Gota love that Tenants Union in Vic

From: Michael G


Geez,

Do they consider that maybe the reason some Landlords don't want pets is because, of hard to clear hair, or feas eggs, which can cause irritation to other tenants?

Have a look below at their recommendations to tenants, of course, what they say isnt advice either :)

'No pets' clauses

Many tenants keep pets even when their tenancy agreement contains a 'no pets' clause, either because they had difficulty finding a property to rent which allowed pets or because they decide to keep a pet after they move in. Your legal position in this case is not clear.

If the landlord or agent finds out you have a pet, they may tell you that you will be evicted if you do not get rid of your pet. This is not necessarily true.

The Tenants Union believes that you cannot be evicted unless your landlord can prove your pet is causing a nuisance, damaging the property or endangering the safety of neighbours. Your landlord, however, may give you a Notice to Vacate for simply having a pet. We believe such a notice is invalid.

Your landlord or agent may apply to the Tribunal because you have breached the 'no pets' clause. Although the Tenants Union believes that the Tribunal cannot legally evict you for having a pet in breach of your tenancy agreement, the Tribunal has evicted tenants in such circumstances in the past. The Tribunal has also ordered tenants to remove their pets from the premises.

If your landlord gives you a Breach of Duty Notice or a Notice to Vacate because you have a pet, contact the Tenants Union or a tenant advice service for further assistance.

The information in this Fact Sheet is not legal advice. It is intended as a general guide only. It applies only to legislation current in the state of Victoria, Australia. For information regarding a specific tenancy problem, contact the Tenants Union. The Tenants Union accepts no responsibility for actions based on this information, nor for actions based on electronic translations of this information.
 
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Reply: 1
From: Sim' Hampel


The previous owners of the first house we bought to live in owned a small dog.

About a month or so after moving in we both started getting what seemed to be bites on our feet and ankles which were extremely itchy and became painful.

After a couple of weeks of this and complaining to family and friends, someone suggested that it sounded like classic symptoms of flea bites.

After careful observation, I was actually able to find some fleas, and boy could they jump !

We flea bombed the rooms with carpets and thoroughly cleaned and vacuumed the other rooms with floorboards after which the problem stopped.

The issue arose because apparently when there is an animal in the house, the fleas will be perfectly happy with it and mostly leave the humans alone. Once the dog left, the living fleas eventually died due to lack of food. One of their last acts is to lay eggs which can lay dormant for months until a suitable food source is detected near by.

Once we moved in, the eggs started hatching and looking for something to eat, and found us ! Hence the bites.

Anyway... the point is that if you have an animal in the house, you must take into account the longer term ramifications after the animal has left. In our case wasn't difficult to fix the problem, but we suffered serious discomfort and some distress before learning what the problem was and how to fix it.

sim.gif
 
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Reply: 1.1
From: Manny B


I had tenants in Melbourne & had stated NO PETS... they in fact managed to get 2 dogs in later on, one being a large German Sheppard, who had dug up quite a few holes in the back yard & had eaten the side gate...

The tenants luckily had come in for a 6 month lease due to building... but when they left the entire property was full of fleas (you would get covered in seconds when walking in the back yard)... I managed to take the tenant to the tribunal & they had to pay for all the damage caused by the dog (ie. new gate, some replacement plants, etc.) & for a pest controller to spray the entire house inside & fumigate the outside (back yard, being 50X150ft, which would have cost them a fortune)...

So the tribunal basically stated that if the lease states NO PETS, then pets should not be brought onto the property without the land-lord's consent... and even if the pet does no physical damage & you can state that the place is full of fleas, the HAVE TO PAY as it happened to me...

Hope it helps,

Manny.
 
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Reply: 1.1.1
From: Jacque Parker


Ahh pets.... I remember only too well looking for a place to rent in Brissy when we had a very active Border Collie pup. It took us a long time to get a fully fenced place that would allow outside pets! I had to practically returf the yard before we left that house...

So I can understand the frustration of tenants with animals. I've seen people welcome pets, but with an increased rent that animal lovers seem only too happy to pay.
The property I just purchased has a tenant who wants a dog (strictly outdoors) shortly. Did I agree? Yes, because I put a special conditions clause in my lease that stated pets weren't allowed, except with specific permission from the landlord. I also wrote my tenant a letter, stating that he could keep the dog, as long as the yard and garden etc were restored to their original state, upon vacation. He was happy to comply with this. I'm happy as I know that once he has a pet, it won't be as easy for him to rent another fully fenced pet-friendly house, so he'll stay longer! ( and he seems like the perfect tenant so far- clean living bachelor!).

Generally, however, I would be only granting permission on a case by case basis, as there is a large difference between a troupe of indoor flea-infested poodles and an outdoor 14 year old beagle. Commonsense prevails.

Put a clause in the special conditions and, if the tenant keeps a pet without permission, he/she is not keeping their end of the lease agreement. Simple. If they don't comply, get another tenant. If they deceive you about one thing, then it's sure to lead to another... Good Luck! Jacque :)
 
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Reply: 1.1.1.1
From: Jas




> Ahh pets....

Here's a site titled 'Responsible Pet Owners Make Responsible Tenants -A
guide to help Landlords rent to Tenants who have Pets'

http://www.petnet.com.au/rent/tenants.html

They have a few suggestions on how to deal with tenant and their pets

Jacinta
 
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Reply: 1.1.1.1.1
From: Jacque Parker


Thanks Jacinta- an interesting site! Good to see that I'm doing the right thing anyway. Cheers, Jacque :)
 
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