Part 0800.0005

[Miss_Marmite]

Hello,

 

I am relocating for work & had to sell my house. I have accepted an offer on it & hopefully moving out in 6-8 weeks (cash buyer, no chain). That is great & what I need, but I have a new problem....trying to find a landlord who will accept me, my 3 ex-batts & 2 elderly cats for the 3-6months that I will be "between houses".

 

It seems very mean to me but 99% of letting ads state "no pets", about 1% offer "small pets considered". I'm not sure what that means....goldfish & hamsters? It doesn't sound like they'd welcome chickens with open arms...

 

- Has anyone else been through this & got any tips on how to find (or win over) suitable chicken- & cat-friendly landlords? Internet search engines seem let you search on no. bedrooms & price but not "pet friendly".

- Does anyone know of any landlords (within 15 miles of Burnley) who would fit the bill?

- Any other clever ideas for how to manage the siutation? My family live 55 miles away & are reluctant to take the hens for me, but will do if I am desperate

 

Thanks for your help,

Lisa

[ISCA]

To be honest I think you will find it difficult. The cats may be slightly less of a problem, but most landlords of nice properties will view any pet as a destructive influence on their investment and therefore refuse. The chickens will be harder to get agreement on, as most landlords wil have no experience of them, thay are not that common a pet! Especially in urban areas.

 

The more desperate the landlord is to rent, the more likely you will be able to get an agreement but possibly their desperation may be because they are over-charging or the property is not so nice.

 

The other problem is that you want a short let, so they do not even have the benefit of having an assured long-term tenant.

 

Not what you want to hear, sorry, but I am being realistic. I have to say, despite being a pet lover, if I rented out my home I doubt I would allow tenants to keep pets. Not everyone keeps their pets as clean and well behaved as I do

 

Practical options could include:

 

Getting specific pets references to say how well behaved the cats are and what a reliable & caring pet owner you are.

 

Offering to provide a larger deposit.

 

Offering to have carpets professionally cleaned and the garden tideied when you leave the property.

 

Many lettings agencies put "No Pets" as standard. Ask them to contact the landlord to see if they will re-consider. I rented for 6 months last year after relocating area and got a fab house that allowed me to keep a dog and reptiles in vivariums, it is possible.

 

Other options are a long-term cattery stay for the cats and a foster home for the ex-bats. Ask on here, someone may be able to help.

 

Good luck in your search and congratulations on the new job!

[Redwing]

I'd make friends with the letting agents, stress that you dont have a dog (these are probably the landlords worst scenario) and see if they will approach some of the landlords for you, they will have an idea of who will be receptive to the idea

 

Offering to pay a higher deposit is a good idea as ISCA says, if you are getting a relocation package ask the company if they will help with this

 

Another option as you are a short term tenant is to offer a higher rent on the condition that you will go when you need to (helps if you are buying a house) and will leave the house and garden clean and tidy in return a landlord may well be attracted by extra rent - again ask your company if they will fund this

[Olly]

Afraid I agree, I have cats myself but the rental property that my family own is 'no pets', just because they can do a lot of damage if not looked after properly.

 

It's definitely worth contacting the letting agents to explain the position - they will know the landlords, after all, and may know who might be persuaded, perhaps for a larger-than-normal deposit.

[Miss_Marmite]

Hello,

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. It does seem a poor state of affairs.

 

I took your advice & emailed a couple of letting agents to explain my situation (ones that had rural properties with large gardens). I offered large deposits & to make good any damage to an agreed standard, but they didn't reply (and that was 2 weeks ago).

 

I was getting a bit desperate, renting was looking impossible & it is a unpleasant emotional feeling to be "baseless" after so many years of having my own house. But then I fell lucky when one on of my house-hunting trips I came across a perfect house, with the bonus of a 1/4 acre garden & woodland. I've fallen in love with it. Just what I wanted & it'll be chicken heaven too!

 

V. excited as I've had my offer accepted. The house is empty, having been left to relatives after a pensioner passed away. The family are keen for a quick sale & my solicor says I can move out of one house & into the other on the same day. It was a nice idea to spend some time in rented & then be a cash-buyer, but just didn't work out in the end. I am lucky that I can move into somewhere like that, it must be terrible for anyone reposssed etc that has no choice but to move into rented I have decided that if I ever become a landlord I will make a point of allowing resposible pet-ownders!

 

Thanks for replying to my post.

Miss_Marmite

[Olly]

Oh wow - sorry to hear you couldn't find rental accommodation, but this sounds ideal - your hens are going to love the woodland. What part of the world (approximately) are you moving to - there might be some other Omleteers around? I'm glad it's all worked out in the end, and hope the move goes smoothly for you.

[ISCA]

That's great news, glad you have found a new home!