Pets in rental properties……………..

As the owner of 2 mini-Dachshund dogs and two cats, I am aware of what they get up to and having said that they are also part of my family, and I would not be without them.  They are a daily source of joy for me and everyone around me as the dogs have quite different personalities and are also our office dogs. So, no matter how your day is going or has been they are there for you.

If you are a tenant looking for a rental property and you have a dog, then you need to prove you are a responsible owner. Make sure that you have information about your pet and how the pets’ lives with you and how you will mitigate any potential issues. Get your pet references from your existing landlord or Property Manager.

The councils in Kapiti and Hutt Valley have an approved dog scheme so you can prove you are a good dog owner, and you would be rewarded for this with lesser registration fees and the ability to prove this status. This is a great idea, and more councils should do it. That way we know for sure your dog is not going to bark down the neighborhood at 1am!

At Berrymans we have pet agreement for any animal you want to keep, whether it be a dog, cat, bird, lizard, or fish. For a dog you would need to declare that the dog is registered and whether they are allowed in the house or not. You would also have to agree that you would restrain the dog for inspections and will meet all the regulations as set by the local council and not let the dog disturb the neighbors amongst other items.

In my experience animals are not usually the problem for responsible tenants who have all of the information on their pet and can back up how seriously they care for their pet. Tenant who has pets often stay longer at a property as its hard to move with pets.

So, do you think pets should be allowed to be at every rental property? My answer is no I don’t as there are all sorts of reasons why owners don’t allow pets, however I do think more owners should think more seriously about allowing pets at their properties, they are a vital part of people’s lives. 

We are not allowed to charge a pet bond; still frustrated tenants do offer this. It would be great if there was a part added to the bond for pets so its all above board and regulated. Doing this would ease the mind of some owners who are sitting on the fence.