Renting With Pets? How To Show Them In Their Best Light
Finding a suitable rental property that meets your needs is difficult enough, but when pets are permanent members of your family, it can sometimes seem like all lessors have a “no pets” policy. Australians have some of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world, so being able to have our pets around us while in a rental is an essential part of life for many of us.
Changes to Legislation give Tenants with Pets More Rights
Residential tenancy legislation is a state matter. Currently, the only state that has legislated to give tenants the right to keep pets is Victoria, with Queensland likely to follow suit. Lessors must still give permission, but it is much harder to refuse, and tenants have a right of appeal to an external body.
Many Lessors Willing to Negotiate with Pet Owners
Attitudes are changing, however, and even though a property advert may say no pets, many lessors are willing to negotiate with tenants who have good references. Some states allow lessors to apply a pet bond or include a clause in the rental agreement requiring extra cleaning, fumigation and repair of any damage caused by pets when vacating the premises.
Here at Bunbury Real Estate, our professional property managers look at past rental history, personal references and financial capacity when we are assessing a new tenant. If they have pets, we recommend that they also include a pet resume with their tenancy application. This document is becoming increasingly popular and is helping pet owners to keep their pets with them.
What Information Should Be in a Pet Resume?
Just like a human resume, a pet resume should contain all the information needed for someone to decide if the pet will be suitable for the vacant tenancy. Information such as the age of the animal, its breed, sex and desexing status, as well as its local government registration and microchip details will show the reader that this is a well-cared for pet.
Include Copies of References
Vaccination, flea and worming schedules are essential pieces of information, as are copies of the actual vaccination and desexing certificates. Copies of references from previous lessors and a brief description of the pet’s temperament, along with some photos, will also help to build a complete picture of how the pet behaves in a home environment.
Quality of the Information More Important than the Format
Some people present their pet resumes in the form of a letter, while others with the time and knowhow follow the format of an employment resume. In fact, pet resumes are becoming so popular that a quick search online offers templates and examples. Whatever method you decide, it is the quality of information in the document and the attached references that help an agency like ours to make fair decisions.
