Wheeler-Jones

We had to rush to get a rental and got one with a 'no pets' clause.

We live in a townhouse in a estate type thing and I have seen other cats around so I know it's not a body corp type.

I was wondering if anyone has had a bad experience with getting a pet when they aren't supposed to and what the ramifications were?

I understand that you would get a letter to rectify the situation before they would be able to kick you out, but usually eviction is a long process, so I am thinking...hmmm maybe just risk it. How often do they inspect usually? We rent through an estate agent so not dealing directly with the owner of the property. It would be an inside cat (seen one at the RSPCA that carried cat flu).

vicki t

sorry cant help with the question as im still in the uk, but if i was you i would wait until you are living somewhere that you can have a cat. worringly i have heard it is difficult to rent somewhere that you can have pets. i hope not as i am planning to bring my 2 with me.

cats are great though, so im not surprised you want one i suggest you stay away from the rspca or any adverts advertising for homes as you will end up like me, wanting to adopt them all! good luck!

townies5

we rent through a real estater too. we get inspected every 3 months, but after discussions in the playground i think this is OTT and most do it every 6mths (still meaning the inspections )

there is a pet clause in our contract which means we pay an excess of about $100 if any damage cause by the pet. that may be worth checking out.

good luck!

townies5

sorry, just read your post properly about the pet clause!!!

charlie-k

Oh WOW! I hadn't even anticipated NOT being able to have a cat!!!!!!!!!!!
I obviously need to do some research.

scotlandtooz

Maybe just check with your landlord - they might be okay if you up your deposit.

Sally Simpson

How would you feel as the owner, if someone did this to you?
Think you should ask & if the answer is no, wait until you can move.

augigi

I would say NO, since I'm a landlord and have had a tenant get two little dogs who ripped up my BRAND NEW carpet and curtains. Really heartbreaking. Ended up going to tenancy tribunal as she wouldn't pay for the damage. Luckily they made her pay.

Many people put "no pets" as a default. If you are a good tenant whom they want to keep, they will be flexible. Approach the landlord/agent and ask about an additional pet deposit, some sort of agreement that you will repair any damage.

Why do you think your desire for a cat is more important than the landlord's desire to maintain their property in the same condition?

asprilla

miaow ! because I need a home...purrr...

Kooky.

And what would you do to "rectify the situation"? Take the cat back to the RSPCA? Put it out on the street? Please, if you are an animal lover, don't risk it.

bigAPE

I'm a landlord and a cat owner/lover.

We rent out our home in the UK and have NO PETS clearly defined in the negotiation and contract. However this is mainly to combat people who abuse their ability to have pets, like pointless little yappy dogs which could just keep neighbours awake.

As a slight digression, Yappy dogs... I mean WHY?!?! What's the point of a cat sized dog. pointless creatures which should have been mopped up during evolution. If you're going to have a dog then get a DOG, not some designer pocket pooch which just looks nasty.

Anyway, back to the plot.

If someone asked us if they could have a house cat I would agree providing they pay for any damages incurred (ripped up carpets/walls, cat puke/piss stains/smells on the carpets, etc).

HOWEVER, if someone broke the lease agreement without asking us I would kick them out and keep the deposit. It would prove to me that they are dishonest. It's just simple courtesy to ask/inform the owner, after all it is THEIR HOUSE. You may be the most moral tenants on the planet but the Landlord can only go by your actions. We have been burnt before by a kind, sweet looking, family which trashed the property and left us with a £3,000 bill.

We are now tenants in a long term rental in Melbourne and we have populated this house with our children, our cats (yes we asked) and our belongings/furniture but we always make sure that the we all remember that we are GUESTS in this house. We are only renting it and it is our duty as tenants to look after it and respect the wishes of the owner.

I know the pain of seeing a little kitteh in trouble at the Vets/RSPCA and if I had my way our house would be filled with little purring sob stories, but it's not our house. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear.

Al

Weird Fish

Glad you are not my tenant, what a horrible attitude to living in someone elses property. Comments like this are the reason I hate renting out my UK property. :curse:

I was 17 when I first rented and I had enough commonsense and respect for the owner to ask their permission to have a cat! What's the worst that will happen, they will say no and you will have to wait to get a cat. Not the end of the world and is a far better alternative to getting evicted, losing your deposit and having a bad record with the estate agent.

Mrs Jackaroo

Its horrible being in rented when the landlord wont let you have a cat or dog (we're in the same situation) but the bottom line is, its their house! Of course they have the right to decide whether or not a cat dog is allowed in their property - and I think you should respect that. We're not allowed a cat or dog so to make up for it we have 4 Guinea Pigs, 2 Rats and a Cockatiel!!

The other point to remember is....as you live in an 'Estate' the chances are your neighbours know the owners, and will rat you out as soon as look at you. You then have the problem on your hands of trying to find a rental where they 'will' allow pets.

UK-2-OZ

Hi
Working at a veterinary hospital which also has a shelter attached I would probably say don't do it. Firstly, most shelters will ask if you own or rent and if you rent then they would ask for a letter from the landlord, at our place we do this and the reason behind it is that if you adopted a cat and then the landlord found out and told you to get rid of the cat it would end up back in the shelter, it isn't fair on the cat at all. Although if it was a certain shelter in Melbourne I would say take the risk as it would get PTS'd if it didnt get adopted soon especially if it has cat flu.
Please check with your landlord maybe offer to pay a pet bond in case the cat did any damage, most landlords will accept this.
Good luck with whatever you decide and well done you for wanting to take one from a shelter

CynOpt

If you didnt tell them, the Landlord would not be able to tell next tenant that a cat had been living in the house, and if they were allergic to cats, that would be really unfair on them.

I know someone back in the UK who just lost a tenant 2 days after moving in cos they were allergic, which is a right pain, and expensive for both him and the tenant. A cat used to live in the house a few years ago and the girl had quite a serious allergy. But even a normal cat allergy could be triggered by a cat living in the place in the last few months.

Plus, if you get a new cat, rather than one you know, how do you know if its properly house trained, or likes being sick everywhere ( I know cats who do this too ). Plus if people dont live with them, the smell can be quite distinctive even if they are clean.

Sorry, but I'm an ex landlord myself, and allergic to cats, so I'm quite biased on this item.
But also I'm a tenant and I really really want a dog but I'm not allowed to.
But I wouldn't DREAM of having one if the landlord didnt want one.

Sorry if its not what you want to hear, but all you have to do is ask them, promise to get the place steam cleaned when you leave, and be prepared to wait if the answer isnt the one you want.