Britain is famously a nation of animal lovers. We’re home to the world’s oldest animal welfare charity, the RSPCA, which was set up nearly 200 years ago in a London coffee shop. Fast-forward to today, and there are some 57 million pets living in the UK, with 40% of households owning a pet of some kind.
For good reason too: humans can benefit enormously from their animal companions, with research revealing pets can help with everything from lowering blood pressure and reducing anxiety, to boosting immunity and curtailing asthma.
With more than £7 billion spent on them each year, pets are now firmly considered an invaluable part of the family, snugly taking their well-deserved seat at the top of any household. Yet despite the explosive growth of renting over the past decade-and-a-half, a lot of landlords don’t seem to share Brits’ enthusiasm for pet ownership.
Flick through your average rental contract and most will prohibit pets from living in the property, leaving would-be tenants in the doghouse and far too many of our furry friends on the streets or in a shelter. It’s ridiculous when you consider that over-excited children can create more mess than a passive pooch – and in half the time.
This all ties into a wider problem with the current rental market, where the needs of renters are considered last. While you might see a rented flat as your home, to your landlord it is just an investment or their back-up pension. You might think agents have your interests at heart, but in reality, for them, the landlord is the real customer, and even that doesn’t stop them from charging rip-off fees for routine admin.
We Think Renting Should Be Pet Friendly
While we develop our own buildings, we see ourselves primarily as a service business, not a property one. And that means taking care of all our customers’ needs, including their pets.
That is why all of our developments are pet-friendly. We do understand that pets can cause allergies or be noisy and messy, so they’re not allowed in the shared spaces. All pets that want to live with us have to pass an interview with our on-site residents’ team to check veterinary records and make sure they will fit in the community.
Pet Friendly Apartments
Our business model is based on what’s available in North America, where homes built specifically for rent have been around for decades. In the United States, many apartment buildings have dog parks and pet salons! Would you like to see more of this here in the UK?
If you're looking for a pet-friendly landlord, be sure to check out our locations.
