Good news for dog owners who rent

Good news for dog owners who rent

Miraculous Meals welcomes the recent announcement of the new Renters’ Rights Bill which will give dog owners more rights when it comes to renting. Here’s everything you need to know about the bill and why it’s such an important and long overdue change.

What is the Renters’ Rights Bill?

The Renters' Rights Bill which is expected to be passed into law within the next 12 months aims to make it easier for tenants to keep pets in their homes by giving tenants the legal right to request a pet. 

Here’s what dog owners need to know about the Renters' Rights Bill:

• When requesting to keep a dog, tenants must demonstrate responsible ownership
• Landlords cannot reject the request without good reason, such as concerns about the size of the property or the dog's potential impact on the living conditions
• If a tenant disagrees with a landlord's decision, they can take their complaint to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman or go through the court
• Landlords may request insurance from tenants to cover any potential damage to the property
• Be prepared for landlords to ask for a larger rental deposit to cover potential damages.

Why the bill is so desperately needed

Pet ownership in a rented property is currently at the landlord's discretion. However, Government data shows that on average only 9% of rental properties are advertise as pet friendly. This is despite over 40% of UK households owning a pet.

To date, for those fortunate enough to secure a pet-friendly property, it often comes at a premium with the current average asking rent for a pet-friendly rental being 20% higher than the average cost of a non-pet-friendly property.

There is also a UK wide shortage of rental properties with stats from Rightmove showing that each available rental property receives an average of 17 enquiries.

This shortage of affordable, pet-friendly rentals combined with huge competition for every available property means renters with pets are finding it a near impossible task to find suitable accommodation.

The positive impact the bill will have

Research has long proven that the unconditional love we receive from dogs, the sense of purpose they give us, how they encourage us to get out, exercise and connect with the world; has a significant positive impact on our mental health and helps reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.

The current situation where renters are punished for owning a dog is a huge cause of stress, especially for those that live on their own or are experiencing a personal crisis. It can lead some tenants to choose unsuitable accommodation or even homelessness to maintain their relationship with their dog.   

We’ve written before about the perfect storm of challenge rescue centres have been facing that have combined to create a dog rescue crisis in the UK. The lack of dog friendly accommodation has been an ongoing underlying issue that leads to a steady stream of dogs being given up every year.

The Dogs Trust estimate that 15% of all calls to rehome dogs cite difficulties with accommodation as the reason they are having to make the heart-breaking decision to give up their beloved companion.

Landlords have long resisted pets in rental properties due to fears over damage. New research led by the University of Huddersfield shows that this fear is unfounded.

Their findings showed that the average total reported cost of pet-related damage was £300 per tenancy, compared to £775 for non-pet-related damage caused by non-pet-owning tenants. 76% of landlords also reported they did not encounter any damage caused by dogs or cats in their rental properties.

The report further shows that renters with pets tend to stay longer in their properties than those without pets, with 50% of pet-owning renters staying in their previous accommodation for more than three years, compared to only 31% of non-pet-owning renters. These results show, contrary to current perceptions, there are financial advantages for landlords in providing pet friendly tenancies.

A closing note from one of our founders

For one of our founders, Ed, this is a particularly personal issues with two of his friends experiencing huge difficulties in trying to find dog-friendly rental accommodation over the last year.

“I’ve seen first-hand the stress and anguish this can cause with responsible dog owners searching endlessly for months, attending viewing after viewing, only to be turned down because they own a dog. They are essentially being forced towards a situation of choosing between their dog or a roof over their head. I’m delighted the Renters’ Rights Bill is set to become law – it can’t come soon enough!”