‘Brutal’ rules force pets to make painful choices
Around two-thirds of Australian households have pets , equating to 29 million animal companions, yet less than ten per cent of rental properties are advertised as pet-friendly.
For many pet lovers, having to make the painful choice between having a roof over their head or keeping their beloved pet is a reality.
This means that in states where pet rentals are not regulated, including Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, people end up sleeping in their cars, rather than surrendering their pets their.
With Australia’s housing affordability crisis deepening , this number is likely to rise as more and more people are forced to rent.
Owners are devastated by difficult choices
Marlene Beveridge knows firsthand the pain of having to give up her beloved pet cat, due to the lack of pet rental services in the highly competitive and expensive rental market in Karratha, Western Australia, where she and her family live. at that time.
“It’s terrible to have to give up your pet,” Ms. Beveridge said.
“Nó thực sự khiến bạn cảm thấy mình là người tồi tệ nhất trên thế giới.
“Tôi đã bị tàn phá khi phải từ bỏ Indie, biết rằng phải hy sinh, với cái giá phải trả là đau lòng. Tôi thực sự đã có rất nhiều lo lắng khi tôi biết tình trạng khó khăn mà chúng tôi đang gặp phải.”
Kế hoạch rơi vào hỗn loạn
Những người nuôi thú cưng khác, như Ben và đối tác của anh ấy, là cha mẹ thú cưng của Chó chăn cừu Úc ba tuổi, Kai, đã buộc phải xem xét lại kế hoạch của họ do vấn đề tìm thuê nhà.
Gia đình gần đây đã chuyển từ Victoria đến Queensland và trong khi họ có trải nghiệm thuê nhà tích cực ở Melbourne, tìm thấy nhiều dịch vụ cho thuê thân thiện với vật nuôi để lựa chọn, họ thấy đây không phải là trường hợp ở Queensland.
Despite applying for multiple properties, having impeccable references, and even offering to pay a pet bond, Ben and his partner were unsuccessful in finding a rental allowing pets. They are now looking to buy in Queensland.
“I think it’s hilarious that you can spend up to $1 million for a home and a body corporate says no to pets,” he said.
“My dog is much cleaner and quieter than a child under five!”
Sue Hedley, the founder of Save Animals from Euthanasia (SAFE) sees countless people in a similar situations and says her organisation has been forced to rehome thousands of pets because of the rental crisis.
As a result, Sue feels very passionate about rentals allowing pets because she’s witnessed the negative mental health impacts on people being separated from their pets.
“We meet a lot of devastated people in our branches who can’t keep their pets. It’s constant. For many people, pets are the same as having children and with Covid lockdowns, people need their pets more than ever.”
Calls for law to change
Companion Animal Network Australia (CAN), a charity representing companion animal welfare, would like to see rental laws reformed in each state so landlords aren’t able to refuse a prospective tenant simply because they have a pet.
CAN’s Rent with Pets Program aims to change negative attitudes about pets in rentals, encouraging positive dialogue between landlords, real estate agents and pet owners and introducing reforms to rental law, similar to those introduced in Victoria in 2020.
In Victoria, if a tenant asks a landlord permission to have a pet on the property, they can’t refuse permission without a reasonable excuse.
According to CAN CEO, Trish Ennis, rather than focussing on the potential for pets to cause damage to property, landlords and property managers should appreciate the benefits pet owners offer.
Tenants with pets tend to stay longer, saving the cost of reletting and pets generally cause less damage to a property than children do.
Pet resumes proposed to solve problem
One practical way to sell a prospective “pet tenant” to a reluctant landlord is to provide them with your pet’s resume.
According to Ms Ennis: “a pet resume can be a responsible pet owner’s most powerful tool when applying for rentals”.
“It provides an opportunity to present potential landlords and property managers with your animal’s best qualities, hopefully, overcome any prejudices they may have when it comes to pets and promote you as a responsible pet parent.”
A pet resume should highlight your pet’s best qualities and include details such as their breed, personality and temperament, as well as information on how well trained they are and how you clean up after them.
Information about their habits, activity levels, and where in the property they’re likely to spend the most time is also useful information for a landlord to know.
Adding vet, training certificates and registration details, not to mention glowing references from previous neighbours and landlords will also ensure your pet’s resume stands out from the crowd.
Real estate agent Maree McCorrie, pet parent to Toby, a fourteen-year-old Cavoodle, encourages more property managers and landlords to include pets in strata schemes and rental agreements.
“I think the attitudes of property managers and landlords towards pet-friendly housing depends on the type of property and kind of tenants.
“I’ve dealt with some beautiful tenants with pets and I wouldn’t hesitate in leasing them property.”
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