Why don't landlords accept pets in Ireland?

Alfred123

What about someone who had a dog .. but the dog died and they just won't shut up about it ?

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117847306#Comment_117847306

As a LL, yes I do refuse kids.

Cats don't crayon walls. Kids do.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117847927#Comment_117847927

I like your honesty.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058207341/why-dont-landlords-accept-pets-in-ireland

Why take the risk when you don't have to (as a landlord)? Ultimately that's why it's more difficult as a pet owner to rent.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117847990#Comment_117847990

I know it's about risk but would offering a bigger deposit help?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848071#Comment_117848071

How much would you offer?

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848225#Comment_117848225

I'd offer an extra 1000 on top of what's being asked.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848249#Comment_117848249

I think you would want to offer more than that, if your pet has a habit of damaging furniture/carpets, €1k would replace **** all.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848259#Comment_117848259

But my pet doesn't have a habit of damaging things. He has his own scratching post and scratches that.

I really don't know why you bother renting to people, it's far too risky for you.

fun loving criminal

Does anyone know anything about insurance and pet liability? Is there such a thing here?

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848071#Comment_117848071

No.

AndrewJRenko

While I understand the reservations of some landlords, the net result of this approach is that there is a generation of people who will never have access to pets, as many people are forced to remain in the rental sector, including many single people, many families, many people with disabilities in community settings.

That's not nice or reasonable.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848269#Comment_117848269

How would a LL know what your pet is like? Or better again, would a prospective tenant volunteer that their dog likes to chew furniture?

mrslancaster

Maybe if the property was let unfurnished and the tenant supplied their own furniture, floor & window coverings, and paid a deposit for cleaning & possible damage to gardens doors etc, then a landlord might allow pets.

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848299#Comment_117848299

People don't own up to being a smoker either. How do you minimise that risk?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848500#Comment_117848500

I can’t, but I can minimise risk in relation to animals, hence I don’t allow pets.

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848298#Comment_117848298

Huh!?

fun loving criminal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848542#Comment_117848542

Why do you bother renting then? You want to discriminate but can't because smoking can be hidden. So you'll discriminate against something you don't like. And for what, to give tenants a rodent infested property with furniture from 1970 and you'll charge them thousands of euro for the privilege.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848649#Comment_117848649

There are considerably more tenants who do not have pets than do, and more people who don’t smoke than do, I can’t do much about the smoking, I can about the pets. We discriminate all the time, if the property is as you describe, don’t rent it or contact the RTB. The age of the furniture is irrelevant if it is in good order.

HerrKapitan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848298#Comment_117848298

Why is this unreasonable? Pet ownership is a hobby of the privileged and not a right.

Dogs should not be locked up in apartments for 8+ hours. Something that would increase if management companies were to start allowing pets.

Perhaps if people can not own a pet due to renting, they could try volunteering at animal rescue shelters.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848249#Comment_117848249

The law is changing so landlords can't charge extra for deposits. So if the law is 2 months max deposit then the vast majority of landlords will be at the limit and then getting an extra €1k off you could end up costing them a lot more when the RTB rules it illegal. There's also nothing stopping you leaving the rental 3 months early after your pet has destroyed the property, leaving the landlord out of pocket and with a damaged property

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117847306#Comment_117847306

They do but are smart enough not to say they do.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117846957#Comment_117846957

That proves that you care for your pet and nothing else.

As for your smokers point. I'm sure if a landlord sees a potential tenant with yellow fingers, or even has a him of smoke off them, and don't say that they smoke they won't be getting the property.

ztoical

The issue isn't that people have pets at the end of the day there is a shortage of rentals so LL have choices and they are going to go with the one they feel has the lowest risk and they have the most trust with as they are handing over a big asset to pretty much a stranger. Yes people can lie about a host of things including smoking but that is the risk in renting and why LL tend to lists things like no pets, no children, professionals only etc etc and don't usually rent based on first come first served.

I rented with my cat for years and never had issues but I always made sure to meet with the LL/Agent in person and would ask about my specific pet - if you just ask in general about pets and their mind is going to jump to someone with a giant dog or 10 cats. I always said I have 'a middle aged house cat' rather then just 'a cat' and that gives a nice image of a gentle cat that isn't young and hyper ripping things or an older cat peeing everywhere. It's all about building trust and comfort for the LL so they don't worry about handing you the keys to their property.

mrslancaster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848500#Comment_117848500

For a non-smoker its easy to smell smoke as soon as you enter a property, it makes everything stink. It would be obvious during inspection and a breach of the agreement if the property was let as non-smoking & it was in the contract.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848562#Comment_117848562

I said:

While I understand the reservations of some landlords, the net result of this approach is that there is a generation of people who will never have access to pets, as many people are forced to remain in the rental sector, including many single people, many families, many people with disabilities in community settings.

That's not nice or reasonable.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848698#Comment_117848698

It's not a hobby, and it has little to do with privilege. For many, it is a way of life, and an important aspect of their physical and mental health. I'd broadly agree that most dogs should be locked in apartments, or houses for 8 hours a day, but that doesn't apply for lots of people, and isn't a good reason for the restrictions on pets for many renters.

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117849239#Comment_117849239

it is 100% is a privilege. A way of life for them it may be but that's where it ends. A landlord (or anyone for that matter) should not be expected to indulge or accommodate another person's hobby.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117849239#Comment_117849239

Huh?

It is a life choice to want to own a pet, it is not a right, nor a necessity (guide dogs aside). There are lots of things I would like to have, or like to do, that I can’t, that is not an unreasonable situation.

Personally, I care a lot more about the damage to my property than I do about the well-being of a pet locked inside most of the day. Yourself and the op can try and rationalise and moralise about the fairness of that, but my house, my rules.

And don’t kid yourself and try’n kid us, if your pet did thousands of euro worth of damage, you would not happily hand over that money to the LL.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848298#Comment_117848298

It’s also not a private landlords responsibility to solve

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117849239#Comment_117849239

Get a bird or a goldfish: no landlord will have a problem with those.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117848649#Comment_117848649

Christ, you've some bee in your bonnet with landlords.

Why do you bother being a tenant? You seem to want to tell landlords exactly what they can and can't do with their own property, maybe it's not for you.

Alfred123

What about parrots that swear real bad ?