A recent article I wrote about the problems of renting a property with a pet seems to have struck a chord, judging by the number of responses we’ve received.

We even had a woman from Holland demanding, rather haughtily, to know what had happened to ‘animal-friendly England, the one time leaders of animal protection’.

Why, in her country, she informed us, dogs are so universally welcome that restaurants even give them their own seat, a customised canine menu, and a complementary grooming session in between courses.

Not quite.  But I do see her point.  Little doggy dishes are a common enough sight on the floors of many fine restaurants in various European cities.

I’ve also spotted several of those dressed-up mini-dogs being carted around upmarket foreign stores, usually in designer handbags draped over the wealthy arms of powdery old ladies or teenage Paris Hilton wannabes.

Shi-tsu with hairstyle lying on sofa

But I digress. Going back to the difficulties in finding a des res to rent with a dog, there does seem to be an element of discrimination in this country.

If we were talking about your more flamboyant pets like Marcel the monkey in Friends or a pot-bellied pig a la George Clooney, I could understand, but I don’t quite get why so many landlords are against your average mongrel or moggy.

We rent with our (very) long-haired cat, and the deal in our case is that we’ve paid a higher deposit to cover any claws-caused damage.

I’m happy to report that, in the three years we’ve been there, there’s been nothing more serious than the occasional fur-ball on the carpet, a condition easily rectified by a quick scrub and a blast of the hoover.

But with rental demand on the rise, this pet prejudice is likely to affect an increasing number of people, so isn’t it about time we saw a more continental approach from our landlords?

Have you had problems when trying to rent with a pet? Would you be prepared to pay a higher deposit if your animal was allowed?  Tell us about your pet-renting experiences, good or bad…

Related Tags: Rent, Cats, Landlords, Renting & Letting, Dogs, Dogs Trust

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