Applying for a rental with your Furry Friend
To describe the WA rental market as “competitive” at present would be an understatement, with Perth’s vacancy rates sitting at 0.4% in September 2022.
To describe the WA rental market as “competitive” at present would be an understatement, with Perth’s vacancy rates sitting at 0.4% in September 2022.
With vacancies so low landlords have their pick of applications, and this puts pressure on those of us with a furry friend as not all properties are suitable for pets, and they can affect the desirability of our applications. With a lack of pet friendly properties available, many Pawrents are having to rehome their pets. Shenton Park Dog Home reports 134 surrender applications in July alone and Cat haven had taken in over 1500 Cats in 2022 as of August.
So what can you do to help your application when applying for a pet friendly property?
Complete a Pet Reference
This may seem odd but applying for a property and presenting your pet as an applicant can go a long way. By providing references as to character, photos, and historical references you can help your application along. Much as with a human application, agencies and landlords are looking at the reliability and character of the applicant and are simply wanting to establish how you (and your pet) will look after the owner’s home/investment, and providing images gives a friendly face to the applicant.
Try including:
1. Cover Letter
Along with a photo, this helps humanise your pet and gives you the opportunity to present your case for why they should be considered. “Rover is a small breed, non-shedding and not vocal. He is crate trained so never left alone to roam the house or garden and at 7 years old, he is well past accidents and chewing. His favourite part of the day is his early morning run with his people. This tuckers him out for the day, which he will spend asleep either under our desk as we work from home, or in any sun-spot he can find, before another walk in the evening to stretch his legs after a hard days work napping. This property appeals to our family as there are no carpets, which is easier to keep clean, and the lawn will offer a great sunbathing location for the nap enthusiast that is our Rover”
2. Character Reference
This is best coming from an unrelated source that can confirm the pet’s character, for example a vet, pet-sitter, or even a neighbour who can attest to any ongoing barking. “Rover is a favourite client of our dog hotel. He plays well with other guests, loves humans, is always requesting belly rubs and sleeps well in the crate overnight, we are yet to hear him start a barking chain. Always a pleasure to have him stay if his people are out of town”
3. Rental Reference
This will be the most important reference the agent will consider, as this is the truly un-bias opinion. Ask your current agent if they will consider doing a written reference confirming if the dog caused any issues with neighbours, damage to the garden or to the property.
Not all properties are suitable for pets, some are too small or have antique features such as wooden floors, some Strata rules forbit animals and some owners cannot accept pets as they may have allergies and hope to return to the property. However, we hope this advice may assist in helping your applications for Pet-Friendly properties.
Photos used with permission, courtesy of Kym Norris, not to be distributed
