Leigh-Ann Hewer loves her cat, Casper, and there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for him. However, she does object to having to pay £35 a month further in hire for him – one thing she has performed for the final 4 years.
Cat-costs apart, Leigh-Ann and her companion pay £1,400 for a one-bedroom flat in Bristol. The 25-year-old mentioned: “It’s very difficult to find a place that will accept pets. We had to look for a really long time to find this one.”
It is, in truth, the second time she’s needed to pay further for her pet. After ending college in 2019, she, alongside along with her companion who doesn’t need to be named, adopted their feline good friend and moved in collectively in Bath.
“Finally we found a large flat complex that would allow pets for an additional £35 a month.”
The couple determined then to maneuver from Bath to Bristol final summer season and, as soon as once more, discovered it tough to search out someplace that might take pets.
“We ended up in a similar apartment complex, owned by the same company, which also charged £35 a month.”
This means she has been paying the extra £35 a month for the final 4 years, a complete of £1,680, a determine that’s solely going to get larger.
Leigh-Ann, who works in PR, described herself as “not thrilled” about paying the additional quantity. “I would rather not pay the extra as it doesn’t always feel fair but we’ve chosen the best possible option. It’s quite difficult to find accommodation overall, even harder with a pet.”
“We’ve looked to move with the hope of getting a slightly bigger place but have come up against the challenge that landlords just don’t want pets. There seems to be an almost blanket ban.
“Everything is expensive. Ideally we’d be paying less rent overall but prices in Bristol are quite pricey.”
Earlier within the month a property in London’s East End was listed on Rightmove, bought by developer, Fizzy Living.
A two-bedroom flat for £2,180, it got here with a further cost of £75 a month for anybody who desires a pet in it. Although this has been bought, others on the property web site present they cost the identical charge.
Despite 46 per cent of landlords saying they’ll enable pets in a recent survey for the Dogs and Cats Protection charity, solely 9 per cent of householders say their properties had been marketed as pet-friendly.
The charity additionally discovered {that a} third of personal landlords who don’t at present enable pets in all or any of their properties added nothing would persuade them to.
Landlords are allowed to cost hire for pets, in accordance with the Tenant Fees Act 2019 – though this cost can’t be extreme.
The Act says that landlords in England can not request the next tenancy deposit for renting with a pet. Deposits are capped at not more than 5 weeks’ hire the place the full annual hire is lower than £50,000, or six weeks’ hire the place the full annual hire is £50,000 or above.
Instead landlords can cost you further hire for having a pet. However, they can’t insist on an expert cleansing or de-flea remedy service on the finish of your tenancy.
Leigh-Ann would by no means remorse adopting Casper however says it has restricted her actions.
“The options are either to pay or spend ages searching for somewhere new. I wouldn’t say I’m happy to pay the amount but I would rather do that than not have Casper.”
i contacted Fizzy Living for remark however didn’t hear again on the time of publishing.
Have you paid hire to your pet?
We’d love to listen to from you.
Get in contact: [email protected]
