Labor leader Chris Minns vows to make renting with pets easier in NSW

NSW Labor has promised to streamline the process for renters who want to live with a furry friend, with landlords to face strict rules when considering requests to keep pets. Have your say.

Being a pet owner and a renter can at times feel like an impossible task, having to compete for a small amount of pet-friendly properties or beg and plead with a distant landlord for the chance to keep a furry companion.

NSW Labor is vowing to overhaul the way pets are considered in rental properties by imposing a set of rules landlords must follow before they can refuse a tenant’s request.

If Labor wins the state election on March 25, landlords will have a set 21-day period to respond to a request for a pet from their tenant.

If they fail to respond within that time, the request will be automatically approved and the tenant can legally have their pet.

Under the proposed law, landlords could still refuse a request, however they would have to provide a reasonable excuse for not allowing the pet.

Kirsten Duffy and her dogs Rufus the greyhound and Banjo the Spoodle. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The reasons are yet to be determined and will be decided by a newly created Rental Commissioner if Labor wins government.

It is expected the reasons would be similar to laws already in place in Queensland, which allow landlords to refuse pets that would be dangerous (like a venomous snake), if there are pre-existing strata rules, or if the pet is too large for the property.

St Clair renter and dog owner Kirsten Duffy has finally secured a dog-friendly rental but knows all too well the pain of finding affordable housing where she can live with her furry friends.

“Our options were really limited, it’s just not an even playing field,” Ms Duffy said.

“In the time we had our dogs they’ve done less damage to our house than most small children would.

“Dogs are good for your mental wellbeing. Its very unreasonable you can decline someone from having a pet just because it’s a pet.”

The state Liberal government has taken a similar idea to public consultation but has not committed to changing the law.

Currently landlords do not have to respond to tenants within a time frame or provide a reason for declining a pet.

Labor leader Chris Minns said a lack of pet friendly rental can be a barrier to those with low incomes and those escaping domestic violence finding a place to live.

“Just because a person lives in a rental, it doesn’t mean they can’t make it a home, and for so many people renting across our state that includes a family pet.” he said.

“Under NSW Labor the rules will be simpler and fairer for both renters and owners.

“Labor’s plan will streamline the process and set a firm deadline so that renters can have more certainty.

“It’s clear the current rental system in New South Wales is far more complex than it needs to be, at a benefit to no one. At the core of our policies is a desire to make the stressful task of finding a new rental simpler.”

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Originally published as Labor leader Chris Minns vows to make renting with pets easier in NSW