Australia has one of the highest rates of household pet ownership in the world, with 62% of households having a pet.
In Queensland, 39% of households have a dog, 24% have a cat and 12% have both.*
(*RTA Qld Govt)
Demand is high for pet friendly accommodation and choosing tenants who do not have pets reduces your tenant pool quite considerably. Landlords fear the damage that a pet can potentially cause, but if managed properly, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Under current legislation, tenants require written permission as part of their tenancy agreement to have pets. The agreement will specify that the tenant is responsible for any damage caused by the pet, and they can also be required to arrange for tick and flea treatment plus have carpets professionally cleaned when they eventually move out.
Landlords are urged to check their insurance policy as damage caused by pets may not be include in their cover.
However given the abundance of tenants who are also pet-owners, Landlords may want to rethink their attitude towards allowing pets into their rental properties by possibly making the property more pet-friendly and having a property manager who closely monitors the condition of the property throughout the tenancy.
