With the UK Government promising to introduce the proposed Renters’ Reform Bill during the current parliamentary session,
Mars Petcare, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and broadcaster, animal lover and landlord Zara McDermott, have joined forces to raise awareness of the challenges that tenants and landlords face when it comes to renting and letting properties with pets.
Together, Mars Petcare and Battersea are calling on the UK Government to ensure that the Bill is introduced with key provisions to make it easier for tenants to rent with their pets.
New research commissioned by Mars Petcare as part of their Better Cities for Pet campaign, has revealed that
over a third (34%) of people say having an animal has caused problems for them finding somewhere to live. What’s more, around
one in 10 animals brought to Battersea to be rehomed are a result of tenancy restrictions or a lack of pet friendly rental properties. That’s why Mars Petcare and Battersea have published the Petiquette Guide to Rentals and Pet Ownership and Tenancy:
ensuring all renters and landlords have the information they need to ensure owners and pets can live together in harmony, whether they own their home or not.
As a nation of pet-lovers, demand for pet pet-friendly rented properties increased by 120% in 20211.
However, just 7% of private landlords advertise pet friendly properties, despite 4.4 million households living in private rentals2
and 6 in 10 UK households owning a pet3.
The study reveals that one in 10 pet-owning tenants are currently ‘hiding’ an animal from a landlord, with a further 25% having done so in the past. Of those caught out by a landlord, sadly 22% were evicted
from their homes. 37% of those polled have not asked their landlord if they can keep a pet, with 53% of those surveyed admitting they were – and are – prepared for any potential consequences if they were found out.
Zoe Dowler, renter and owner of 16-year-old ragdoll cat Roxy, says:
Image”Roxy
and I have been through a number of rental situations in London: some good, and some bad. When I first got Roxy, I didn’t tell my landlord for two years as I wasn’t technically allowed a pet. The stress of keeping Roxy a secret was overwhelming and I decided
to be upfront with landlords since then. I’ve now rented the same property with my cat for 5 years, however my landlord only accepted this on the condition that I pay an additional deposit of £500 – half of my monthly rent. But, in 2023 my landlord
doubled my monthly rent, forcing me to look elsewhere. After looking on various housing websites, inputting my preferences through the ‘pet filter’, I was shocked that
my search threw up zero results within my price bracket. The only viable option for me now is to move out of the city I’ve called home for over 10 years, unless I was prepared to give up Roxy – something I could never do!”
The survey revealed that having to hide pets from landlords left tenants feeling anxious (52%), worried (45%) and guilty (28%). But the physical and wellness benefits of pet ownership are well-established,
with almost nine in 10 people (87%) surveyed agreeing that living with a pet has benefits, including reducing stress (75%) encouraging exercise (63%) and alleviating loneliness (84%).
Zara McDermott, broadcaster, animal lover and landlord
and cat mum to Albus and Cedric, said: “As a cat parent to Cedric and Albus, I know first-hand just how much joy pets can bring to life every day. The thought of loving pet owners having to choose between remaining
in their home and keeping their pet is just awful, which is why I’m so pleased to be working with Mars Petcare and Battersea to help pet owners get clued up with the Petiquette Guide to Rentals and Pet Ownership.”
The Government has taken some steps to make it easier for tenants to have pets in rental properties, but awareness of the rights of pet owners remains low. In January 2021, the Government made revisions
to the Model Tenancy Agreement, encouraging landlords to no longer issue blanket bans on pets without ‘good reason’. However, polling revealed that only 12% of landlords had heard of the Government’s Model Tenancy Agreement and were actively using it.
