When thinking about pet friendly rental accommodation, this can seem daunting to many investors and property owners I talk to. Pets within accommodation seem to have a bad reputation. Why is this?

The rule of thumb when considering a tenancy is, the tenant/s are responsible for bringing the property back to its original condition when they vacate. If a dog has dug at the ground or contributed to any damages, this standard is the same. The tenants are responsible for adhering to this resolution.

When considering responsible tenants, having a pet should be considered ideal. This shows they have been maintaining and caring for someone other than themselves, showing responsibility and a caring nature in most cases. These qualities alone show outstanding characteristics for a tenant that can do the same for your property. When considering a tenant some of the main checks a property manager should be completing, would be tenancy background checks, reference checks, affordability etc. As long as completing these to a high standard and a bond and lease agreement is in place. These should be the main considerations, not whether they had a pet. As this may limit the chances of a landlord having a high quality tenancy in place, simply because they had a pet.

There will always be that tenant you can not guarantee and lets the property manager and the landlord down. You can not guarantee 100% of tenancies are going to be outstanding and do the right thing, but you can follow all the reasonable steps to try and limit the casualties. A pet should not be one of these issues, a pet for most is just another family member with a fluffier exterior.

For legalities for renting with pets please consider viewing the RTA, Renting with Pets page which discloses the landlord/property manager and tenants rights within the updated legislation.