A landlord who inserted a clause into a rental agreement quoting different rents depending on the type of pet the tenant wants to bring into the property has divided opinion
Some people branded the charges “extortionate” (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
It can be a nightmare for pet owners to find rental properties that are happy to house both them and their animals.
In a bid to tackle the problem, the government introduced new rules stating that landlords can no longer automatically ban tenants from bringing pets into the home, under the new Model Tenancy Agreement revealed at the beginning of the year.
It states that consent for pets will be the default position and landlords will have to object in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant and provide a good reason.
But one renter has stumbled across a strange clause in the contract for a rental property, with the landlord seemingly happy to accommodate an exotic range of pets – at a price.
A screenshot of the section of the contract was shared on Reddit with the caption: “This landlord has some strange ideas on reptile keeping…”
The contract reads: ‘Additional rent: The landlord may consider the placement of a pet at the property. Where the landlord has approved placement of pets the following fees will apply. The additional value will be added to the monthly rental amount.
‘£10pcm (per calendar month) for Pets Caged in House e.g Hamsters.
‘£10pcm for Pets that will be kept externally to House in Garden e.g Guinea Pigs
‘£25pcm for Pets that will be roaming in the house e.g Cats, Dogs, House Rabbits, Snakes, Lizards.’
People were left divided over the clause, as some branded it ‘extortionate’ and others said it was a good price to pay when it can often be difficult to find a landlord who would accept pets at all.
One person said: “We searched for about 2-3 months to find a place that would take the two of us and our three cats. Ended up having to give an extra £100pm on top of the rent to secure it.
And a second wrote: “25 quid extra for a dog is cheap as chips considering for most its a red line.”
But others weren’t so convinced, arguing: “Ha, well it still is incredibly extortionate to be fair. 10 quid a month to keep a f***ing rabbit in the garden? What the hell is that?”
Another joked: “I’d pay £25 a month to rent a house and put a ‘free roaming’ family of badgers in it.”
And another asked: “Here how’s a guinea pig gonna afford £10 a month. They can’t get a job like a dog.”