Are you living with a banned pet in a rented property?

If you’re living with a dog or cat in a rented property that clearly stated that no pets allowed, you’re not the only one.

In fact, our latest survey found that a massive 27% of renters in the UK didn’t let their landlord know about their pets, despite over half of the people we asked admitting to owning the animal before they moved in.

Almost 10% of those asked said that their landlord made changes to their rental agreement upon finding out about the animal. The most popular repercussion was being asked to sign a new tenancy agreement.

The survey comes as the National Landlords Association warned of a new Government plan to regulate security deposit fees which could force many landlords to place an outright ban on pets from their properties.

Almost 3% of renters were asked to pay additional money to cover any damages made by the pet, with the average fee amounting to £160.18.

When it comes to keeping our pets well-hidden, it’s not just inside our accommodation that we should be wary of!

Of those surveyed, 12% said that their neighbours had complained to either themselves directly, their landlord or the police. Just 3% of neighbours reported the noisy pet to their local council.

Those living in flats are most at-risk for having to either relocate or pay the additional fee to live with their pets, with 59% of those asked in our survey living in a rented apartment.

Unfortunately, 6% of those who took part in our survey were unable to move home due to owning a pet and 4% couldn’t live in their desired area as a result.

When it came to living in a rented property that catered to their pet’s activity levels, 3% of those asked said that they didn’t have any outdoor space for their animals to roam.

The most popular pet amenity was a garden (70%), followed by a nearby green area (26%) and other outdoor spaces (13%).

The results come just after Mintel Lifestyle’s report where they suggested that urban living was a reason for the decrease in the number of cats and dogs in the UK, US and Australia.

As the data explains, owning pets in rented accommodation is becoming increasingly concerning for loving pet owners.

Remember that taking out pet insurance is the best way to protect both yourself and your pet from any accidents in your rented property and cover unexpected costs of health-related injuries.