Oak Tree Animals’ Charity’s Pets in Rentals programme has been designed to support local letting agents to make more properties pet friendly and to solve the issue of much-loved family members needing to be relinquished when their owners have to move into new properties. Carlisle has the lowest percentage of pet friendly rentals in the UK, meaning that owners in our region often struggle to find accommodation where their pets can also live. We are delighted to announce that PFK have now become the first letting agent to officially sign up to the programme.
Nicola Hadfield, Property Manager at PFK, said: “PFK are proud to be a pet friendly estate and letting agent, and we are always on the case trying to find suitable properties for animals (and their humans as well!)”.
Moving into a property where the landlord doesn’t allow pets is one of the top 5 reasons for cats and dogs to be relinquished to Oak Tree for rehoming. Often owners are heartbroken at having to do this, but when faced with a stark choice between keeping their beloved pet, and having a roof over their family’s heads, they are left with no other option.
It has been clearly shown that tenants with pets tend to stay longer and that over 90% of pet owners say that owning a pet makes them feel happy and 88% feel that pet ownership improves their overall quality of life (Statista 2018). If Oak Tree can help to keep pets with their owners, this also saves landlords hassle and the associated costs of finding new tenants in the long term.
Oak Tree’s Community Education Officer, Nicky Williams said: “We are thrilled that PFK have signed up to the Pets in Rentals programme. It is through this programme that we can offer practical support to letting agents and landlords to overcome barriers to pet friendly rental properties. We have designed packs that show landlords how to mitigate any perceived increased risks in having pets in their properties so they can confidently advertise them as pet friendly, and hence increase the number of potential tenants. We also give tenants practical advice and documents to convey to landlords that they are responsible pet owners. This way, we can help keep pets with their owners, in a win-win situation”.
For more information about Oak Tree’s Pets in Rentals programme please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk/community/pets-in-rentals or contact community@oaktreeanimals.org.uk
