Renting with pets

Dav010

Lesalare wrote: »

In my situation I pay my LL 2.5K per month almost for a 1 bed apt.
I initially had 2 cats but had to put one down last year.
He was old and unwell and started getting sick a lot on the bedroom carpet.
I cleaned it up, and notified my LL that I would fully replace the carpet on my leaving the apartment. Other than that my remaining cats has not caused one single issue in the place.

No scratching furniture. No smells (I've asked pet-less mates and they say 'No nothing") I clean the litter tray daily. She sleeps on the bed probably half the day and other than that lies on the balcony.

She's an indoor cat. No fleas and causes zero damage to this or my last house rental.

Some people just judge all pet owners as having smelly animals and allow them to run wild etc.

It is difficult to distinguish between a tenant with a good and bad pet when first meeting them, as I previously posted, not many admit to having a pet that’s going to piss and ****e all over the carpet or chew the furniture, so what should a LL look for?

You have a good pet and you will replace the carpet, but others don’t and will not. If anything, you should be blaming bad tenants rather than property owners for your predicament.

the_syco

Lesalare wrote: »

Hence why you pay an extra pet deposit or if you are a negligent tenant and allow your animals to destroy the furniture, you expect to have the damage amount deducted from your main deposit.

The deposit often won't cover the damage.

My friends that own pets who rent are sensible tenants, and cover their furniture with large throws, etc, to prevent the pets from destroying the furniture. Fairly sure they offered a larger deposit to cover possible damage. But I have seen the damage a cat can do to a set of furniture, doors, stair rails, etc, of people who don't care what their pets do to the property.

Lesalare wrote: »

Side note and can't help by say: You are taking the P*ss? Surely?

Landlords are getting stricter on who they rent to, as they have getting less rights. Also, I'd say there'll be a lot less landlords after the COVID lockdowns finish, driving up the demand, allowing LL's to pick and choose who they let to.

=-=

On Daft, 170 properties rent to people with pets, with only 4 being outside Dublin. Pre COVId, this was a few thousand. I'm guessing the sort of LL that would accept a pet will be leaving the market shortly.

Lesalare

Dav010 wrote: »

so what should a LL look for?

Maybe the same thing they should regarding the person renting the place. It's all a risk/gamble how someone is going to treat your place or if they are going to pay the rent on time. There is only so must trust you take on as a LL (as I was) with my tenants. References and such only prove so much.

Fol20

Lesalare wrote: »

In my situation I pay my LL 2.5K per month almost for a 1 bed apt.
I initially had 2 cats but had to put one down last year.
He was old and unwell and started getting sick a lot on the bedroom carpet.
I cleaned it up, and notified my LL that I would fully replace the carpet on my leaving the apartment. Other than that my remaining cat has not caused one single issue in the place.

No scratching furniture. No smells (I've asked pet-less mates and they say 'No nothing") I clean the litter tray daily. She sleeps on the bed probably half the day and other than that lies on the balcony.

She's an indoor cat. No fleas and causes zero damage to this or my last house rental.

Some people just judge all pet owners as having smelly animals and allow them to run wild etc.

These are all personal pros of your specific cat. I have no relationship with you, wouldnt give you the benefit of the doubt and genuinely wouldnt believe you if you told me that in person as i have let to tenants with pets in the past and have stopped after several issues with them. Nothing against you or your pet as i do like dogs myself however none of the above are upsides for the LL. If you are specifically talking about the price, would the price of that specific 1 bed be any cheaper if you had no pets or is everyone in that block paying the same price irregardless of pets.

stereo_steve

Fernbank has a whole block dedicated to people that have pets.

https://fernbank.ie/

Fol20

Lesalare wrote: »

Maybe the same thing they should regarding the person renting the place. It's all a risk/gamble how someone is going to treat your place or if they are going to pay the rent on time. There is only so must trust you take on as a LL (as I was) with my tenants. References and such only prove so much.

It is a gamble, but then it goes back to the fact that you will have several applicants for your property. A few could be a good fit so why would they pick someone with a pet rather than someone without one? They cant increase the rent of say an extra 100pm as 'pet rent ' as this could be in breach of the rpz.

Lesalare

Fol20 wrote: »

It is a gamble, but then it goes back to the fact that you will have several applicants for your property. A few could be a good fit so why would they pick someone with a pet rather than someone without one? They cant increase the rent of say an extra 100pm as 'pet rent ' as this could be in breach of the rpz.

They can actually. Fernbank above as noted charges an extra 100 euro per month for a pet friendly apartment. Even though they don't state it.
They also furnish the pet-friendly apartments blocks with slightly different furniture. Same look but more hard wearing.

