mrsr0binson

Hi all -

Thanks so much for all your input. I totally agree with your point about not trying to 'hoodwink' the landlord. We are actually planning on renting out our house here in the UK for a year; and would be thoroughly cheesed off if someone disrespected our wishes too.

I have always believed that honesty is the best policy – after all, the worst they can only say is no.

If it takes a little more time, to find 'our ideal'; then that's how it has to be. It's not like we haven't already invested a great deal of time and money in the whole process, after all

Thanks for the offer, Johnh009 - That would be great, if you would mind...

JulieandDave

Popping them in your suitcase will be the cheapest way to get them to canada

Ours was through an agent then he dropped the agency and we dealt with him direct, that was when our deposit found its way into his bank account!

But really I found renting here easier than the uk, even with cats.

Calgal

Good for you - rules is rules!

This is so true - rented a couple places in the UK to ease commuting during the week, or when between house purchases etc. and have always been very honest and respectful of Landords rules and their property.

We experienced the opposite as the landlord, though. We rented (furnished) to someone with two big dogs even though we weren't going to allow pets because the place had been pet free from new and we wanted to keep it that way. Being the softy that I really am, we made an exception as a favour to help out as they were desperate to find a place; but the proviso was that the animals would be confined to the laundry room and garage. They agreed that this would be fine - until they moved in! Dogs were all over the house including the bedrooms!

Why make the bloody agreement if you aren't going to keep it?

debbiem

We've had a rental for 3 months with two dogs - the ad said no pets, but you just have to convince the agent/ owner that you are sensible enough to understand the additional wear and tear/ deep cleaning etc on leaving that pets entail, and are prepared to pay the surcharge for carpet/ furnishings cleaning as necessary.

That said, we move out tomorrow and I will be making sure there are no traces of dog anywhere! (Still have to get the walls cleaned from children's breakfast lol, far more difficult!)

pinkkristen

hi, we are currently renting in Ontario. We are signed up for a year which finishes in a couple months. We asked the landlord a few weeks ago about getting a puppy for which he yelled down the phone at me "absolutley NO dogs"! So i took that as a no.
However, we still want to get one, as far as i can see we didn't sign a no pet agreement in our contract.

Could we insist that we are allowed to get a puppy by law, or is he able to give us our 60 days notice when our yearly contract runs out in May? (we want to stay in the house, but not sign up again for a year)
We are good tennants, have always paid on time, cause him no bother and live in a normal single family home.

We have 3 small children that i can assure you cause more mess and damage than a puppy can

Just would like advice on what we could do about it, my 8 year is desperate for one (i would quite like one too)!!

Ta.

(sorry couldn't advise on the original poster, as i don't know myself!)

R I C H

The law might ultimately be on your side, but if I were the landlord, and had made it very clear that pets weren't wanted, I'd be giving you notice to leave.

BTW, I think you're wrong about the potential damage a pet can cause compared to kids.

Almost Canadian

What the landlord wants is irrelevant. S/he can't insist on his/her requirements in Ontario. Whether s/he can terminate the lease and on whatever notice depends upon what the lease says.

The only pro bono work I do is representing tenants against landlords such as the one you appear to have been. It's worth my time just to watch them squirm in front of the judge in Court.

pinkkristen

So, i could sign up with him for another 6 months and then tell him that we are getting a puppy and as long as we don't have anything in the contract stating no pets, there is nothing he could do. I hope so, its only gonna be a little dog, and to RICH, you haven't seen my 3 kids in action!!

Thanks

Bucks_Family

Ooooh, I'm very much with Rich on this one - if you've never had a puppy before, they can definitely do more damage than kids. I know, we've had our two dogs since they were puppies, and we've got a 2 year old daughter. The way I tried to express what it was like having a puppy in the house to people who don't have dogs, is that it's like having a toddler running around without a nappy, only this toddler doesn't understand what you're trying to tell them.

And my other thought is that whilst you might legally be entitled to have a puppy, you are disrespecting the wishes of your landlord, and in my book that's rather selfish and just not very nice. Tenants that behave that way make me glad we're not going to be renting our house out. I'm not a big fan of landlords either, by the way, but this time, my sympathies are with him, and that's from a dog-lover who will need to rent a pet-friendly place.

Just my opinion..

JulieandDave

You may want to have a look at this site:

Can a landlord evict a tenant for having a pet?

A tenant can be evicted for having a pet in their unit only if:

* the pet is making too much noise, damaging the unit, or causing an allergic reaction, or
* the animal or species is considered to be inherently dangerous.

Even if the tenancy agreement has a ‘no pets’ rule in it, the tenant cannot be evicted just for having a pet unless the Board decides in an order that the pet is causing a problem, or that the pet is inherently dangerous.


The above is from http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/en/Key_Info...02_111483.html

This is from the landlord and tenant board, Ontario.

pinkkristen

I don't think i have been disrespectful and selfish at all, if i was i would have gotten a puppy by now knowing we never signed anything to say we weren't allowed pets. I could have just gotten one and yes that would have been disrespectful.
If the landlord is that against pets, he should have made sure something was done about it in the contract.

Plus, he has rented to our friend across the street last year in one of his other houses exactly the same as this house, and she has a big dog. So where's the sense or in that!

We will probably move if push comes to shove (not purely dog reasons), then he can spend another 6 months looking for a tenant like he had before we came along (prob cos he overcharges on rent)

Good luck with finding a dog friendly rental, you may need it.

pinkkristen

Thankyou, i appreciate that.

R I C H

I've only ever been upfront and honest with tenants - my main source of income was derived from a business that necessitated very strict rules about health and safety. Public liability insurance was expensive and I was diligent about minimizing risks to my clients and staff. That meant a no dog policy on the premises. I'd rather be sued for preventing tenants having a pet dog than be sued for the death/injury that a dog could have caused my clients to suffer.

I wouldn't have squirmed, I'd have made the house uninhabitable before bending my rules. If there's such a lack of respect shown between a tenant and landlord, I'd rather the tenant found somewhere else to live, particularly if a conversation's been held and you're still determined to go against their wishes. I'd hope you look as much at the circumstances of the landlord as the tenant before taking on pro bono work.

R I C H

It's his house, his business, and he can conduct it how he sees fit. In some respects the law's an ass with regard to tenants rights, IMO. I don't believe a tenant should be able to dictate whether or not animals are appropriate for the property.

Arris

OMG ........ your kids chew skirting boards, carpets & furniture