The majority of landlords had to spend hundreds of pounds repairing pet-damaged property — and they couldn’t recoup the cost, research shows.
More than three in four landlords said pets owned by tenants had damaged their properties and more than one in two had to pick up the bill, according to trade agencies Propertymark and the National Residential Landlords Association.
The investigation comes after the government announced new rules that give tenants the right to request pets from landlords who cannot refuse without good reason.
Investors have warned that the change will send them high bills and further eat into profits.
Peter How, a landlord with about 40 properties in Yorkshire, said he once left with seven dogs after taking back a house when the tenant stopped paying rent.
He said forcing landlords to allow pets would simply deter investors from staying in the industry. “It’s another power taken from landlords over their own property,” he added.
“The kitchen was destroyed and their kennels were made of wind blocks and left in the garden. The deposit did not come close to covering the damage,” he added.
Only one in 20 landlords allow pets, the lowest share in five years, according to rental platform Goodlord. Pets are a controversial topic because they can mean higher maintenance costs for landlords, who can easily find pet-less tenants in the sweltering rental market. A third of the 537 landlords and letting agents surveyed by Propertymark said the repair cost more than £1,000.
Timothy Douglas, of trade association Propertymark, said demand for renting to tenants with pets has been curbed by the Tenants Act 2019. This limits the maximum down payment landlords can keep to five weeks’ rent.
Mr Douglas said: “The main concern is the risk of damage without any possibility of recovery. And in some cases, the property simply isn’t suitable for pets or lenders have restrictions on their rental mortgages.”
Campaigners have long advocated stronger rights to protect pet ownership in the rental industry. Under the rent reforms, landlords will be banned from “unreasonably withholding consent” from potential tenants with pets.
The government has promised that landlords can ask tenants to take out insurance to cover potential damage, but details of how this would work in practice were sketchy.
Mr Douglas said: “Details on how this will work are still vague. For example, what happens if a tenant cancels the policy without notifying the landlord and then no claim can be made?”
This month, Housing Secretary Michael Gove announced extensive reforms to give tenants more rights, including removing Section 21 “no fault of eviction” and prohibiting landlords from discriminating against tenants with pets.