The Dogs Trust has released a statement in support of proposed government reform to revise current pet bans for tenants.
It follows housing secretary Robert Jenrick’s announcement last week that there would be an overhaul of model tenancy contracts in a bid to “make it easier for responsible tenants to have well behaved pets in their homes”.
Only 7% of landlords currently advertise homes as suitable for pets, leaving many renters struggling to find homes, or in the position of giving up their pets altogether.
The government now says model tenancy contracts will be “revised to remove restrictions on well behaved pets”.
In a newly released statement, Dogs Trust said: “As the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust believes that the benefits of pet ownership shouldn’t be exclusive to homeowners, but open to private and social renters as well.
“With the number of people privately renting increasing year on year, the news that the Government is looking to make it easier for private tenants to have pets in their homes, has never been more important.”
It added: “Sadly, the single biggest reason we see dogs handed in to our rehoming centres is due to a change in the owner’s circumstances, such as being unable to live in a rented property with a pet.
“This can also stop people coming forward to adopt rescue animals. This needs to change and we sincerely hope the proposed updates to model tenancy contracts will help ensure that fewer owners are forced to give up their beloved pets and that more people are able to consider adoption.”
Dogs Trust said it has been working with landlords, letting agencies and the property industry on the issue of pet ownership for over a decade.
It urged that any updates made to the model tenancy contract must be reinforced with “appropriate guidance” for landlords on how to put the proposed changes into practice to make it “fully effective and mutually beneficial for all parties involved”.
It added: “We welcome the opportunity to work alongside other animal welfare organisations and the Government to ensure this forthcoming change positively impacts the property sector, and that more pet friendly rental homes become available.”
