FOLLOWING the announcement of NSW rental reforms last month, there have been calls for pet-friendly rentals to be made the default in the state.
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As it currently stands, pet owners can find it very difficult to secure a rental property.
With the Victorian government approving its own rental reforms last month, which included making rentals pet-friendly by default, some want to see more leniency toward pet owners in NSW.
Pet Insurance Australia spokesperson Nadia Crighton said pet owners had to do their research when it comes to finding pet-friendly rentals, but landlords also had to “get real” about pet ownership.
“Australia has one of the highest incidents of pet ownership in the world, so this is a very important issue facing a lot of hardworking and responsible pet owners,” she said.
“It’s time we see real change in thinking to allow more pet owners access to secure and reliable homes.”
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Century 21 Bathurst’s Bec Jensen said that “at least 50 per cent” of landlords her agency manages properties for will consider pets.
“In saying that, some of our owners have concerns with approving pets, purely due to the potential increase in risk of damage to their property that might be caused by having pets,” she said.
Landlords often restrict tenants to one pet and make it a condition of the lease that it is an outdoor animal.
Ms Jensen said that there are certainly benefits for both tenants and landlords when pets are allowed at rental properties.
“The benefit to the landlord is definitely a larger pool of prospective tenants,” she said.
“It is extremely common at the moment for prospective tenants to have pets and as a result, a landlord could significantly reduce their prospective tenant pool if they won’t consider pets.
“In addition, the more owners who will consider approving pets for their property, the more properties prospective tenants will have to choose from when looking for a new rental to lease.”
Ms Jensen said pet owners may stand a better chance at securing a rental property if they can produce a positive reference, ideally from a previous landlord or real estate agency they have rented from.
“Having a positive reference regarding previous property care with having a pet can be very beneficial as it can help to show the landlord that the tenants’ pets are well-kept and haven’t caused any damage in the past,” she said.