Mount Argus apartments are doing same. Developers are realising that renters want the option to live in an apartment with a small pet.

LL will always have preferred applicants for who they want to reside in their property and it doesn't always come down to dosh. Personality and your gut for how they will treat your place overall is more important and sometimes those people you see as the best match might have a small cat or dog. I don't personally think I'm the sort to disallow the right person from renting my place just because they have a small animal they love. 3 wolfhounds - fair enough...

If they wreck they place, they don't get their deposit back. Simple.

Antares35

We just gave up on it. We are renting from family (and therefore are allowed have our pets here) but the dynamics are beyond toxic for other reasons to the point that my mental health suffered. We really wanted to get out and get away from it all but we literally could not find anywhere. Eventually we just had to sit it out and we will be buying in a few months but I'm not the better of being unable to escape tbh. At one point we did a search on daft and selected pets allowed in facilities and I think there were like 100 properties in the entire country. So depressing.

Dav010

Lesalare wrote: »

Maybe the same thing they should regarding the person renting the place. It's all a risk/gamble how someone is going to treat your place or if they are going to pay the rent on time. There is only so must trust you take on as a LL (as I was) with my tenants. References and such only prove so much.

Exactly, there is risk enough with a tenant, why increase that risk to tenant and pet?.

Lesalare

Dav010 wrote: »

Exactly, there is risk enough with a tenant, why increase that risk to tenant and pet?.

You are clearly a LL with a ****ty place to rent out and you attract the wrong sorts of people all the time.

Dav010

Lesalare wrote: »

You are clearly a LL with a ****ty place to rent out and you attract the wrong sorts of people all the time.

Actually I have 3 beautiful apartments with excellent tenants, none of whom are allowed to have pets.

Lesalare

Dav010 wrote: »

Actually I have 3 beautiful apartments with excellent tenants, none of whom are allowed to have pets.

Not surprised.

Lesalare

Dav010 wrote: »

Actually I have 3 beautiful apartments with excellent tenants, none of whom are allowed to have pets.

I'm be keen to know - obvs you won't admit it. But I'd put money on it that you wouldn't rent to a couple with 2 toddlers either...

Fol20

Lesalare wrote: »

They can actually. Fernbank above as noted charges an extra 100 euro per month for a pet friendly apartment. Even though they don't state it.
They also furnish the pet-friendly apartments blocks with slightly different furniture. Same look but more hard wearing.

Mount Argus apartments are doing same. Developers are realising that renters want the option to live in an apartment with a small pet.

LL will always have preferred applicants for who they want to reside in their property and it doesn't always come down to dosh. Personality and your gut for how they will treat your place overall is more important and sometimes those people you see as the best match might have a small cat or dog. I don't personally think I'm the sort to disallow the right person from renting my place just because they have a small animal they love. 3 wolfhounds - fair enough...

If they wreck they place, they don't get their deposit back. Simple.

This would be a breach of the RPZ rules unless its a brand new rental which a lot of REITS could be.

Most LL gut is to not allow pets and so far your argument for ll to allow pets has not been too convincing unfortunately. Based on your above logic, why allow only small pets when a good large pet wont cause any damage either. Should we not allow large humans live in homes as well as they are might cause more wear and tear. A pet is a pet no matter what size they are, as a ll we wont be able to gauge how good the pet is as at the end of the day, it is still an animal.What happens if the damage is greater than the deposit which it easily can be.

Dav010

Lesalare wrote: »

I'm be keen to know - obvs you won't admit it. But I'd put money on it that you wouldn't rent to a couple with 2 toddlers either...

I had a house which I sold in December 19, it was rented to families over the years, no issues.

Fol20

Lesalare wrote: »

You are clearly a LL with a ****ty place to rent out and you attract the wrong sorts of people all the time.

Not sure how you can get this from his comments. My worst tenants have been from respectable areas with good paying jobs. Bad tenants come in all sorts and its all about minimising risk.

Lesalare

Fol20 wrote: »

This would be a breach of the RPZ rules unless its a brand new rental which a lot of REITS could be.

Most LL gut is to not allow pets and so far your argument for ll to allow pets has not been too convincing unfortunately. Based on your above logic, why allow only small pets when a good large pet wont cause any damage either. Should we not allow large humans live in homes as well as they are might cause more wear and tear. A pet is a pet no matter what size they are, as a ll we wont be able to gauge how good the pet is as at the end of the day, it is still an animal.What happens if the damage is greater than the deposit which it easily can be.

I was speaking from a humane level of keeping a large dog - aka a doberman or Alsatian or such in a confined environment. These animals need space to move like a back garden etc. Not a small apartment.

