Lets With Pets

There has been a great deal of press recently about families being forced to give their pets up for adoption, or in worse cases have abandoned animals because they are unable to find suitable rental accommodation.

The charity Dogs Trust set up its Lets with Pets campaign in 2009 to help owners find rented accommodation with their pets, working with letting agents and private landlords to encourage them to consider pets in their properties. But of 5,695 UK pet owners surveyed as part of the campaign, one in three could not find a suitable property, while 47% of people who used a letting agency found them to be ‘unhelpful’.

While non-pet owners spend an average of 50 days looking for a rental property, the Lets with Pets research indicates that over half (53%) of people with pets searched for two months to over a year.  

Most (97%) of the pet owners said they would be more likely to use property websites if they had a search option for pet-friendly properties, while 75% said listing ‘pets considered’ in the property details would make their search easier.
 
The research also revealed that pet owners are often forced to keep pets secret or hide them from a landlord, while others have settled for substandard properties just to stay living with their pet.

scottfraser are proud to be members of The Dog's Trust Let with pets campaign. The campaign aims to make the process of privately renting with pets easier for tenants while highlighting the benefits to landlords, such as attracting long term tenants as well as expanding their rental market.

A recent survey conducted by Dogs Trust revealed that:

• 78% of pet owners had experienced difficulties finding privately rented accommodation that allowed pets
• 54% of pet owners were never able to find a suitable rented property that accepted pets
• 8% of pet owners had to rehome their pet in order to get accommodation

Our property portfolio includes numerous pet-friendly properties, these are usually shown with a paw print on the window cards or within the key features on the property brochures but many landlords are also willing to consider pets if asked.

If you are a landlord thinking of letting with pets, or a tenant looking for pet friendly accommodation contact one of our branches for more information, or a hard copy of the Lets with Pets Guides.

Renting with Pets - Guide for Tenants

Renting to Pet Owners - Guide for Landlords