Renting to someone with dogs

E

elainem

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I hae a S23 property down the country which I have found very difficult to let. The last tenant went home when the bad weather came last Xmas. She didn't buy any oil so the pipes and radiators burst and the boiler froze. The shower later broke and was apparently related to this. The damage cost about e3000 to fix, hence, I am really nernvous about renting it out again.

The tennants who want to take it now are two guys (I think a couple) who have two dogs - one large and one small. I am really nervous to rent to anyone with pets. They gave me a number of their previous landlord but I can't be sure if he's just a friend or a landlord. They apparently had an apartment (with the dogs) and are leaving because they need cheaper rent - mine is e80 cheaper per month. I wonder also if they will say they can't afford the oil this coming winter too!

Anyway, advice wanted - would any of you rent a house, with large gareden, to a couple (lads) with dogs?

Thanks.
 
I definitely wouldn't...

I had tenants in a house a few years ago who concealed the fact that they had a dog. They left the house after 3 months of living there and the back garden was completely destroyed, both from the dog running up and down on the same track and an abundance of excretement which was never cleaned up.

My advice.........don't do it.
 
Thanks, Paddy Bloggit and Diver. I'm definitely not going to rent it to them now. The rent is so low in that area of the country that it would never cover the damage done. I have a dog myself, and know all about the dog hair and having to clean up after them. It is just so hard to rent these S23 properties in far flung Ireland that it I was initially tempted to rent it to them. Thanks again.
 
I would say it depends on the person and the type of dog and dog owner. You could ask to call over and see them (and take a look at their present house) if that's possible. Interview the dogs so to speak.
However, I know lots of people with dogs who are fastidiously tidy and will pick up all the poop. You can always build some special clause into the lease about the dog and damage to the garden.
A lawn that is trampled on by dogs will grow back easy enough surely.
Some dogs don't actually shed that much.

Depends on how stuck you are for tenants is all - like if they intend staying for a year or two or even more it might be worth the wee bit of extra cleaning...
 
There is a guy renting a house beside me and he has a dog. The back garden is completly destroyed, its a labador who seems to enjoy just running around all the time and of course the back garden is his toilet.

At one point there was only a few tuffs of grass left and he also managed to try to dig a few holes under the fences.

I also rented out a house to a person who had a cat and I ended up having to pay a professional cleaning company to come in and clean the couches and chairs, the smell of cat pee and the hairs were all over the place.

Animals, unfortunately, do a certain amount of wear and tear so you would want to consider it carefully. But it depends on the dog and the owner, there are other dog owners around my house that have lovely back gardens because their dogs seem a bit less mad-in-the-head.
 
Hi, just an opinion, but if you are stuck for someone to rent your place to, then interview these guys. Put down your requirements in writing in respect to the dogs & get them to agree / sign. You will be getting a deposit, & state that refund of that deposit is subject to them agreeing to your requirements... I know you got badly burnt due to previous tenant & the cost of getting the place back into a livable state was quite large... not all tenants are like that... so talk to the guys and go with your gut feeling. I would talk to their previous landlord, ask him/her specific details that a "friend" might get tripped up on...

Not too sure if you could call down to check on how things are going if you do rent it out to them... you could just mention that you will be checking on the property (not too sure if this is wise or not.. I'm not a landlord) as you had issues with previous tenants...
 
Dont let it to someone with a Boxer. We have had 5 and they are lovely pets, but plough up the lawn every Winter. When they are bored, and they have all done this, they race around every corner of the garden.
We love these dogs so we tolerate this pattern.
On the other hand our daughter has 3 little woolly dogs, her garden never suffers in the Winter and they dont shed. They dont need the same degree of exercise. When they come in from the garden they have to stay on a mat at the door until she gives them permission to go any further. Good luck with your decision Browtal
 
why not just take a larger deposit or ask for regular inspections, it all depends on the people you're renting to some people are cleaner than others, I'd imagine people with pets may be more settled too
 
I have rented in Dublin for 4 years with a dog.

I have been open with the landlords ( had to move twice due to owners returning from abroad) and we have had no problems.

The dog is mentioned in the lease. Some landlords have asked for an extra deposit, but we have been returned the full amount each time. He even has been mentioned in the references from one landlord to the other.

We " scoop the poop" and walk the dog a lot so there is no damage from boredom.

Do not paint all dog owners with the same brush please. It makes life really difficult for us responsible dog owners.

I suggest meeting with the prospective tenants and ringing their former land lord. If they are irresponsible, dont let them have the house. If they take care, no problem.
 
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