It looks at the responsibility and considerations of having a dog in an apartment (such as allergies, talking to neighbors, researching the body corporate laws), as well as profiles of dogs more suited to apartment living and how to keep your dog entertained while you’re gone.

While this guide is focused on dogs living in apartments, it’s a great read for anyone renting or living with pets and is especially valuable for those who currently live in apartment and are thinking of getting a dog.

Download Dogs in Apartments Guide (914 Kb)

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A big thanks once again to RSPCA ACT for developing this excellent resource for pet owners!

Dennis Wey

Dennis Wey is Joint Managing Director of both the Beenleigh and Shailer Park Raine and Horne real estate offices and kindly agreed to an interview to answer some of the commonly asked questions by renting pet owners.

Note – PFR: stands for Pet Friendly Rentals.

PFR: Hi Dennis, thank you for talking to Pet Friendly Rentals today. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your experience in the Real Estate industry?

Hi Ryan. Firstly, let me say that I am very interested in the rental industry and I believe we are seen as one of the most professional property management Offices in our area. Secondly, the situation regarding pets is of real concern to us. I have been involved in the real estate industry for over 30 years – 25 of those years with Raine & Horne and being a property investor myself I see both sides of the story on issues such as renting with pets.

PFR: So you’ve been in the industry a long time… What are your thoughts on why for a country where 63% of households own a pet, there are (relatively speaking) so few rentals that allow them?

That’s easy, there are pets and there are pets – there are 2 very distinct categories. To be on the safe side property owners say “no pets” when they are listing their rental properties, but in actual fact most of them don’t mind having pets live there but they are reluctant to actually promote “pets” in case they have a bad experience.

PFR: How responsible have pet owners been in your experience? Is it a case of the minority making it difficult for the majority?

We have had very little trouble with pets because we are very selective in the first place, just as we are selective with the potential tenants.

PFR: We’ve noticed that on Real Estate.com.au for example, many properties do not say anything about allowing or disallowing pets. This makes it frustrating for pet owners who often ring up to enquire about such properties. Why do you think ‘pets ok’ or ‘no pets’ are often not specified?

I personally would not promote pets for any of the properties I own and rent out, but all them actually have pets in them (except where the Body Corporate doesn’t allow them). I think people feel that they might be promoting the wrong type of pets. I believe it’s a tragedy to see a working dog for example kept in a small yard with no exercise.

PFR: What are some of the key things a Property Manager or Landlord looks for when selecting the ideal tenant?

A good past good record as well as the ability to pay rent, and if they have good references regarding pets, there are very few owners that would reject their applications.

PFR: What could pet owners do to maximise their chances of being approved for a rental?

Reference, reference, reference!

PFR: I understand that a lot of investors see pets as a liability to their investment property but what is the majority of damage to rentals actually caused by?

The only pet-related damage we have ever had reported was from locked-up working dogs. Other damage is typically caused by the people, not the pets.

PFR: Due to supply and demand, it’s likely that in  some cases, investors could get a greater weekly income for their property if they allowed pets? Do you think this could influence their decision?

Absolutely – Most landlords would take a risk for a few dollars more on their return.

Do you think changes in legislation that would enable a “Pet Bond” to be introduced would help make more properties pet friendly, as a way of helping investors feel like they had more protection against any damage caused?

The current bond of 4 weeks rent is adequate, but if I was a prospective tenant and I was willing to pay more if it helped me to obtain the property that I wanted, then yes I believe investors would be very interested.

PFR: What else do you think could be done to help improve the number of rentals that allow pets?

If agents could specify the type of pets allowed or not allowed.

PFR: Any further comments?

Unit complexes are the worst offenders so developers should provide for pets in their planning of units – if they did, I believe that their units would sell for a premium. Investors would also get a higher rental return in these ‘pet friendly designed’ units. So getting the message through that designing for pets and allowing pets can achieve both a higher rental return and sale price would I believe assist.

PFR: Thanks very much for joining us today Dennis.

“Onions can also be toxic”, she warned. “Even the small amounts contained on pizza slices. People often give their family pet the barbeque left overs and more often than not there are onions mixed in with the meat. For some dogs this can be a fatal oversight.”

The festive season for many of us involves eating to excess and it’s natural to want to share some of the leftover foods with out pets. However if there is a sudden jump in the amount of fatty foods consumed by your pet, this could lead to future health problems such as pancreatitis.

Also ensure you feed your pets raw bones only as cooked bones are “brittle and sharp pieces and either lodge in the throat or pierce the stomach lining” Dr Chester warns.

So remember, avoid chocolate, onion and cooked bones for your pets and I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.