I’ve just let a house out, using a letting agent on a find-only basis (I’ve used them for about 5 years and always had a good relationship with them). When they said they’d found a tenant, they said she had one small Chihuahua dog, would that be a problem. I normally let properties on a no pets basis, but as everything else stacked up with this one, I said I’d allow the Chihuahua (this wasn’t put in writing).

So this weekend, I was at the property supervising the felling of a tree, and she comes scuttling out with 3 dogs! One Chihuahua, one Shih tzu, and one Yorkie!

Rung the letting agent this morning to ascertain who’s been telling me porkies, the agent insist it was the tenant. Then the tenant rings to apologise for lying and gives me some sob story about trying to rehome the dogs but having no luck (I think she’s lying more).

So, what’s reasonable under the circumstances? There’s not a lot of good will on my part as she’s lied to me. Eviction would be a pain but she paid 6 months up front, so I’d return the remainder and look at keeping as much of the deposit as possible.

Or, the agents mentioned imposing a supplementary charge for the dogs.

Any wisdom? I’d like to stay on the right side of the STW Karma tight rope, but at the end of the day, I’m a landlord and we have fairly low expectations to live up to… 😉

If she is prepared to lie about the dogs, she will lie about other things. Ask her to move on…

Rachel

If it were me i’d just schedule in monthly inspections and closely monitor it…as soon as you notice the house condition deteriorating then i’d be inclined to say bye-bye to her.

If she’s a decent tenant, she will look after the house, and it’ll be win win for you both. However, doesn’t change the fact that she lied though..

Rachel

extra bond money for cleaning.

Rachel

My thoughts exactly – schedule in monthly/bi-monthly inspections and deep-cleaning as required during the tenancy, paid for by her up front.

Surely it’s about the condition of the place when she leaves? And you can fleece her deposit for any damages and all petty, minor cleaning requirements anyway (real or invented).

Why don’t you shoot the dogs…

I’d just get over it, it’s only 3 small dogs. As DezB says, it’s about the condition when she leaves.

I also don’t see why you’d want to take a portion of the deposit unless any actual damage has been done.

I consider it a pleasant surprise if tenants pay and a miracle if they don’t trash the place. Six months up front is a lot (in France the legal max is one month) and there’s no mention of the neighbours complaining about the dogs in your post. As for wanting to keep most of the deposit, why? How can you justify that?

She sounds like a great tenant, give her a nice bottle of wine at Christmas if all is going well.

The agent said it would be reasonable to impose a £150 additional charge (1 off) for a dog, so I’ve said that’s fine… Multiply it by 3. So she pays an additional £450 up front to cover additional cleaning etc.

Ross

Surely the deposit will cover any cleaning bills.

As above, more regular inspections?

It can be hard to find places to rent that will allow dogs.
They are small…. so Extra for cleaning, more inspections. She will know shes on a shaky hook, if shes been good otherwise, it would save a lot of hassle in the short term.

I reckon if she’s not being honest when she takes up tenancy, she’ll be even worse when it comes to leaving time.

Leave some laxative drenched steak in the garden. This will fulfill multiple points

1. The dogs will learn not to mess with you.
2. They’ll shit all over the house meaning you can kick her out
3. The owner will learn not to mess with you
4. There’s an important lesson about lying in there
5. While I’m a big lover of dogs I’ve never been that keen on Yorkshire terriers so I’d be happy to hear it nearly turned its insides out.

so few places will take pets, i haven’t lied but have been tempted to. Keep tabs on them by all means.

I’m a dog lover too, but I know the impact they have on properties in which they’re kept, so the definitely has to be some sort of financial recompense to cover additional cleaning.

Maybe I get a quote from contract cleaners for a full deep clean and insist that she pays that up front. Then it’s just further damages or unpaid rent that would come out of the deposit.

Chandler

so few places will take pets, i haven’t lied but have been tempted to

Same here actually, had 2 bl00dy rabbits that turned out to be a right PITA when looking for a house to rent.

