Renting with pets

Graces7

Antares35 wrote: »

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.

The council never come out here to check anyways... And from 3 cats and a dog I went to 2 cats and no dog - then added three cats and then the only other two cats on the island came to stay.. so we are seven. Plus me.

And they do no harm. If they did I would fix it. A lifeline in these times when I am totally cocooned.
I am sorry that some landlords have had bad experiences. pet owners are not all like us.

Wondering thus if a reference that mentions that would alleviate concern?

And happy move, when it comes and may it come soon!

Graces7

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Being a LL is all about trying to minimise

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.

There is a vast difference between a pit bull and a small cat... And assuming there were regular inspections it should never have got to that pitch?

Samuel T. Cogley

We had a renter with a cat... we still have the cat.

Graces7

Graces7 wrote: »

The council never come out here to check anyways...

Renting from a local authority is different to renting from a private landlord.

Council tenants are usually allowed to have pets, with the exception of dogs on the restricted breed list. (but like that, they don't check).

I'm nearly sure Clúid etc, don't allow pets.

Don't know about tenants on HAP, who decides, I'd imagine it's still up to the property owner what they will allow.

Antares35

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Renting from a local authority is different to renting from a private landlord.

Council tenants are usually allowed to have pets, with the exception of dogs on the restricted breed list. (but like that, they don't check).

I'm nearly sure Clúid etc, don't allow pets.

Don't know about tenants on HAP, who decides, I'd imagine it's still up to the property owner what they will allow.

Haven't a lot of tenants on HAP also reported that they find it difficult to rent somewhere, because they're on HAP? Like with pet owners, there are unfair assumptions operating against them at times.

crossmolinalad

Away With The Fairies wrote: »

I'm viewing properties for rent. Is there any way to get landlords or estate agencies to accept pets. I don't have a huge collection of pets, just a small cat.

Have two dogs and never had any problems to rent a home for us
Just take a house thats not up to the stupid standards
Some landlords love to rent it out without making all of those costs to get it up to standard and then dogs or cats are not a problem and the house is way cheaper
Only problem with that is if you are on social welfare you wont get Hap or something like that because its not up to their standards

Antares35

crossmolinalad wrote: »

Have two dogs and never had any problems to rent a home for us
Just take a house thats not up to the stupid standards
Some landlords love to rent it out without making all of those costs to get it up to standard and then dogs or cats are not a problem and the house is way cheaper
Only problem with that is if you are on social welfare you wont get Hap or something like that because its not up to their standards

How do you find these houses?

Graces7

Deleted User wrote: »

Renting from a local authority is different to renting from a private landlord.

Council tenants are usually allowed to have pets, with the exception of dogs on the restricted breed list. (but like that, they don't check).

I'm nearly sure Clúid etc, don't allow pets.

Don't know about tenants on HAP, who decides, I'd imagine it's still up to the property owner what they will allow.

Absolutely. I had always fought shy of council accommodation but what a difference for the easier. I thought there would be more rules! And am safe here long term tenancy wise. Which is a relief.

HAP can be a stumbling block re renting but it gives a good indication re the landlord. I was once about to take a place then mentioned HAP and faces and doors slammed shut" It does not suit my husband and I" Which is illegal I was later told.

They had been OK re the dog and cats.

Don't you have six or seven cats now, Graces7?!?

That's another thing - if a landlord does conceed and allow someone to have one pet, whats to stop them getting more?

Easier to have a "no pets" policy.

Dont get me wrong, I'm not personally anti-pet, I've had pets all my life except for when I was renting in my twenties.

But I completely understand why a landlord would have a "no pets" policy - and I think as the property owner, that should be their right.

crossmolinalad

Antares35 wrote: »

How do you find these houses?

Just ask around in the community you will live , specially older people
They know everything about the people and the area and wich houses are empty
live now in a 4 bed bungalow
Was empty for 5 years build in the eighties and a little done to since
Pay 350 a month
Lived before for years in an old farm house with only a fireplace for heat it ,old crappy bathroom and kitchen for 250 euro a month but it all worked fine
Its just what you priorities are
Myself i dont want to live in a fully up to date and fully furnished small house paying 800 to 1000 euros a month and no pets allowed

Away With The Fairies

Away With The Fairies wrote: »

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.

The big issue, is that people lie and say all sorts of things to LLs when they're being vetted as potential tenants. They'll stand there and tell you to your face the dog is house trained, doesn't scratch or chew etc...A person who says they have a cat might get another one, or two or three, without asking first.

Similarly, someone who says they'll pay for any damage caused might not be of a similar mind when they're facing a bill for new skirting boards or a replacement sofa that they never noticed the cat was pi$$ing on every day for 2 years.

