Landlords 'should ascertain letting agents' attitudes to pets'

News Category: Marketing

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Landlords should check their letting agents' feelings on pets when deciding between them, according to one expert.

In a blog post for the Shropshire Star last week, letting agent Lea Beven claimed landlords should be aware that tenants are more likely to be dishonest about the presence of pets if their letting agent has a zero-tolerance policy.

"You can't even refuse a current tenant to have a pet without reasonable grounds, for example if you have allergies and are planning on moving back into the property yourself," she warned.

Ms Beven also advised landlords to determine how much their prospective tenants will have to pay up front through letting agents, as many are often unable to afford initial payments including a deposit, one month's rent and agency fees.

Earlier this month, figures from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors showed that between November 2010 and January this year, the number of chartered surveyors who reported increased tenant payments to landlords rose by 40 per cent.

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