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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 proper nightmare! Why? Because in London, Landlords have the upper hand. For every apartment for rent in the city, there are at least 10 people willing to take it, meaning Landlords have the luxury to be “picky” with who they choose to rent it to.
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. It doesn’t matter if your dog is the goodest boy the world - The landlord will probably picture them chewing/scratching through carpets, cables and damaging the walls.
But don’t lose hope! Renting with a pet in London is difficult, but it’s not impossible. In this Blog, we will go over everything you need to know about renting in London with a Dog (or Cat), so you can maximise the chances of finding yourself a place to live in this magnificent city.
If you’ve started looking for a flat in London, you will probably have seen that most rental ads have a “No Pets Allowed” sign - And unfortunately, less than 8% of properties allow Dogs and Cats in the city. But is this legal? Can landlords reject your rental application just because you have a Dog? Well, technically yes, because they own the apartment and can ultimately decide who gets to live in it.
However, the Dogs and Domestic Animals Protection Bill (often referred to as the Model Tenancy Agreement changes) was introduced in 2021 to make renting easier for tenants with pets in the UK. The government revised the Model Tenancy Agreement to include a clause that allows pets by default. This means landlords who wish to prohibit pets must modify the agreement specifically to opt out. If a tenant requests to rent with a pet, the landlord must provide a valid reason for refusal within 28 days, according to this updated model tenancy agreement
Searching for homes online and seeing “No Pets Allowed” can be very discouraging, but we have a couple of tips up our sleeve to help you find houses that allow pets. Let’s get into it:
Pro Tip 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 their 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 that your pet can enjoy, so it’s a win-win!
Pro Tip 2: Use the right filters on Property 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 that you love, only to find out much later that the Landlord doesn’t accept Pets. These filters are usually hidden in the “More Filters” section and we know for a fact that Zoopla and OpenRent have it.
Pro Tip 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.
Pro Tip 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.
Pro Tip 5: Don’t lie in your Application
Some people try to avoid mentioning that they have a Pet to the Landlord and just move in. This can sometimes work, but in most cases it backfires at some point, especially if the Landlord does a visit or inspection to the property. You may end up losing your deposit or be kicked out altogether - also it won’t look good to have a negative “rental reference” when you’re looking for a new place to live.
When you submit a rental application, you want to make sure you have all the right paperwork in order to make the process as smooth as possible.
First things first, you’ll want to make sure that your pet follows all the medical requirements and that their records are up to date. These are not only good to have for renting purposes, but as a Pet-parent, you should ensure your Pets are:
Overall, just make sure to take your Pet to the Vet frequently to stay compliant with all the recommendations made by the Vet. In addition, it’s important that your Pet is able to stay under control on basic commands. This can give the Landlord some level of confidence when deciding to rent a flat to you.
If you want to learn more about Pet Documentation in London or the process of renting, sign up for free to Matutto and get started.
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 will 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.
Want to see more? Sign up to Matutto now 😊and access a lot more alternative Rental Buildings that accept Pets.
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