Comments on: Landlords urged to drop ‘no pets’ policy

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:59:34 +0000

I’m in the same boat. It seems getting pet friendly rentals is harder than getting a job. Even the supposedly pet friendly rentals suddenly have criteria when you actually apply. I’ve been told property owners will take ‘one dog but not two’ or ‘two small dogs’.

By: Julieann

Julieann — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:35:47 +0000

I agree that pets should be allowed we are over here in SA with our two baby dogs and cannot find a rental house near to where we work. Our dogs go with us to work and are well trained it is so unfair when people like us do the right things and get treated like we don’t look after things or our animals

By: Conrad

Conrad — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:36:16 +0000

Wow, maybe I should have relocated to Toronto. My wife and I have recently emigrated to Sydney from the UK and brought our 2 dogs with us at a great expense. We’ve managed to privately secure a house-sit until December but then we are out on our own. My brother and his wife live in the eastern suburbs and our work is here so we really don’t want to leave the area. I just did a search through the pet friendly rental filter on both Domain and real estate.com. From over 2000 properties in our price range, size, and specifics (ie garden/yard), not a single house was pet friendly. The future suddenly looks very bleak.
As long as this rental system is in place, with the global recession as it is, Australian dog rescue centers are going to be overflowing. Which just means more and more euthanasia.
Just because of an imagined stereotypical owner that I’ve never actually encountered. Unfortunately, the only people who will read this site will be sympathisers. Not the people we need to read it.

By: Sandra Maciunas

Sandra Maciunas — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:13:52 +0000

I work for First National Craigmore Elizabeth in SA; we do our best to encourage landlords to consider well behaved pets when outlining the criteria that they would like for their tenant. Many pet owners are stable and own beautiful pets that are well taken care of and cause no harm to properties. I have 2 dogs and a cat and I am currently renting between building and I consider my animals to be extremely well behaved, but know first hand how difficult it is becoming for pet owners. I feel many landlords have a misconception of pet damage due to a minority, and a pet resume is a great idea, it would certainly give us a little more information to present to landlords who are considering allowing pets. During my years in the real estate industry I have seen very little damage caused by pets and nothing that I would consider as major damage. I will make an effort to advertise more clearly as to what properties consider pets.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 03:57:19 +0000

I also agree with this article – I’ve known grown people who are more destructive than pets (especially stupid drunk people). I come from Toronto originally, and there it has now become illegal to discriminate against tenants on the basis of pet-ownership. It still happens, of course, but potential tenants do not have to disclose whether or not they have pets, and landlords cannot evict tenants purely on the basis that they have pets (they have to prove that the pet is actually causing damage/nuisance in order to obtain an eviction notice).

I think that’s a good step forward – tenants should be judged fairly on objective qualities, like are they responsible, do they have good references, have they been evicted, have they had problems with past landlords, do they have a job etc. Pets, kids, or other things like that shouldn’t be considered because it’s unfair and prejudicial. Responsible people will be responsible pet-owners, and responsible parents, and responsible tenants.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:22:10 +0000

Hi Mariana,

Thanks for your comments, I couldn’t agree more.

Cheers,
Ryan

By: Mariana Vona

Mariana Vona — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:10:04 +0000

I totally agree with this article. We have pets and we have always been the “star tenants” and why? because we do take responsability of our own pets and take care of the place as if it would be ours. We come form the US and found extremely difficult to find a place that is pet friendly. Totally discouraging!!! In cases, I even offer on putting down an extra deposit but they just said NO.
Sometimes kids and irresponsable adults do destroy rental properties much more than a cat or a dog. It should not be based on that criteria.
I am a pet lover and wish landlords and realtors could be more open to people that we own pets.