In my opinion, property experience is not enough to understand people relocating with their pets. People are passionate about their pets and non-pet owners, ‘don’t quite’ understand it.
I have grown up with dogs, have friends who own cats and have been in London property for over 26 years. I am able to put the ‘pieces of the puzzle’ together and that it why I have become a London pet friendly property specialist. I also advise people on other parts of the UK who have issues renting with pets.
53% of the UK population owns a pet There are 11 million dogs and 11 million cats in the UK and many estate agents still refer to my role as a pet friendly property specialist as ‘niche’.
That sums up the lack of understanding by many in the UK property sector about the rising demand for dog and cat friendly properties. So many estate agents and landlords say no to pets. Many managing agents can’t be ‘bothered’ to change building regulations to accommodate pets despite the high demand, for fear of upsetting the ‘complaining’ few.
So, why does the UK have such a non-pet friendly property/ real estate market?
I work a lot with US and Canadian clients relocating to the UK with their pets. I am referred to as a pet friendly property broker. The trouble is that the UK rental market is competitive. An estate agent told me the other day, they had a Clapham property, South West London, which had 30 viewings and 20 offers! What chance do you have with a pet!
Owning a pet when it comes to bidding on a property, puts you sadly low down the list of appealing tenants. Landlords, for all the wrong reasons, think that dogs and cats will damage a property. Some have had bad experiences and you see all kinds of comments on landlord Facebook groups.
Personally, I think it is irrelevant whether you have had a bad experience or not. You can’t be generic. Does that mean every time a landlord has a bad experience, say with sharers or a family, that they will be reluctant to rent to similar tenants in the future?
Part of my role, as I see it, is to educate estate agents and landlords about the merits of renting to people with dogs and cats. People with pets, appreciate a property more as pet friendly housing is hard to find in the UK. They will also stay longer. Many people nowadays work from home, so pets are no longer left alone the whole day. That means there is less risk of neighbours being disturbed by barking.
The lack of legislation by the UK government is the main issue. The Rental Reform Bill was supposed to change the face of the UK rental market, levelling it out between tenants and landlords. Unfortunately, with the government’s call for a snap election, this has now been put on hold. Another 2 weeks longer and the bill may well have become law. Now we will have to wait to see who is elected, what further changes may be made, and we have no idea when it will become law.
The UK rental landscape is changing with the rapid growth of the Build to Rent (BTR) sector. Companies are diversifying and investing in blocks of rentals across the UK due to the shortage of housing. A growing percentage of them are pet friendly. However, they have their own pets rules and regulations. Some companies have a maximum of 2 pets, others have weight restrictions, no to dogs over 20kg. Others have lists of banned breeds.
All I will say is, if you are planning to move to the UK with your pets, plan well in advance, especially if you have a few pets. I would say more than 2 pets and landlords are more reluctant to consider you. Just bear that in mind.
I hope this information is helpful. If you’re relocating to the UK with your pets, feel free to join our informative Facebook group, “Relocating to the UK with your Pets”, for more guidance and support.
Russell Hunt, is a leading UK pet friendly property specialist, advising clients on renting and buying properties in and around London as well as other parts of the UK
Have a look at Petsletsrelocation.com or click on this link for a no-obligation call