Bottom line is, they can't be trusted, and as a landlord you're supposed to be trusting them with a quarter of a million of your money. There's a reason why pets aren't desirable in most tenancies. You can stand there and claim that your little angel would never do x, y or z, but if the LL has a choice between the couple with pets and the couple without.........I know which one they'll regard as being higher risk of accidental pet damage.

Antares35

crossmolinalad wrote: »

Just ask around in the community you will live , specially older people
They know everything about the people and the area and wich houses are empty
live now in a 4 bed bungalow
Was empty for 5 years build in the eighties and a little done to since
Pay 350 a month
Lived before for years in an old farm house with only a fireplace for heat it ,old crappy bathroom and kitchen for 250 euro a month but it all worked fine
Its just what you priorities are
Myself i dont want to live in a fully up to date and fully furnished small house paying 800 to 1000 euros a month and no pets allowed

Ah ok. Yeah I wouldn't be too much of a stickler for nice finishes when renting, but we do have a baby and OH is asthmatic so wouldn't be able to take anywhere with damp or without central heating or is generally unsafe. Our hearts were broken trying to find somewhere pet friendly. We just gave up and as I mentioned are sticking it out here until we buy. Have AIP but it's a bad time to view! Weirdly, some of the apartments that came up when we filtered for pets allowed were very high end ones around Harold's Cross,/ Kimmage or that place in between I can never remember the name of that people who live there hate it being called Kimmage or Harold's cross Mount Argus is that it? I think they come up on the pet friendly filter?! And some around grand canal too IIRC. But then you're into silly money also...

Meathman12

How much extra deposit would be enough to convince a landlord to take pets? Price of replacement carpet or sofa or more?

Hontou

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.

Grace, I am a rural LL and always allowed pets in the past and had no major problems. However, I am also the landlord whose tenants won't move out because they cannot find a house they like that will accept pets. I won't allow pets in future in other rentals because of this behaviour. I am selling the house after the tenants move out. It is going to cost a fortune to put it right after the damage the pets have done to it. It is not landlords that are the problem, it is irresponsible tenants that are ruining the market for good tenants with pets.

To the OP, many EA's and adverts on Daft say "No Pets". What some of them actually mean is "No Dogs". State that it is just a small cat and you should have more luck. I hope you find somewhere soon.

If I was a LL I wouldn't rent to a tenant with pets when there are plenty of tenants out there without pets.

Why take the risk of having your apartment covered in scratches and urine?

ThewhiteJesus

For one small cat op i wouldn't even mention it to be honest

Dav010

ThewhiteJesus wrote: »

For one small cat op i wouldn't even mention it to be honest

If the lease says no pets, then it’ll either be lose the pet or lose the property when the LL finds out.

km991148

Lesalare wrote: »

I was in same situ as you the past 3 years and feel your pain. I had to look at apartments in Dublin which are new builds as they mostly accepts cats and dogs now. Only downside to this is my rent is far too expensive. It's ridiculous here that is you are allowed a small indoor cat, you have to pay about 2200 a month or more for a new apartment. I can't understand why landlords won't allow people to have a small pet. It's good for mental health and they rarely do any damage. Even offering them a 'pet deposit' most fo them say no. Dublin is such a backwater 'city'.

Generally Ireland is not very pet friendly. I don't know why that's the case - but I notice it a lot more in Ireland than in other countries I've lived - the assumption is that pet owners are careless and don't train or look after their pets. Maybe that is an Irish thing?

Pwindedd

I rent with a dog, my landlord knows about the dog and is happy to rent to me as I'm a single woman with a grown up "child" - her previous tenants were students and they had the neighbours tormented with numerous parties all days of the week.

Have you tried putting up an advert on Daft - that's how I found my current home. You can advertise as a renter, tell prospective landlords a little bit about yourself and what you are looking for and I had about 3 or 4 people contact me with suitable properties, and they all knew about the dog in advance so it didn't feel like something I had to bring up awkwardly when I viewed the property.

it's worth a shot - some people don't advertise as they are just looking for a "nice quiet family" or really don't want the hassle of loads of viewings etc - not all landlords are the same and some of them love dogs too - good luck in your search !

Bass Reeves

Meathman12 wrote: »

How much extra deposit would be enough to convince a landlord to take pets? Price of replacement carpet or sofa or more?

Most deposits are based on a Months rent. In Dublin that is 2k+ most of the time. Tenants down the country expect the same. Social welfare will not give more than a month's rent as deposit. Even though the tent I charge is in the 6-700 bracket I try to get a deposit of 1k. If I was allowing a pet I need 3-5k minimum deposit. Even if a dog it cat dose little damage you will notice the smell in the house after them.to get carpets and sofa's and other soft materials cleaned after a letting could cost 4-800 euro and that is if the tenant limited them to downstairs.

