Dogs Trust responds to new Scottish Housing Bill

In response to the recent publication of details of the Scottish government's new Housing Bill, Claire Wilson-Leary, Public Affairs Manager at Dogs Trust, says: 

'We welcome proposals within the Housing (Scotland) Bill that, if passed, will mean landlords cannot unreasonably refuse consent for private tenants to keep a pet. We have long called for stronger rights for responsible dog owning tenants to be able to keep a pet.  

"We will be engaging with the Scottish Government to clarify details of when it would be reasonable for landlords to refuse consent to ensure that tenants are not unjustly denied the right to keep a pet.     

  "We are also pleased to see that the Bill includes provisions to support social housing tenants who are experiencing domestic abuse. Through Freedom, we support dog owners experiencing domestic abuse, and we will continue to advocate for them so that tenants fleeing domestic abuse are also considered.' 

Dogs Trust has been campaigning for many years for greater rights for responsible dog owners who rent. Around one in ten people contacting Dogs Trust to rehome their dog cite issues with accommodation, such as being unable to find suitable rental accommodation, forcing them to make the difficult decision to rehome their dog.  

Research conducted by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection revealed that landlords are currently split on whether they currently allow pets, with 48% of Scottish landlords saying they allow pets. However, the number of Scottish tenants saying their tenancy allows pets is much lower than this, with just 28% saying their landlord would allow a dog in the property.  

The same research revealed that, in over a third of cases across the UK, where cats or dogs have not been allowed by a private landlord, the landlord did not proactively decide this based on the individual tenants or pets, but either followed advice or a used a standard template.   

Allowing pets in rental properties is not just good for the tenants; there are advantages to landlords too as it could increase the length of time tenants choose to rent a property. Research by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection found that 30% of Scottish tenants would stay longer in a property if they were allowed to keep a pet.   

To increase the availability of pet friendly properties, Dogs Trust has been providing advice and resources to pet owners, landlords and letting agencies for more than a decade through its Lets with Pets scheme. For tips and advice on how to become a pet friendly landlord and how to find pet friendly accommodation, visit www.letswithpets.org.uk/.