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More than 60 per cent of Australian households own pets, so why are renters struggling to find homes that will accommodate their furry friends? One website is aiming to make it easier for landlords and PMs to accept tenants with pets.
According to the RSPCA, 63 per cent of Aussie households have pets, but 42 per cent of pet-owning renters find it ‘extremely difficult’ to secure a home.
In a bid to tackle this problem, Rent.com.au has launched ‘Pet Resume’, a feature that allows tenants to list the best qualities of their pet – whether they’ve been vaccinated, registered or trained – in the hopes of improving their applications’ success.
“While many landlords would eventually welcome pets, we find that only 25 per cent of our property listings specify ‘pets allowed’. By adding Pet Resume to the Renter Resume application, we are making information available which will help all parties involved make a favourable decision,” Rent.com.au CEO, Greg Bader, said.
“We are striving to bridge the gap between the overwhelming demand for pet-friendly rentals and limited supply. For instance, more than half of the listings do not specify if pets are welcomed at all. When we surveyed over 700 property agents and landlords, around 80 per cent said they would consider pets if they were presented with all the information required. This is how the idea of Pet Resume was born.”
Mr Bader said he hoped the initiative would help open communication between tenants and PMs, and make the application process faster and more transparent.
Devine Real Estate’s investment property specialist Jeannette Nguyen also weighed in on the issue, saying tenants showing responsibility for their pets would be viewed more favourable by PMs and landlords.
“Providing a Pet Resume together with the application demonstrates to a landlord that they take pet ownership seriously and will take full responsibility for their pet’s health, behaviour and council registrations and vaccinations. This can reassure an owner that in keeping a pet, the property will be maintained to a high standard, as if it were the tenant’s own property,” Ms Nguyen said.
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