If an older let dies and tenant get a new younger dog he will scratch and chew his way through everything. He may pull at curtains and damage curtain poles. I saw one case where a dog had chewed the leads on lamps that were in a house. Tenant had unplugged them when he arrived.

We have a dog and cat they are never inside the door of our house. I have a no smoking in the house policy. One tenant talked me into omitting it as on a really wet day they might have 1-2 in the kitchen rather than going outside the door. They smoked in the bedroom. Actually they seemed to live in the bedroom they never turned on the heating. In that room I cleaned the mould out if it twice. It's not a problem with present tenant

Caranica

Klaudia. wrote: »

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.

Won't happen. As I've said before, managed developments tend to prohibit pets and owners have signed legal documents agreeing to this.

Graces7

Deleted User wrote: »

Don't you have six or seven cats now, Graces7?!?

That's another thing - if a landlord does conceed and allow someone to have one pet, whats to stop them getting more?

Easier to have a "no pets" policy.

Dont get me wrong, I'm not personally anti-pet, I've had pets all my life except for when I was renting in my twenties.

But I completely understand why a landlord would have a "no pets" policy - and I think as the property owner, that should be their right.

I have 5 of my own, all rescues, but the only other 2 cats on the island ( who were not being fed properly) decided things were better here. These two live outdoors. They are not mine; I just feed and care for them.

They sorted a plague of rats here years ago.

I have never had any issues in my deep remote rural rentals with my cats; my references have always been glowing.

Rights work both ways, Tenants have rights to their chosen life style. There has to be that equality. Ownership carries many responsibilities especially where lifestyle of the tenant is concerned. Ownership is not a trump card where money is involved.

I came back to say that; that it needs to be a matter of excellent references that mention the pets. .

In fact one of the dogs I had was a cast -off from that landlord! Poor girl was not wanted...

And my landlords have always known about them ; plural. And never a problem. And never any harm done to any furniture etc. Thick covers always on every chair etc. Respect works both ways.

I would not live where there was any issue with pets - period. The landlord in effect needs that reference! It works both ways. As it should. I have turned rentals down .

But as I said, this is deep rural where cats and dogs are in every household and farmyard. And where they can run free.

Oh in Kerry I also cared for a few ferals but they were outside!

I would and will never live urban. And would and will never rent privately again.

Graces7

Antares35 wrote: »

How do you find these houses?

ads in local papers or local shop windows are good.

Ask at the local Post Office. Word of mouth too...

.And local auctioneers sometimes have slightly less attractive rentals they do not advertise online.

This all works in rural areas.

Graces7

crossmolinalad wrote: »

Have two dogs and never had any problems to rent a home for us
Just take a house thats not up to the stupid standards
Some landlords love to rent it out without making all of those costs to get it up to standard and then dogs or cats are not a problem and the house is way cheaper
Only problem with that is if you are on social welfare you wont get Hap or something like that because its not up to their standards

Our area of Mayo is a very special place. It really is. So are many rural areas eg West Cork and Kerry. Fewer people and more kindness

Graces7

Hontou wrote: »

Grace, I am a rural LL and always allowed pets in the past and had no major problems. However, I am also the landlord whose tenants won't move out because they cannot find a house they like that will accept pets. I won't allow pets in future in other rentals because of this behaviour. I am selling the house after the tenants move out. It is going to cost a fortune to put it right after the damage the pets have done to it. It is not landlords that are the problem, it is irresponsible tenants that are ruining the market for good tenants with pets.

To the OP, many EA's and adverts on Daft say "No Pets". What some of them actually mean is "No Dogs". State that it is just a small cat and you should have more luck. I hope you find somewhere soon.

I am so sorry about your hard situation. Especially the damage. Inexcusable.

Here there is no carpet and no sofa. Which I prefer. Lino is so easy. Minimal furnishings. There is nothing the cats can destroy . and they all but live outside. Coming in to sleep on my bed. Before that I had a bigger house and the sofas were in a room where they were not allowed.

I am scanning rightmove with rentals in my old home in the UK . They are much clearer in their ads re pets and also much more open in many cases.

There too there is an urban/rural divide

JimmyVik

I used to have a tiny dog that I thought wouldnt ever do any damage.
Then one day I pulled out the tv cabinet to connect a sky box.
The skirting board the whole way along and the back of the tv cabinet and the end of the curtains that was in behind the tv cabinet were all in sh1te.
I never saw him do it, so i dont know at what point he did it. But he sat there looking at me with the big puppy dog eyes, even though he was about 8 years old at the time.

km991148

km991148 wrote: »

Generally Ireland is not very pet friendly. I don't know why that's the case - but I notice it a lot more in Ireland than in other countries I've lived - the assumption is that pet owners are careless and don't train or look after their pets. Maybe that is an Irish thing?

