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Finding a place to live in London is already hard enough these days - add a Pet to the equation, and it can become a nightmare! Why? Because Landlords have the upper hand. For every apartment for rent in London, there are at least 10 people willing to take it, meaning Landlords can become more “picky” with who they choose. The first thing they look at is “who can pay the most?”, while the second is “who is more likely to keep the apartment in pristine condition?”. And unfortunately for Pet Owners, they often decide it’s “too risky” to allow Pets in their rental flat, as Dogs and Cats are known for chewing/scratching through carpets, cables and damage walls.
When you start browsing through the top property finder websites such as RightMove or OpenRent, you will notice that a lot of them say “No Pets Allowed”, so what can you do about it if you’re moving to London with a Dog or Cat? Here are our top tips:
1) Avoid Zone 1
Apartments in Zone 1 are limited due to the fact that a lot of the real estate is used for commercial purposes (like offices, for example). If you add that to the fact that you have to pay a Premium fee for the central location, you get the perfect recipe for disaster when it comes to finding an affordable place to live with your pet. There are still places available for rent in Zone 1 that allow Pets, but don’t count on them being any cheaper than £5,000 per month! You’re much more likely to find houses from Zone 3 onwards that allow Pets - and also these areas tend to have more green spaces for your pet, so it’s a win-win!
2) Use the right filters on the House search websites
Don’t bother going through the directories of houses in the most common websites for house searching in London. The very first thing you should do when you get to those websites is to look for the “Pets Allowed” filter, and tick that box. The worst that can happen is you finding a flat you love, only to find out much later on that the Landlord doesn’t accept Pets.
3) Talk to Real Estate Agents
Real Estate Agents have a direct line of contact with the Landlords, so they are best positioned to “convince them” to accept your Pet. They are also aware of the conditions of each house they list, so when a new rental hits the market and they know it accepts Pets, they can contact you to streamline the process.
4) Use Matutto Premium to find your place faster
There are numerous places that advertise their availability for Rentals with Pets. However, there are often caveats to it (price, location and length of contract are some of the most common). If you sign up to Matutto, you can access a list of reliable ready-to-move-in places that are known to accept Pets in both Short and Long term Lets.
5) Don’t lie to the Landlord
Some people try to avoid mentioning they have a Pet to the Landlord and just move in. This can work, but in most cases, it backfires in the future, specially if the Landlord does a visit or inspection to the property at some point. You may end up losing your deposit or be kicked out altogether - also it won’t look to have a negative “rental reference” for when you’re looking for a new place to live.
In the last few years there has been a rise in the number of Pet-Friendly developments in London. They tend to be a little pricier than most apartments, but nevertheless, it’s a great place to start. Here are a few to consider:
OpenRent: Ideal if you’re looking for a Long Term Rental and are already in London as it requires to leave your phone number. You can head to the Advanced Filter Section and select the “Accept Pets” tick box to get a list of all available properties that with accept your furry friend.
Fizzy Living: A Development with properties available all around London that accept Pets. The flats are typically quite simple, with modern and clean furniture and prices starting at close to £2,000 per month.
Quintain Living: A Development of modern flats located in East London, which includes a 24/7 concierge, parking for residents and most importantly, that accepts Pet. They do however charge an extra fee for Pet Owners, which can be a one-off or reflected in a slight increase in rent.
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