Long Eaton-based organisation welcomes Government action on pet discrimination

Published on: Monday, 1st February 2021
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Jennifer Berezai

A Long Eaton-based organisation that campaigns for tenants to be able to keep their pets with them has welcomed new Government guidelines which make it easier for them to find accommodation.

Under the new Model Tenancy Agreement, landlords will no longer be able to issue blanket bans on pets. Instead, consent for pets will be the default position and landlords will have to object in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant and provide a good reason.

The housing ministry says that just 7% of private landlords advertise pet friendly properties, meaning in some cases people have had to give up their beloved pets in order to find somewhere to live. 

To ensure landlords are protected, tenants will continue to have a legal duty to repair or cover the cost of any damage to the property.

Long Eaton-based charity AdvoCATS has welcomed the announcement of the new Model Tenant Agreement, describing it as “a huge step forward for responsible renters who struggle to find accommodation that will accept them and their pets”.

“The focus of the agreement is on demonstrating responsible pet ownership, which is at the very core of the AdvoCATS message,” explained Jennifer Berezai, who co-founded the charity in May 2018.

She added: “We offer a free support and advice service to landlords and tenants where a tenant wants to bring a pet into a rented property. Providing some background information for a landlord to consider - our own tenant check, vet reference, pet assessment for example - can be enough to allay their concerns and allow them to make an informed decision as to whether to allow that pet in their property.

“AdvoCATS has helped many, many people since we began in 2018, and has gained support from Cats Protection, Battersea Dog and Cats Home, RSPCA, NRLA, ARLA Propertymark, EMH Homes and Nottingham City Homes to name but a few.”

The charity’s work has been included and commended in a parliamentary report into pets alleviating loneliness, and also been featured in the Your Cat and Cat World magazines.

Jennider added: “It's important to realise that the new Agreement isn't enforceable by law - for this to change we've been working with Romford MP Andrew Rosindell and his #JasminesLaw campaign, which seeks to ban blanket “No pets” clauses in rental home agreements. 

AdvoCATS requests readers to add their voice to this campaign by signing the petition and/or using the mail generator to send a letter to their MP for support:

* Petition
* Letter

“It isn’t right that only a tiny fraction of landlords advertise pet-friendly properties and, in some cases, people have had to give up their beloved pets in order to find somewhere to live,” said the Housing Minister Chris Pincher, announcing the changes recently.

Cat owners or landlords seeking to resolve an issue with a pet in a rental property can contact AdvoCATSeastmids at advocatsem @ gmail.com or visit the website at www.advocatseastmids.org.uk for further information.

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