Generally, Ireland is not very landlord friendly either. It is much easier to nip any sources of potential problems in the bud before they manifest than it is to try rectify the situation afterwards.

People can be, for want of a better word, absolute pricks when they want to be. It's not the pets' fault, but there's a reason why pets aren't welcome in the majority of rentals. You can pin the responsibility for that 100% on pet owners who've burned any goodwill towards their fellow owners.

I used to be a LL. Apartment complex, so no cats/dogs allowed for rentals or for owners.....(Keeping cats/dogs in an apartment is cruel to me anyway, but that's my own opinion). I never knew why people had hangups about HAP tenants until I got one and they were nothing but hassle. Does that unfairly impact on genuine HAP tenants? Of course it does, but I'm not gambling 4 months' worth of rent trying to find out if the next HAP tenant is good/bad.

That's just financial sense.

Graces7 wrote: »

Rights work both ways, Tenants have rights to their chosen life style. There has to be that equality. Ownership carries many responsibilities especially where lifestyle of the tenant is concerned. Ownership is not a trump card where money is involved.

I would not live where there was any issue with pets - period. The landlord in effect needs that reference! It works both ways. As it should. I have turned rentals down........I would and will never live urban. And would and will never rent privately again.

That's fantastic, Grace, but it is a) a little misguided and b) a million miles away from the realities facing 90% of people.

Property owners carry zero responsibility for the lifestyle of their tenants. Zero. They do not have to accommodate your every whim......in fact they don't have to accommodate any of them in the current market. They are offering a service, which you are paying for. If the options don't suit, then move on to the next one. If you walked into a café and start asking about their selection of battered sausages on offer, you'll be told to pick something from the menu or GTFO. Renting is similar, though many would argue that it's actually swung too far the other way.

There are currently many more service users than there are service providers, so the providers can be picky and choosy. That's just basic economics. Coming with pets in tow or making demands that they should accommodate you in other ways is an easy way to paint a target on your head. Most people simply don't have the luxury of doing that. If you walk into a property viewing/showing and start spouting off about the landlord's obligations to accommodate your lifestyle, then you haven't a hope of getting selected.

I get what you're saying, in an ideal world it would be ideal for the relationship to exist in that manner. But it's not, and it doesn't. Not for huge swathes of the population anyway.

jrosen

Often no pets refers to dogs, you could let the agents know you have a small house cat. You could find some landlords will be fine with cats.

Batattackrat

Lesalare wrote: »

I was in same situ as you the past 3 years and feel your pain. I had to look at apartments in Dublin which are new builds as they mostly accepts cats and dogs now. Only downside to this is my rent is far too expensive. It's ridiculous here that is you are allowed a small indoor cat, you have to pay about 2200 a month or more for a new apartment. I can't understand why landlords won't allow people to have a small pet. It's good for mental health and they rarely do any damage. Even offering them a 'pet deposit' most fo them say no. Dublin is such a backwater 'city'.

The cat would be given to a rescue center or out in the country with the parents or put up online if that was me.

If all that failed be left out in the country on its own to fend for itself.

No way could justify paying that just for a cat.

km991148

Deleted User wrote: »

Generally, Ireland is not very landlord friendly either. It is much easier to nip any sources of potential problems in the bud before they manifest than it is to try rectify the situation afterwards.

People can be, for want of a better word, absolute pricks when they want to be. It's not the pets' fault, but there's a reason why pets aren't welcome in the majority of rentals. You can pin the responsibility for that 100% on pet owners who've burned any goodwill towards their fellow owners.

I used to be a LL. Apartment complex, so no cats/dogs allowed for rentals or for owners.....(Keeping cats/dogs in an apartment is cruel to me anyway, but that's my own opinion). I never knew why people had hangups about HAP tenants until I got one and they were nothing but hassle. Does that unfairly impact on genuine HAP tenants? Of course it does, but I'm not gambling 4 months' worth of rent trying to find out if the next HAP tenant is good/bad.

That's just financial sense.

Yeah it was a generalisation regarding Ireland and pet friendliness. I guess you could say the same about why Ireland is not very landlord friendly - years of absolute p!ss taking (Christ - looking around daft there are still enough bad landlords giving a bad name) - but this isn't another Landlords vs Tenant debate, is it?

My experience of both - landlords and pet owners are mostly sound. I don't get why pets aren't allowed in certain places in Ireland - you can barely even go for a pint if you own a dog and the remarks some people would give would make you think all dogs are blood thirsty savages. There is definitely something historic in the Irish culture that has led to this.