What landlords and tenants need to know about renting with pets in Canberra

Finding a rental in general in Canberra can be a lengthy and stressful process, particularly if you’re on the hunt during the peak time of year between December and February. Add in trying to find a rental with a furry, scaled or feathered friend in tow, and you’re staring down an even more complicated process.

In November 2019, new legislation came into effect, which in theory makes things easier for pet owners to secure a rental.

“The new legislation supports that tenants have exclusive rights to the homes they're renting,” says Tamara Davis, property management specialist from Home by Holly.

“And unless there is a valid reason or argument behind rejecting a tenant's request to have a pet in the property that they're renting, the owner generally has to agree instead of, for no reason, just being able to say, ‘no, you can't have a pet’.”

But that doesn’t mean you’re welcome to just move Fido in with you, no questions asked. Tamara says the process still remains the same, and as a tenant you still need to seek consent from your landlord and make sure you’ve formally got the official tick of approval to keep your pet in the property.

Having worked in property management for more than 15 years, Tamara believes the majority of people are good pet owners, and it’s just a small minority who have given pet owners a bad name, with landlords often citing a previous bad experience as their reason for being against a pet in their property.

For tenants

So what can tenants with pets do to help secure them a rental?

“A pet reference helps, whether it's from a previous agent or another relevant person. Photos help too, showing a nice backyard with green grass and a maintained garden that isn't dug up,” says Tamara.

“Another thing that helps is making sure you're a responsible owner from the outset. So provide the certificates that show you've had the dog desexed, that it’s microchipped and registered. Also tell us about whether it has a local vet, or if it goes to doggy school, or you get them regularly groomed - all of the positives that show you’re a good, responsible pet owner. You could even offer to get in a regular gardener or professional cleaner in.”

For the landlords

And what does this mean for landlords? Despite the new legislation, there are still cases when owners can refuse a tenant having a pet at their property.

“For example you might have an owner investor who is [sent overseas on posting] and they have to rent their property out while they're abroad,” says Tamara.

“Let's say they have every intention of returning to the property when they’re back, and their three kids are hypoallergenic. We can supply paperwork that shows that even steam cleaning and other cleaning measures wouldn't totally eradicate the presence of pets in that property whilst they've been abroad. Or another reason might be if an entire backyard isn't secure or there’s a small fence and the tenant applying has a large dog that jumps.”

Tamara also says it means it’s even more important for landlords to make sure they have a property manager who is diligent. For one of her tenants in the past who owned multiple dogs, Tamara insisted on three-monthly inspections instead of the regular six-monthly inspections so she could be proactive if the animals were causing any damage.

“You need to find an agent that does their inspections and keeps an eye on everything and sets the expectations and standard from the outset,” she says.

“The other thing owners should do too is to revisit their insurance coverage and make sure they've got the right coverage when it comes to having pets.”