Fol20

Lesalare wrote: »

I'm be keen to know - obvs you won't admit it. But I'd put money on it that you wouldn't rent to a couple with 2 toddlers either...

Kids cause more general wear and tear as well. My latest property that came back up for let had kids colourings on the walls, window sills and in side lockers. Kids stickers on wardrobes also. If the tenant pays for all this wear and tear, fair enough but all i see is hassle hassle hassle. Instead if you have a young couple who are more likely to be outside the house post covid again have similar jobs to the parents, have greater disposable income due to having no kids, its a no brainer.

Its always based on the applicants that are willing to live in your home. Its not that i dont accept kids as i have kids in some of my rentals. Its more about what are all the options and which aspects make one tenant more appealing than the other.

I think you are making it too emotional when renting is a business transaction and nothing else.

Lesalare

Fol20 wrote: »

Kids cause more general wear and tear as well. My latest property that came back up for let had kids colourings on the walls, window sills and in side lockers. Kids stickers on wardrobes also. If the tenant pays for all this wear and tear, fair enough but all i see is hassle hassle hassle. Instead if you have a young couple who are more likely to be outside the house post covid again have similar jobs to the parents, have greater disposable income due to having no kids, its a no brainer.

I think you are making it too emotional when renting is a business transaction and nothing else.

You've just cemented the nightmare that is the current rental situ in Dublin re LL's for anyone who is not a double income Goggle earning cohabiting couple with no kids and no animals.

You're the utter model of a FG snobbish LL in Dublin in 2021. And who are driving people out of this country/city.

Dav010

Lesalare wrote: »

You've just cemented the nightmare that is the current rental situ in Dublin re LL's for anyone who is not a double income Goggle earning cohabiting couple with no kids and no animals.

You're the utter model of a FG snobbish LL in Dublin in 2021.

To be fair, rents seem to have fallen in Dublin and there are more properties available. You choose to have a pet which limits your choice and means you pay more. This is not a LL problem, it is a tenant problem.

Bass Reeves

Being a LL is all about trying to minimise risk. I am diwn the country and have two properties, both two bed, one in a small town and one is an old farm house that I have renovated. The deposit I get is a month's rent just like Dublin, buts it 1/3 of the rental of a Dublin property or half of other cities.

O be the first to admit that I am quite happy with the ROI. However I had issues with tenants with the last letting. Repainting a house now if you have to hire a painter will cost 1500-2k. It a weeks work to repaint a house if you do it yourself and painy will cost 200+ euro. Removing rubbish after a letting could cost 1-300 euro and 4-5 hours work. Is you carry to the dump recycling yourself add a half day list.

Replacing carpets or wooden floors 1-3k. Trades men are 2-300 euro per day. Electric cert for a house every 5 years 4-700 euro. Plumber will cost 100-150 any time he calls.... if you can get one.

I have a lady with two kids in one house and a single man in the other house. I have scarficed about 10-15% of the rent I could get as I considered both better than average tenant's risk wise.

I will not allow pets in either house, I. A rental house nearby a lad moved in a pit bull terrier that tire down the fence between two houses. He allowed the dog have a litter of pups. By the to e he was evicted it cost 3-5 k before the house could be let again.

Lesalare

Dav010 wrote: »

To be fair, rents seem to have fallen in Dublin and there are more properties available. You choose to have a pet which limits your choice and means you pay more. This is not a LL problem, it is a tenant problem.

What do you think I should do with my pet?

Put it down to save a few quid a month on the now average Dublin rent for a one bed apt in South Country Dublin of 1750 - 2000 to move into a 'studio' (dump) on Rathmines road with "tenant vile furniture hailing back from mid 1995" for 1600?

I'd rather keep renting and paying what I do to do so to a very agreeable, kind and understandable landlord and know I'm renting to a man with a sense of decency.

Antares35

Lesalare wrote: »

What do you think I should do with my pet?

Put it down to save a few quid a month on the now average Dublin rent for a one bed apt in South Country Dublin of 1750 - 2000 to move into a 'studio' (dump) on Rathmines road with "tenant vile furniture hailing back from mid 1995" for 1600?

I'd rather keep renting and paying what I do to do so to a very agreeable, kind and understandable landlord and know I'm renting to a man with a sense of decency.

My dad rents to a couple with a pet dog. I think he has a soft spot because he saw how hard it was for me renting in Dublin with pets, and he's just a nice guy when it comes to it I suppose. Estate agent explained they'd been having trouble finding somewhere. His tenants are amazing. They keep the place so well, maintain the garden, do odd jobs, paint etc. He's just signed them up for another year. He showed me photos of what they'd done to the place and it looks better than ever.

