Lets for Pets: Are dog-friendly flats too scarce?

Welfare charity Dogs Trust have launched a campaign aimed at better advertising of pet-friendly rental accommodation.

The charity have signed up television property-show presenter Jasmine Harman, known for her work on Channel 4 show A Place in the Sun - Home or Away, to front the campaign. Mrs Harman is also a landlord.

Dogs Trust have run a 'Lets with Pets' scheme since 2009, aimed at helping tenants who were having problems finding rental accommodation where their four-legged friends were welcome.

The latest campaign is named 'Ask, Advertise, Add', and it is aimed specifically at letting agents, to encourage them to always enquire of landlords whether they are happy to list their properties as 'pets considered'. The charity say that one in three pet owners have struggled to find rental accommodation where their pets are allowed, despite over 70% of landlords surveyed saying they would be willing to consider allowing pets in their property. The problem, the charity has concluded, is therefore not a lack of properties, but a lack of advertising.

Jasmine Harman on dog-friendly flats:

     Mrs Harman said, "As a pet-friendly landlord myself, I am delighted that Dogs Trust is looking after the interests of renters with pets.

"In my experience, many landlords would be happy to consider pets but lettings agencies have sometimes been slow to pick up on this and some could do more to find out if pets would be considered."

Following on from Harman's comments, Susie Jones of the Dogs Trust added, "We know from experience that some people will go to extraordinary lengths not to be parted from their pets. People have moved areas or rented larger homes than they need simply to keep their pets with them.

"We hope that the Lets with Pets 3A's campaign will encourage and support more landlords and letting agencies to take up a 'pets considered' approach to letting their properties." 

Here at Property Locker we're definitely behind dog friendly Properties, being dog owners ourselves we are proud members of the scheme