Pet-friendly properties in high demand

Lobby groups and tenants are calling for landlords and property strata’s to shift their mindsets to allow for more pet-friendly properties.

A long-running issue for many fur-loving renters is finding a property that is pet-friendly. Many landlords don’t allow pets on the property, stating hygiene issues and destructive and disruptive behaviour as reasons not to. Those looking to buy property under strata don’t have it any easier with pet ownership restrictions already in place.  

The media has recently reported that as many as 22 per cent of pet owners have had to give away a pet because they have been unable to find pet-friendly accommodation. Plus, a Pet Ownership Study found that one in four renters lied about having a pet on their applications, while 27 per cent hid their pets during property inspections.

Real estate agents across the country say that landlords and strata’s who don’t allow pets are in many ways putting themselves at a disadvantage. ‘Pet-friendly’ is one of the most searched terms on real estate websites, so marketing a property as pet-friendly and clearly stating why it is suitable and for what pets will most likely attract more interest, be rented/sold quicker, and at a premium price.  

Lobbying groups are pushing state governments to change rental laws that will allow for pets, or at the very least, provide renters with the resources to make their case to landlords.