Renting with a dog or cat: what the landlord can require
One of the most common filters and one of the worst explained. What the contract says, what can be agreed and how to raise it without being ruled out immediately.
Looking for a flat with a pet halves your options, and almost always out of fear of damage that rarely materialises.
The contract is what governs
If the contract says nothing about animals, in principle you can have them. If it includes a clause prohibiting them and you signed it, it binds you. That is why it is worth reading that part **before** signing, not after moving in with the dog.
Watch the community by-laws too: they can regulate the use of common areas, although banning animals inside a home is a different matter and far less common.
What is reasonable to agree
- That you are liable for damage caused by the animal, which would fall to you anyway.
- An additional deposit within whatever the applicable rules allow, if expressly agreed.
- A commitment on living together: noise, common areas, cleanliness.
How to raise it so it goes well
Do not hide it. An animal that appears later breeds distrust and gives grounds not to renew you. Do the opposite: say it in your first message, with specifics — size, age, whether it is alone for long stretches — and offer to introduce them.
If you are coming from another tenancy, a reference from your previous landlord saying there were no problems is worth more than any promise. It is the document that convinces most, and almost nobody brings it.
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