Pet Guidelines for Landlords

Are you a landlord who is unsure about having a pet at your rental property? Did you know you could be missing out on an ideal tenant? Have a quick read of our recent blog on Pets and Property.

Do you look around and feel like there are more pets around Perth? Maybe its dogs out for a stroll or cats stalking around the neighbourhood… Well, rest assured you aren’t just imagining things because, according to Reiwa.com, pet owner numbers have more than tripled since 2015! In fact, the love of some pet owners extends as far as treating their pets like one of their own children! (Fur babies, anyone?) So not only are pets growing in popularity, owners may expect them to be treated like any other tenant!

For landlords, that means that there will be more and more prospective tenants with a furry friend in tow. Many landlords probably see pets as a potential source of unwanted issues that should be avoided. Others may be considering allowing pets but aren’t sure what is involved. Whatever camp you sit in, we have outlined some considerations to make as a landlord when it comes to having tenants with pets.

Pet owners stick around

Firstly, pet friendly rental properties are still harder to come by despite the drastic increase in pet owner numbers. Tenants with pets tend to stay longer because they appreciate the fact that they have been accepted into a property and know there is not many on the market. If acquiring long-term tenants is important to you, allowing pets may help you achieve this.

You are stick covered

Tenants with pets are required to pay a pet bond. If you’re unsure of how much a pet bond should be, $260 is a sufficient amount. This covers pet fumigation, and any damage caused by pets should be handled by the tenant.

Like owner: like pet

As you can expect, a pet’s behaviour depends on its owner and how well it is looked after. A typical example would be a young puppy seeking attention – it could act out unless its owner gives it adequate attention, frequent exercise and training.

We at Mi Casa request details of pets and obtain references where possible when processing a rental application. The type of pet, breed and age should be listed in the tenancy agreement so that tenants understand that only approved pets may live in the property and you don’t get surprised by extra “tenants”.

Does your property apply

It would be a good idea to assess your property to know whether it is pet friendly, and if so what type of pets it is best suited for, such as apartments being more suitable for small dogs compared to large dogs. In fact, if you own an apartment, check with the strata company for any restrictions on pets. Consider the pet’s type, breed and age as this will help determine the suitability of your property and how well the pet in question will live there.

Lastly, if you are worried about installing a pet door when there isn’t one, tenants can purchase and install their own. The door fits into the door frame and no alteration will be made to the property. When the tenants move out, they simply “make good” by removing their pet door.

We greatly recommend for landlords to be open to pets! If you aren’t sure, you can advertise that “pets may be considered” and then decide when a tenant applies and you can obtain more information about the pet.

For more information please contact our Licensee Susan Lam on 0403 124 699 or at susan.lam@micasaproperty.com

Or contact our team here