Please let me have a home! - renting with pets

Photo by Pavel Francev

Renting with Pets has been well discussed in the past but remains a highly stressful situation for many of us. Almost two thirds of Australian families own a pet putting us as one of the highest pet owning countries in the world. Equally impressive is that half of those that don’t own a pet want to. We really love our pets!

Sadly, one of the major reasons for pet surrender to the RSPCA is when owners move to housing where pets are unwelcome. Our full pound cages are surely distressing to us all and I for one never want to experience the trauma of having to give Milly away, let alone surrender her with no guarantee of a new home.

So why is it so hard to rent with a pet? The conflict is obvious. Landlords believe pet owners to be a greater risk for their property. Or more succinctly – that there are pets and there are pests. For the most part this belief is misplaced but unfortunately, those few who do not act responsibly create a bad name for all.
To help pull your family furry out of the brat-pack here are some great resources that are available on the web to help you snag that perfect place you have been looking for:

 Firstly, Ryan Blunden is one very creative animal lover who created a search tool to use on existing property websites highlighting pet friendly rentals. His site http://www.petfriendlyrentals.com.au/ offers fabulous tips for your “pet resume” and free download for his software. A benefit for all is that his passion and results have stimulated Domain.com.au and Real Estate.com.au to update their search engines to include a similar feature. His search tool is still worthwhile however as it pulls out ALL the relevant sites for your search and highlights those that are pet friendly. We know that many rentals that will take a pet if approached correctly are not listed as such in the first instance.

The Australian Companion Animal Council also offers two great guides to renting with pets:
one for the prospective tenant Tenant guide and one for landlords Landlord Guide.  I particularly like this guide as it refutes some of the dog myths perpetuated by non-dog owners. You know the ones… small dogs are always better in small spaces, two dogs will cause more trouble when often the opposite is true... the great thing is it is a reputable source, not just you telling them your pets are different.

The ACT RSPCA provides a thoughtful overview of the issues for people considering keeping a dog in an apartment http://www.rspca-act.org.au/files/view/?id=178 . This discusses things to look for in the apartment itself as well as what sorts of dog breeds might suit.
There are many sites offering information on dog breeds:
Top 10 dogs for apartment living    
Dogs that do well in the city                                 
Top 1o Best Apartment Dogs
Dog good for apartment life  are just a few.

 The final truism remains however, no matter what your choice of home all dogs require mental and physical stimulation. It is great if this can be supplied by a combination of play and leash walking. Within reason it is true to say the more exercise they get – the more relaxed and responsive they are - which results in better behaviour and training.

The issues surrounding renting strata title apartments with pets are the most complex. Australia's strata rules governing apartments vary from state to state, but most apartments create their own regulations about pets with some allowing cats or dogs. The standard by-law for strata developments is that the Owner’s Corporation cannot refuse the keeping of a pet on “unreasonable” grounds. Examples of reasonable refusal include noisy, large, destructive or aggressive dogs. The history of the building is also an important consideration. Other apartment owners may have bought their apartments with a no pets rule in place and an expectation that this would remain into the future. Specific by-laws to this effect may also have been added.

When it comes down to it, pet friendly strata apartments are still rare and the generally tight rental market provides little impetus for changes that reflect the pet owning proclivities of Australians. To be realistic key triggers for a landlord are likely to include: premium rents for the privilege; understanding that the routines such as feeding and walking your dog require your presence consistently each day and therefore encourage upkeep and security for the property and the greater likelihood of long term tenants resulting in fewer vacancy costs. Modern medicines have also removed many of the issues surrounding the stigma of fleas as a dog’s constant companion. Information about your routine treatment regimes could also help. It used to be possible to provide additional bond for your pet. The laws surrounding this are due to change soon and may in fact make this issue more difficult for pet owners in the future.

If you decide you would like to rent an apartment but are unsure of the policies regarding the keeping of pets then the people to approach are much the same whether you are renting or buying. First ask the real estate agent if there are other pets in the block. Although this gives you an indication it is possible that rules may have been changed. To be sure you need to talk to the strata manager. They have access to the by-laws of the property and can give direct feedback. If they cannot give a firm answer then they can put you in contact with a member of the body corporate (Owners Corporation). For those wishing to rent there is a final hurdle. Even if the body corporate allows pets, the landlord has the final say and may have a strict no pet’s policy.
Never rely on the “she’ll work itself out” approach! If you are found to keep a pet without permission then the body corporate can serve you with a notice to comply. There is a $550 fine if you do not comply. If you persist with keeping your pet then the breach can be referred to the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal where a fine of up to $5500 can be imposed.

As you can see, there is help out there but the competition is fierce. I hope this helpful and we wish you the best of luck!!!


Kate