Monica

so I’d return the remainder and look at keeping as much of the deposit as possible.

On what grounds?

On what grounds?

Returning the property to the state in which it was left.

Phoebe

My neighbours rent and they don’t have dogs – they are just vile pricks!

I’d give anything for a nice lady with dogs rather than cider fuelled scum!

The damage they have done is way worse than any dog could do .

The tenant may have a lot more opportunity to argue the toss over deposit deductions (even if there have been little deposits all over the house 🙂 )

If it’s separate money for a specific purpose, as suggested by the agent, at least it’s available during and after the tenancy as required with no wrangling.

Trouble is, if she’s not that fastidious about cleaning up properly after her dogs, the amount of damage to floor and wall coverings can quickly mount up and may even exceed the value of the deposit if they need replacing rather than just cleaning.

You seem to be assuming she won’t clean. She will because she’ll want her deposit back.

This thread is telling me more about some posters than I’ve learned from any other.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6MkCrl2bnY[/video]

This is my main concern Martin, plus, if she stops her standing order a month early (you’d be amazed how many try this) and ask me to take the final month’s rent out of the deposit, I’m screwed.

If it makes any difference, she’s butt ugly.

Joey

So she pays an additional £450 up front to cover additional cleaning etc

If she’s willing to do this, then it has to be the best way foreward (though £450 sounds a teeny bit steep..).

Ugly naked guy

There must be a joke about deposits somewher in all of the above

Chandler

In future strictly no pets policy IMO. We were always honest/completely upfront so missed out on a few properties. Not everyone likes dogs and 3 is taking the piss. Carpets/hard flooring will age quicker. Look closely and you’ll spot the odd thread/carpet loop pull etc.

Do you really think the sort of woman who owns a Chihuahua will be happy to live in filth? I doubt it. I suspect she’ll be exceptionally clean.

We have two “illegal” guinea pigs in our house and it’s spotless.

She could be the Mary Poppins of squeaky-clean tenants – or the reverse. OP doesn’t know yet, although he’s been misled already, so he’s wise to be wary and to take steps to make sure he doesn’t end up totally out of pocket.

Edukator, it’s not a matter of whether or not she cleans, it’s more the fact that no matter how fastidious she is, the carpets will smell of dog long after she and her menagerie have left.

Try letting a property that smells like Battersey Dogs Home, especially to people who don’t keep dogs because they tend to live in rented properties that don’t allow them!

Gunther

I have the strangest urge to watch some tightly scripted 90s American comedy…

i am a landlord, the tenant i have in for 18 months is an absolute diamond. When we met her for the first time she told us that she has 2 horrible little yappy horrors. My misses was not happy with the situation but compared to some of the people who came to visit the place she was definitely the type we wanted.

She is clean, the dogs don’t make a mess. And she pays the rent on time. BOSH. What more could a landlord dream of?

She also told us how hard it is to find a place that accept dogs.

If it was the difference between no dogs and dogs I’d see the problem, but with this being a question of extent, less so.

Smokes-a-lot lady

May be intresting to ask where the dogs are going to crap, and who is looking after them when she is at work.

I have the strangest urge to watch some tightly scripted 90s American comedy…

Do you really think the sort of woman who owns a Chihuahua will be happy to live in filth?

She’s more emotionally-damaged-mid-to-late-forties-emotionally-unstable-crazy-dog-woman than Paris Hilton.

Marcel

Trying to rehome the dogs- why not offer to help?

I was always upfront- didnt smoke/allow smoking or shoes in the house either. I wanted my deposit back! (Cheque received in 2 days after vacating).

Thats a point. If she works fulltime what do all 3 do?!

*glitchy bump*

If it makes any difference, she’s butt ugly.

Of course it does.

did you stipulate no tattoos..?

If not it’s your own fault.. I bet either the tennant and/or 1 or more of the dogs is a tattooed loser