2 Likes
4

If you find a suitable one how will you know if the tenant does not keep it up?

1 Like
5

Carpets need to be cleaned very regularly with a dog - a one off at the end of tenancy will not cut it.
We purchased our own carpet cleaning machine and I use it at least once a month as well as hoovering daily.

1 Like
6

Hi Andrew,
We are in a similar position apart from the house being 400 years younger!!
Do you really want to take on a pet in what i am sure is a lovely property? Also consider the cost of damage repairs to items in a listed property. We are concerned about carpets doors and skirting boards in a 20th century property…it soon mounts up!!!

1 Like
7

I heard that soon you don’t be able to say no to renters wanting to get pets?

8

That is not the case londonr. No restrictions on landlords refusing pets at the moment and unlikely in the future in my view.

9

"Under the new Model Tenancy Agreement, announced by Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, landlords will no longer be able to issue blanket bans on pets.

Instead, consent for pets will be the default position, and landlords will have to object in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant and provide a good reason."

10

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions. The tenant took out a liability-only insurance policy to cover the risk of damage caused by the pet. They got it from https://boughtbymany.com and this appears to have addressed the issue at low cost to the tenant.

(I have no affiliation to that insurance company - or any other. I’m sharing details just in case that helps other landlords in the situation of wanting to be able to accommodate a tenant’s pet request).

1 Like
11

Just wondering what happens if the ‘well behaved pet’ turns out to be not so well behaved.

No clear or new guidelines on how damages will be re-couperated to ensure landlords are actually able to get their properties repaired.

Won’t this result in rents being increased, ‘just in case’ a tenant gets a pet?

12

To be honest, I don’t know anyone that uses that model tenancy agreement and given this change, I think even those that do will review the decision.

1 Like