Scotland leads the way with pet-friendly property rentals

May 14, 2021 | Property

Scotland is the most pet-friendly place in the UK when it comes to property rentals which allow pets.

According to Google Trends, searches for ‘pets’ has increased by 60% over the last three years.

As a nation of pet lovers, more than two in five bought a puppy to be their Covid-19 companion, and two-thirds agreed that their dog was a lifeline in lockdown.

Online letting agency Mashroom has researched the most pet-friendly cities in the UK, by calculating the percentages of rental properties that allow pets in cities across the UK.

Glasgow has taken the number one spot, with over half (50.2%) of properties allowing a furry friend, while on the east coast, almost half (49.7%) of properties in Edinburgh listed as pet friendly. Cambridge rounds up the top three, with 44.4% of properties.

The top 10 pet-loving cities are:

The research came as Parliament introduced the Animal Sentience Bill on Thursday, as the government recognises the importance of pets in people’s lives.

Stepan Dobrovolskiy, CEO of Mashroom said: ‘In a time where more and more people are owning pets, Landlords should be expecting the number of tenants with pets to increase. Whilst the majority of tenants and pet owners are responsible, some are not, which is why having a blanket acceptance may not be the answer.

However, landlords and tenants can work together, have an open conversation about it, discuss the level of training the pet has had, or perhaps increase the number of inspections on the property until everybody is happy that there are no issues.’

Well-behaved pets are now allowed into rental properties, following the government’s recent Model Tenancy Agreement, meaning landlords cannot issue a blanket ban on pets. This change was welcomed by 45% of landlords and 61% of tenants, according to recent research.

MP Christopher Pincher, housing minister, said: ‘We are a nation of animal lovers and, over the last year, more people than ever before have welcomed pets into their lives and homes.

‘However, it can’t be right that only a tiny fraction of landlords advertise pet-friendly properties and that, in some cases, people have had to give up their beloved pets in order to find somewhere to live.

‘Through the changes to the tenancy agreement we are making, we are bringing an end to the unfair blanket ban on pets introduced by some landlords.

‘This strikes the right balance between helping more people find a home that’s right for them and their pet while ensuring landlords’ properties are safeguarded against inappropriate or badly behaved pets.’