Hello,
We have never allowed a puppy in the house as we are worried by the dog peeing on the floor. Our house only has wooden floors which are perfectly maintained.
Is there anything that protects landlord in such cases?
Thanks,
Miglena
1 Like
Your only protection is to choose a tenant with no pet
4 Likes
Landlords need to get used to the fact that you will likely not have such a free hand to refuse pets in rental properties once the RRB comes into force.
If you don’t want a pet in a rental property, sell the rental property.
3 Likes
Tenants also need to get used to the fact that property standards will drop as a result.
7 Likes
tenants will have to get used to the fact that landlords will not rent to them but choose with a free hand a person with no pets
8 Likes
Think I’ll add a new question to my screening questions.
“Are you allergic to dogs?”
Only those that answer yes get through to the next round. 
11 Likes
Of course, we can continue to do that, but ‘depending’ on how the rules in the RRB develop, will we be able to so easily say ‘No’ when they apply a week later to move their new beloved pet in?
actually you have another ‘protection’ which is to furnish your rental properties accordingly and accept wear and tear. That seems far more reasonable and hassle free to me.
3 Likes
True…Not sure what I would do to stop chewed door frames mind.
2 Likes
easy… charge enough rent to replace door frames.
2 Likes
If the tenant chews the door frame you have to evict them
5 Likes
If I can do it I go along to present address and see if a pet is visible, without giving a reason for a visit
2 Likes
I am allergic so refuse because of it
But I can get a Drs note to support that
3 Likes
Back to the actual question…do you have a garden? You need to talk to them and make sure the puppy will eventually be doing its business in the garden. The dog should be able to do this in a matter of days. You can expect a couple of accidents at the beginning but will stop pretty quickly, dogs don’t pee in their own homes. Unless they have crappy owners of course. Not a lot you can do about a pee stain on a wooden floor except to sand it out and re-oil it, but you may as well wait until the end of tenancy before doing anything. Again, if they are bad owners and leave the dog alone in the house all day then there might be a lot of damage, really depends on size of dog and quality of owners. Also, you need to agree with them how the poo will be disposed of. My council won’t accept it in the bin, I have to bag it all and take it to a public waste bin with a dog sign on it once a week. What will they do?
1 Like
Dog damage is not fair wear and tear and as such the Tenant will be billed to make good, if they cant be reponsible pet owners they shouldnt have them. This includes leaving dogs at home all day alone with no exercise or toilet breaks.
2 Likes
if you let to someone with a dog, it’s fair wear and tear and the ‘billing to make good’ happens each month. It’s called rent. Personally, I detest dogs, but because of the RRB I now have to like them. First world problem though…
2 Likes
I think I’m the exception to the rule as I’m a dog lover and a landlord so if I get applicants with a dog, I’m more likely to choose them (if everything else is equal) because I know how difficult it is for dog owners to find a rental.
That said, puppies do have accidents indoors and I don’t agree that dog/puppy damage is fair wear and tear just because you let a dog live in your property. I have a dog and wouldn’t tolerate him chewing door frames, etc and I don’t expect a tenant to allow that either so I would definitely be taking repairs for such things from a deposit.
I do however agree that you should furnish your house accordingly. You should understand that your rental property is a business and not have any emotional attachment to it. The flooring should be something you’re willing/able to replace relatively cheaply should it get damaged. When you have emotional attachment to the way the house is decorated/flooring etc, it just complicates things.
6 Likes
Hello, the easiest way to protect your property is to require the tenant to have a property and contents damage insurance policy. Will cost the tenant about £300 and would cover you if the tenant’s pet causes damage beyond the value of the deposit. They would have to make clear on the policy there is a dog at the property as well to ensure adequate cover.
1 Like
is that even currently legal (let alone will it be under the RRB)? It sounds like it contravenes the Tenant Fees Act.
Even if you simply suggest it during application, if you require proof that they’ve taken out the insurance before they are allowed to sign the TA, then I don’t see how you can justify this legally. If you don’t require proof, then the tenant could either not bother taking the policy out or simply cancel it once they’re in (and get a full refund if it’s within 14 days).
1 Like
I’m not even sure a tenant could actually get building insurance as they don’t own the building being insured.
There are some insurance companies that offer pet damage as an optional extra on top of tenants ‘contents insurance’ but not all companies offer this from what I’ve seen.
However, even with an insurance policy in place, if said policy is in the tenants name, there’s not really anything a landlord could do to force a tenant to claim on the policy so you’d still be at the mercy of the tenant agreeing to cover the damage/claim on their policy.
1 Like