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The UK’s animal health industry representative, NOAH, has launched a survey for landlords on the topic of renting with pets. Article by NOAH (National Office of Animal Health)
Please complete the survey if you have 5 minutes to spare – landlords can put forward ideas and experiences that may impact future policy around pets in rented accommodation;
NOAH launched its campaign, ‘Securing the Right to Rent with Pets’ in 2021, seeking to improve access to pets for responsible owners in rented accommodation. As part of its campaign, NOAH is seeking the real-life experiences of property owners that do rent to pet owners, and exploring why others choose not to, and what changes might persuade them to change their policy.
NOAH is working to help change the rental market by improving access to pets for responsible owners. Sharing our lives and homes with companion animals significantly benefits people and animals; with people enjoying extensive health and wellbeing benefits, and animals enjoying the security and care of a loving home. NOAH is keen that these benefits are available to all – not just homeowners.
However, despite these clear benefits, NOAH understands that improving access to pets in private rented accommodation will only be achieved if a solution can be identified that gives appropriate protection to property owners. For some property owners, there are perceived fears about pets in properties, and a belief there is not enough protection in place to encourage them to remove restrictive tenancy agreements and ‘no pets’ clauses – this is something NOAH is actively working to tackle, so property owners can open up to pet-owning tenants with complete peace or mind.
As part of this mission, NOAH is engaging with property owners direct, to better understand the concerns around renting to tenants with pets; past experiences of having pets in their rental properties; and what (if any) policies they believe would enable them to confidently open up their homes to responsible tenants with pets.
NOAH’s Landlord Survey launched in early February 2022 and will run for a 3-month period. The data and insights collected as part of the Landlord Survey will be analysed alongside the results collected as part of NOAH’s Tenant Survey, which launched in November 2021 and came to a close earlier this month. The final ambition will be to produce a policy report containing NOAH’s recommendations to the Government on how access to pets in rented accommodation can be improved in a way that ensures property owners and tenants are fully protected.
All responses received as part of the Landlord Survey are anonymous, unless participants choose to share their contact details, and it should take no more than 5-10 minutes to complete.
