- Around 15% of dogs relinquished to Dogs Trust’s care are handed over as a result of housing issues.
- Recent research has shown that only 46% of landlords say they would allow pets
- For many years, Dogs Trust has been campaigning for greater rights for responsible pet owners who rent
Dogs Trust has welcomed yesterday’s debate on the Private Rental Sector report in the Senedd, as the charity continues to call for more action to be taken to tackle the issue of pet-friendly housing.
The Private Rented Sector (PRS) report, published by the Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee at the end of last year, concluded that more needs to be done to address the need for pet-friendly housing in Wales.
This is something echoed by Dogs Trust, which has rehoming centres in Cardiff and Bridgend, which saw the number of people in Wales needing to relinquish their dog due to accommodation issues in 2024* increase by almost a third.
The report, released in October 2024, having gathered evidence from a number of organisations, including Dogs Trust, explores the crucial role the private rental sector plays in providing homes.
Claire Calder, Head of Public Affairs at Dogs Trust, says:
“We are pleased to see the issue of pet-friendly housing continue to be discussed in the Senedd. Recognising the importance of pet-friendly housing is a huge step and acknowledges that the shortage of pet-friendly housing is having a profound impact on both pet owners and the pet welfare sector.
“Dogs Trust has been campaigning on this subject for many years as we believe that the joy of pet ownership should not be exclusive to homeowners but should also be open to private and social renters as well.
“We look forward to working with the Welsh Government to turn the Committee’s recommendations into meaningful change, ensuring that more pets and their owners can have a place to call home.”
Around half of all households in Wales are shared with a pet, and one in three households own a dog**. Despite this, joint research from Dogs Trust and Cats Protection found that just 8% of renters in Wales say their home was advertised as pet-friendly.
The research conducted by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection also revealed that landlords are currently split on whether they currently allow pets, with 46% saying they allow pets. The same research revealed that, in over a third of cases where cats or dogs were not allowed by a private landlord, the landlord did not proactively decide this based on the individual tenants or pets, but had instead followed advice or used a standard template.
Allowing pets in rental properties is not just good for the tenants; there are advantages to landlords too as it could increase the length of time tenants choose to rent a property. Research by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection found that 26% of tenants would stay longer in a property if they were allowed to keep a pet.
To increase the availability of pet-friendly properties, Dogs Trust has been providing advice and resources to pet owners, landlords and letting agencies for more than a decade through its ‘Lets with Pets’ scheme. For tips and advice on how to become a pet-friendly landlord and how to find pet-friendly accommodation, visit www.letswithpets.org.uk/.
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