Central London has seen a 75 per cent rise in landlords allowing their tenants to keep pets in the property over the past year, a survey has found.
The figure indicates a rise in dog ownership — but also a rise in the number of wealthier people turning to the private rental sector as house prices rise further out of reach.
Lucy Morton, head of lettings at agent W A Ellis, who conducted the survey, said: “We are surprised by the amount of pet licence addendums we have made to our tenancy agreements recently.” She went on: “I believe the increase in dog ownership is due to the relaxation in UK quarantine laws which came into effect early last year.
“In addition, some small dog breeds have become a fashion accessory and it is not uncommon to see a teacup pooch perched in a ‘pet taxi’ designer handbag.”
In the past, it has been difficult for pet owners to find a suitable rental property to accommodate their canine or feline companions.
One in three pet owners still struggle to find the right home, and it can take anything from two months to a year to find a landlord willing to take on tenants with pets. As a result some tenants may try to sneak pets into their property without approval.
Mrs Morton said: “I was recently at a property and heard continuous clawing and meowing. After some investigation I discovered a cat hidden in the cupboard. We’ve also recently discovered a tenant was illegally keeping a tarantula in their flat.”
However, there have been no such problems for property agent Sarah Baxter, 30, whose smooth coated dachshund Ted is named in her tenancy agreement. The document stipulates that no other animal except Ted may reside in her Parsons Green flat.
“I moved into my flat in May and I had Ted before moving into the property,” Ms Baxter said.
“I was very up front with the landlord and volunteered to pay an additional deposit (eight weeks rather than six weeks). I knew this was quite normal but I thought by offering it myself before being asked for it, it made me sound certain that he wouldn’t cause any damage. I was told of landlords who definitely wouldn’t rent to tenants with a dog, which did concern me, but I found the right one.”
