Pet Screening Explained for Landlords
The rental market is a competitive space, with so many properties available for rent and so many people looking to rent. The majority of tenants do not have a pet, but some do. Targeting those with pets often means that rent can be increased, because there is extra risk to your property. There is an increased chance of carpets getting stained, smells throughout the property and damage to skirting boards and cupboards. This risk can be mitigated with an increase in rent, or a larger security deposit. Often pet owners are happy to pay a bit extra so that they can get the house that they want, and live with the pet that they love.
Landlords have the ultimate decision regarding whether or not to rent to tenants who bring their pets. As a landlord you may be uncertain about what restrictions you may set on the pets you accept and what details you can request up front if you opt to go ahead and do it. Yet, if you provide your possible or existing tenant the opportunity to show that their pets are well trained, pleasant, healthy, and will not be a nuisance, you could have a happy, and long term tenant. Before you allow pets into your property it is recommended that you do a pet screening.
A pet screening is a background check performed by a third-party business that offers the landlord information on a pet’s attitude, temperament, breed, and health. This approach typically offers you, the landlord, more insight about a pet than a face-to-face meeting. If you get off to a good start, you’ll be more at ease with having pets in your rental property. It’s critical to do a pet background check in the same way you would for a future renter.
A pet screening application is an excellent chance to ask the pertinent concerns to verify that the tenant’s pet is a suitable fit for your property. In order to gain a holistic impression of the pet, you need to ask a range of questions. Among the example questions to examine are:
1. What kind of pet do you own?
2. Have you owned this pet for a long time?
3. Can you give medical proof of vaccinations?
4. Can and are you prepared to pay a pet security deposit?
5. Do you understand the risks to the property and for future tenants of bringing in a pet to the home?
Only 7% of rental postings in 2020 said that their home was pet-friendly. In an effort to boost this proportion, changes to the United Kingdom’s government’s standard tenancy agreement have been introduced to make it simpler for renters to identify rental properties that accept dogs. The Dogs and Domestic Animals (Accommodation and Protection) Bill, which was presented on January 28th, 2021, included the new standard tenancy agreements. Renters who pass a “responsible ownership test” may keep well-behaved pets. This involves demonstrating that a pet has been trained to listen to basic instructions, treated for worms/fleas, vaccinated, and microchipped.
If the property is rented “Fully Furnished” there can be damage to furniture and smells ingrained into the carpet, these must be considered by both the tenants and the landlord. However, if the property is rented without furniture, the risk is reduced and the options for bringing a pet into the rented property are increased.
