Make Your Rental Property Pet Friendly

As a landlord, you have the power to decide on many things that have to do with your rental property. If you don’t want to allow pets in your property, it is within your right to forbid any and all potential tenants from bringing their beloved cats and dogs with them. But is that really the smart way to go? If statistics are to be believed, you might want to change your mind about pets, and make your rental units pet friendly instead.

Millions of Australians have pets

According to figures from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or RSPCA, Australians love pets. The RSPCA numbers say 63% of 7.5 million Australian households have a pet. Considering that 4,725,000 of those households are leased to renters, it’s safe to say that a significant number of renters—potential tenants to you—have pets they certainly wouldn’t want to part with.

So what does that mean for your “no pets allowed” policy? It means you could be losing out on potential renters, who would rather find more pet friendly homes to rent than give their pets up. That certainly wouldn’t do your business any good. To better your chances that any of your rental property never become empty at any given time, you may have to relax your no pets policy and allow renters to bring their furry friends with them.

However, if you are to do this, you should consider making your rental property pet friendly. Apart from protecting your investment, making your property pet friendly is also for the protection of the pets themselves. Here are some of the things you can do to make your rental property pet friendly. Perhaps even discuss them with the potential tenant and see if they are happy to share part of the cost.

Install tile or linoleum flooring

The floor is always the most “abused” part of the house whenever there are pets around. Pets will relieve themselves on it, scratch it or make just about every kind of mess on it. To prevent pets from inflicting irreversible damage on your flooring, your property’s floors should be tile or linoleum. Those kinds of floors also make it easier for their owners to clean up whatever mess their pets make.

Pet friendly homes have fences

Pets, by nature, are escape artists. Once presented with an opportunity to venture a little further from the house, they will always take it. A property without a fence is certainly a mother lode of opportunities to escape. So install fencing if your property doesn’t have one. If it is already fenced, put up a secure gate that no animal could ever open.

No fancy landscaping

If you’re going to allow renters to bring pets, then don’t put much effort on landscaping or gardening anymore. You know dogs and cats will just mess that up. If you have to have a garden, opt for simple ones with a few shrubs or trees.

Put up a sheltered area for pets

In cases of bad weather, it would be great if your rental property has a sheltered area for pets. A patio, a garage or any sheltered area will do. If your rental property does not have any of these, you can add shade sails just to put up a covered area.

In case you need help making your rental property a more pet friendly home, just call us at Tradebusters. Our team can connect you with suitable trades professionals like a local handymen which may be all that you need to fix those few things around the house.