Pet bond could solve renting woes for pet owners

PET owners want an end to discrimination when it comes to renting with a fur baby in tow

Matt Hohenhaus with his dogs Vira and Indy live together at his rental place in Fannie Bay. Picture: Ivan Rachman

PET owners are calling for an end to discrimination when it comes to renting with a fur baby in tow.

A Pet Parent Survey found around 54 per cent of those polled wanted tenancy laws changed to compel landlords and property managers to allow pets.

In the Northern Territory, animals are not covered under the Residential Tenancy Act.

NT Tenants’ Advice Service team leader Abhishek Jain said he would welcome more clarity around the rights of tenants and their pets.

Mr Jain said landlords had to abide by body corporate rules and local council laws but outside of that, they were only governed by reasonableness.

“Consent (to have pets in a property) can’t be withheld on unreasonable grounds,” he said.

A dispute over reasonableness would have to go before the NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal, he said.

Real Estate Institute NT executive officer Quentin Kilian said the REINT was campaigning to have a pet bond introduced in the NT.

“We think it’s something that will be of great benefit to both tenants and landlords,” he said.

“We’ve looked at what Western Australia currently has in its legislation and used it as a model.

“The basic context of it is that if want to have a pet, you would pay a pet bond that would be used should your pet damage the property.”

Mr Kilian said a pet bond would encourage property owners to look more favourably at tenants who have pets.

Attorney-General Natasha Fyles said she was aware the topic of a pet bond had been raised.

“The timing of that review is subject to other competing priorities of government,” she said.

Matthew and Lara Hohenhaus rent a townhouse in Fannie Bay with their two terriers, Vira and Indy.

Mr Hohenhaus said as a landlord of a home in Brisbane and a tenant in Darwin he could see both sides of the argument.