It's 2024, and landlords are still using the 'No Pets' rule for tenants. This makes searching for a home more difficult for many people as it severly limits options for places to rent. That, along with the cost of living crisis making both rent and bills climb higher and higher, turns finding somewhere to live into a nightmare. 

Many landlords use the reasoning that the 'No Pets' rule is due to potential damage to the property. Understandable, at first glance, until one takes the fact that the majority of renters are required to pay a deposit of at least £500 upfront as insurance for any potential future damage. The average pet is either a cat or dog, any damage they may inflict would easily be covered by the deposit. They could also draw up a written agreement for the owner promising to cover any extra damage their pet may inflict on the property instead of banning pets completely.

Pets are a common element to many households, they bring comfort and joy to those lucky enough to have them. People shouldn't have to worry about whether their pets will be allowed when looking for a home. Especially not when all good pet owners would be more than willing to cover any damage their pet may inflict. 

While pets and children are very different, the amount of potential noise and damage they may cause is about the same, maybe even less so on the pets part depending on how they're trained. This to say, landlords shouldn't be refusing pets on these shallow bases.

Let's finally get rid of the 'No Pets' rule and make finding a place to live just a little bit easier for everyone.