Pets and renting homes in Madrid
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In Spain there are 29 million pets, of which more than nine million are dogs.
In Spain we love pets, they are one more member of the family, so when in December 2021 animals began to be considered as living beings endowed with sensitivity after the approval of Law 17/2021, social networks were filled with joy and they celebrated this recognition with their pets. Some thought that landlords could no longer prohibit tenants from owning pets or renting with pets, but the truth is that none of the changes have really changed the situation for tenants with pets in rentals.
It is no secret to anyone that pet-friendly rental housing is scarce on the market , despite the fact that in Spain only dogs make up 9.3 million of the 29 million pets, according to the National Association of Food Manufacturers for Companion Animals ( ANFAAC ). One thing is clear: there is a high demand from those tenants who are looking for apartments that allow them to live with their pets, but the offer is not enough, as the Fotocasa portal points out, only 5% of rental apartments accept pets .
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Some owners and/or rental managers are very reluctant and cautious when renting their home to a tenant with pets. The main reason is to avoid the damage that some animals could generate on the property, such as dirt, the odors that some pets can leave when the house is vacated and also to avoid possible conflicts with the neighbors that can become very cumbersome situations. and sometimes very expensive, but there are more and more owners who are willing to rent their home to tenants with pets. Partly because many of them are also pet owners and partly to adapt to the demand and thus rent their property faster.
The important thing is to know what there are ways to correctly handle these cases allowing the owner to be safe and to be able to rent faster at the desired price to a tenant with a pet.
The important thing is to avoid conflict
If you want to know how to choose a good tenant, click here to learn how.
Like any rental procedure, it is important to know how to choose the tenant. What any real estate agent and/or owner is looking for is a good profile. A good profile gives the owner security and opens the possibility of being willing to negotiate with the tenant to accept his pet.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OWNERS TO ALLOW PETS
We, except in specific cases (for example furnished homes), recommend allowing pets. The key is not to generalize all cases. It will not be the same to rent a 10-year-old Poodle than a Golden Retriever puppy. We leave you here our most important tips that are the ones we apply in our apartments:
- Whenever we rent with a pet, request an additional guarantee to the deposit. This is allowed by the Urban Leasing Law itself.
- This guarantee will range between half a month’s rent and 1 month’s rent, depending on the type of pet. This guarantee may even be greater in the case of several pets.
- Better not to admit dogs considered as dangerous breeds, they can cause more problems with the neighbors.
- Avoid puppies for the reasons we all know. In case it is going to be admitted, there must always be a guarantee of the highest rank.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TENANTS
Another key that both owners and tenants can apply is to put yourself in the shoes of the other. Sometimes we talk to tenants who are offended by the issue of the additional guarantee. Most understand and accept it. Your dog or cat may be very calm and you know that they are not going to cause any problems in the house, but the other person does not know it and will not know it until you return the house to them at the end of the lease. You will recover an additional guarantee at the end of the lease if everything is fine with the apartment or chalet.
EVERYTHING MUST BE IN THE CONTRACT
« If you want to avoid conflicts, make a good contract ». It is what we remind our clients whenever we are going to rent a property. Everything has to be specified in the contract. For example, if the owner does not want pets in his home, he must state it in the contract. The Urban Leasing Law does not specify anything about the possession of companion animals or pets. What it does say is that the contracts will be governed by the agreements, clauses and conditions determined by the will of the parties. If this express prohibition does not appear in the contract, it will be perfectly legal for the tenant to have pets, but the tenant must always be responsible for the damages caused by the animal”.
It is very important to be specific. If the contract refers to animals generically, all will be prohibited or allowed. If the owner wishes to allow dogs, and prohibit cats or birds, everything must be expressly stated on paper. As a note, we have that if the tenant lies and puts a pet in without permission, it can be evicted.
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THE NEIGHBORS
Problems and lawsuits in neighboring communities can arise at any time. The barking of the dog, the dirt of its droppings in common areas or if the owner walks it without a leash can cause problems. In short, if the tenant does not act responsibly, there will be conflict here.
If a conflict of this type occurs with a tenant, the owner will have the obligation to speak with him to correct his attitude.
We recommend you read “Owners and tenants: in cases of breakdown, who is responsible?”