Away With The Fairies

Antares35 wrote: »

My dad rents to a couple with a pet dog. I think he has a soft spot because he saw how hard it was for me renting in Dublin with pets, and he's just a nice guy when it comes to it I suppose. Estate agent explained they'd been having trouble finding somewhere. His tenants are amazing. They keep the place so well, maintain the garden, do odd jobs, paint etc. He's just signed them up for another year. He showed me photos of what they'd done to the place and it looks better than ever.

I'm someone like this. I don't like hassling the landlord with small things. And I'm someone that thinks if I break it or accidentally break it, or any damage is on me. So it goes without saying if my pet does any damage, that's on me as well. It's just so hard to find a place that will accept pets and looking for advice.

Fol20

Lesalare wrote: »

What do you think I should do with my pet?

Put it down to save a few quid a month on the now average Dublin rent for a one bed apt in South Country Dublin of 1750 - 2000 to move into a 'studio' (dump) on Rathmines road with "tenant vile furniture hailing back from mid 1995" for 1600?

I'd rather keep renting and paying what I do to do so to a very agreeable, kind and understandable landlord and know I'm renting to a man with a sense of decency.

Well thats completely your choice - why should a ll care?

You know you could can get a place cheaper and be able to save hundreds pm if you are willing to stay in places that dont accept pets or in places with worse condition. Like everything in life, you cant everything and need to compromise somewhere but theres no point complaining about it. Id like to have a six pack and defined arms but i equally want to enjoy my big macs from time to time so i compromise to get the best of both worlds.

JustAThought

Antares35 wrote: »

My dad rents to a couple with a pet dog. I think he has a soft spot because he saw how hard it was for me renting in Dublin with pets, and he's just a nice guy when it comes to it I suppose. Estate agent explained they'd been having trouble finding somewhere. His tenants are amazing. They keep the place so well, maintain the garden, do odd jobs, paint etc. He's just signed them up for another year. He showed me photos of what they'd done to the place and it looks better than ever.

My friend married and had to move for combined work commute & so rented out his place - two years later the wooden floors upstairs and downstairs are destroyed with scratch marks from
the three dogs they moved in unknownn to him and against the lease. The back garden is ripped apart and the lawn peed yellow and ahrubs dug up and shredded. The couch and 2 armchairs could not be used to rent out again and have to be replaced. For this all he got a e850 deposit and is out at least 3-4k. This is why people do jot rent to people with pets.

As for all the mean defensive sour spirited comments retorted to people who disagreed with one of the repeat posters here its small wonder anyone wanted to deal with them in a business or personal context if they treat EA and LL they talk to with the same level of casual nastieness and personal insults.

Maybe its not the cat they were objecting to?

Graham

Mod Note

leave the personal digs out please folks.

Graces7

As a matter of interest, are all the lls here urban?

I always rent deep rural and lls are much more accommodating where pets are concerned. I did get a couple who thought any dog should spend its life chained up outside... Always covered chairs etc with thick cloths. The last place before here was a first rental and there was a dog lead in a drawer and cat food in a cupboard.

And in that case I never met the ll as it was far too far to travel so I honestly cannot remember if they knew I had three cats and a dog... Who did no harm anywhere.

Here there is very little furniture so all is well. Council owned but ultra remote. And my cats have cleared the area of rats.

Maybe we should have more unfurnished rentals?

OP I hope it works out for thee. A critter is a lifeline especially in these times.

Antares35

Graces7 wrote: »

As a matter of interest, are all the lls here urban?

I always rent deep rural and lls are much more accommodating where pets are concerned. I did get a couple who thought any dog should spend its life chained up outside... Always covered chairs etc with thick cloths. The last place before here was a first rental and there was a dog lead in a drawer and cat food in a cupboard.

And in that case I never met the ll as it was far too far to travel so I honestly cannot remember if they knew I had three cats and a dog... Who did no harm anywhere.

Here there is very little furniture so all is well. Council owned but ultra remote. And my cats have cleared the area of rats.

Maybe we should have more unfurnished rentals?

OP I hope it works out for thee. A critter is a lifeline especially in these times.

I'd imagine they are Graces. I'm looking forward to getting our own place outside Dublin - for us, our babbas and all our critters! I wouldn't leave any of them behind.

Klaudia.

I've read they want to introduce a new standard tenancy agreement in UK that allows renters to have pets. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-standard-tenancy-agreement-to-help-renters-with-well-behaved-pets
I can't wait to see the change like that in Ireland.