Another survey highlights the relatively low proportion of landlords who appear to allow tenants to keep pets.
The analysis, from Confused.com Mortgages, contrasts the popularity of the search term ‘pets’ by prospective tenants using Rightmove - which was renters most-searched term on the portal in 2023 - with only 44.8 per cent of private rental listings indicating renters with pets would actually be welcome.
As part of their report, they looked at the types of tenants landlords are unwilling to let their property to:
|
Tenant type |
Percentage |
|
People with a history of rent arrears |
84.50% |
|
Students |
47.70% |
|
People with pets |
44.80% |
|
People requiring adaptations to the property |
44.30% |
|
People receiving Housing Benefit/Universal Credit |
43.90% |
|
Non-UK passport holders |
20.40% |
|
People with dependant children |
15.50% |
|
Willing to let to all types |
7.80% |
|
Other |
3,30% |
In a further part of the survey, 52.2 per cent of landlords questioned say they are concerned about the impact forthcoming legislative changes will have on the industry.
As part of the proposed changes, landlords will also be obliged to consider requests to allow pets in lets and cannot unreasonably refuse.
In addition, over 43 per cent of landlords are not willing to let people receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit and over 15 per cent of landlords wouldn’t consider those with children. However, the proposed legislation includes an end to blanket bans on benefit claimants or families with children.
Some 9.6 per cent of landlords say they plan to sell all their properties and leave the business within the next two years.
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No one has ever asked me to make adaptations but of the rest of that list pets are definitely my least favourite. I have allowed pets occasionally and it's never been a good experience. Two of my tenants currently have guinea pigs (which is an improvement on dogs). The smell isn't quite so bad. One lot live in a cage in the garden, the other lot have their own bedroom in the flat. They live in a cage in the bedroom.
Rent arrears depend on the circumstances and communication skills. People who are trying their best in difficult circumstances are totally different to people who make no effort to budget. If they're good tenants in every other respect I'll give them a bit of time to make good.
UC can be problematic if the tenant has left claiming until they have totally run out of money. The payment of rent in arrears is extremely annoying. Only one of mine is in that situation. The others either came via the Council and had everything paid in advance so they wouldn't start out with arrears or only have a small intermittent UC entitlement, so pay on time out of wages.
Students, non UK passport holders and children are all fine.
In general it's a question of matching the right property to the right tenant. Some things just don't work. A recent one for me is not being able to let a couple of my flats to night workers or people who WFH due to a new parking scheme introduced by the Local Authority.
All this commenting about pets shouldn’t have been made an issue by Council or raise in the first place. We are not running kennel’s its part of a smoke screen as a cover up what they are really doing, smashing the PRS for their friends to take over with Blocks of Flats.
Tenants that never mentioned pets before now all of a sudden you wants them because the Government said they are entitled, never mind about spaces & rooms sizes you can can’t have another person but can have animals, its nonsense and not concentrating on the thousands homeless in London & elsewhere but we must house animals.
They really love us £20k / £30k fines illy nilly, Fines, Penalties, Confiscation Orders, a dysfunctional licensing Application process some uncontactable on-line only phones disconnected, automatic responses only and to a different question than the one you asked, so go back to the website that’s preventing you from operating and suck it up.
Interesting point about the overcrowding. Why is an extra child deemed to be overcrowding but a pack of St Bernards or Rottweilers is considered to be fine?
It must be another Post Office job.
Pets, nope. Very high risk
LHA/UC, nope. Way too much hassle from ‘the system’, unviable financially.
Rent arrears: depends, maybe with sound guarantor .
Students: nope, way too much hassle.
Non U.K. passport holders: Nope, refuse to be an unpaid border guard, high hassle, high risk.
People with kids. Subject to appropriate property and competence of parenting!
Tenants requiring adaptations: Nope, too much red tape/hassle/ restrictions .
Others: Council referred tenants, no way, no way ever!
We've just demonstrated one of the totally overlooked strengths of BTL. Every landlord has a different idea on what they prefer and what is too much hassle. As a result there is a property/landlord who will let to just about anyone.
I don't like pets.
Awfully nice middle class families really aren't my comfort zone.
I like students and young professionals.
I thoroughly approve of the Right to Rent Share code system for international tenants.
I like my UC tenants and although it's lower rent there are very few voids.
I hate dealing with DWP so my UC tenants pay the rent to me themselves.
I have a very positive relationship with the Local Authority Housing Options coordinator.
The stuff I like is what a lot of landlords would consider high risk hell.
The gold plated tenants letting agents favour are way too transient for my liking.
LHA/UC no chance
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