Katie Fisher’s bid for her rental flat in south-east London was initially rejected because she had a dog. When she offered to pay an additional £50 a month in rent, taking the cost of the two-bedroom flat to £1,450 a month, the landlord agreed.
The practice of paying an extra fee each month in order to live with a furry companion – sometimes referred to as “pet rent” – is a common arrangement in privately rented properties.
However, the issue resurfaced when Taiwo Owatemi, the MP for Coventry North West, claimed what is understood to be a £900 pet surcharge on expenses to keep her cockapoo, Bella, with her in her rented property in Plumstead, south-east London.
In England additional one-off charges, fees or deposits above the five-week rent threshold for tenants with pets in private rented accommodation are currently illegal under the Tenant Fees Act, but added rent is not. “Landlords can increase the rent for a property at any time, ostensibly for any reason,” a spokesperson from the Dogs Trust, the animal welfare charity, says.
Renters looking for pet-friendly properties often face an additional pet rent of £25 to £100 a month, on top of the deposit. Giles Peaker, a housing lawyer and partner at Anthony Gold Solicitors, says landlords can charge extra rent as a condition for tenants keeping pets, but there is no standard rate so the amount can vary.
“There is no set limit – it is whatever the tenant will agree to,” he says.
Natalie Jacson was charged an additional £100 each month to keep her French spaniel to cover “any cleaning at the end of tenancy”.
“I think the additional charge is completely disproportionate, equivalent to £1,200 a year. We are in our third year here, so [it adds up to] £3,600 – and we will need to clean at the end of the tenancy anyway,” she says.
Some tenants have escaped fees, such as Frankie, who instead was asked to provide a reference for her cat, Buddy.
“I don’t think it’s fair to have to pay additional rent if you can vouch for your pet’s behaviour. Any wear and tear due to pets can be claimed by landlords through the deposit, so there’s no need for extra money to change hands,” she says.
Tenants do not have automatic rights to keep pets in their property and many landlords have a blanket “no pets” policy.
Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, says because demand for pet-friendly accommodation is so high, renters with pets often have few options and may well have to pay higher rents to secure somewhere or are forced into “heart-wrenching decisions”.
The renters’ rights bill will require landlords to consider pet requests, which they can only refuse if they have a valid reason for doing so. Harriet Main, from the RSPCA public affairs team, says proposals within the bill are “potentially excellent news for many prospective pet-owners in England – many of whom have been, for too long, unfairly denied the chance to own a pet purely because of living in rental accommodation”.
“Pets should absolutely be allowed to live with their owners in suitable rented accommodation unless there is a justifiable reason not to do so,” she said.
Main added that landlords requiring tenants to have pet insurance, or to pay an additional deposit, can help provide safeguards but stressed it is key these “costs are proportionate and fair”.
A spokesperson from the National Residential Landlords Association, the UK’s largest landlord association, said: “We recognise how important pets are for tenants, and the companionship they provide to many.
“Landlords should consider requests to keep pets on a case-by-case basis, taking into account both the type of pet and the type of property.
“We encourage landlords and tenants to reach agreement on expectations around looking after the pet and the property during the tenancy.”
Owatemi has been contacted for comment. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government declined to comment.
