Genevieve Morris is a young renter with a dog and two rabbits searching for a home, pictured here with dog, Shadow and rabbit, Blue. Photo / Tania Whyte
Pet owners are having to make the tough decision between keeping their companions or finding a house as the pool of rentals allowing animals dwindles.
While realtors say there are steps pet owners can take to make rental applications more appealing, landlords still worry about the damage pets can cause and policies that favour renters.
However, animal rescues say the status quo needs to change so that everyone - pets included - is protected.
New Zealand has one of the highest rates of pet guardianship in the world but still many rentals nationwide enforce a no-pets policy. Landlords New Zealand research suggests 14 to 17 per cent of New Zealand’s rentals are pet-friendly.
According to Companion Animals New Zealand research, half of the people who do not own a pet would like one. Thirty-three per cent said they did not have a pet because of living arrangements.
From the 109 properties listed on Trade Me in the Whangārei area as of October 3, 99 did not allow pets, three did not say and seven had pet approval.
Whangārei’s Genevieve Morris, 22, and her partner have been looking for a place they and their rottweiler-staffordshire-cross, Shadow, and two rabbits Blue and Bugs can call home.
She trawls Facebook and Trade Me daily looking for a rental that allows pets and is within their price range, and she posts constantly on Facebook pages.
Morris adopted Shadow as a stray to give him a new chance at life and finds the suggestion of rehoming him upsetting.
“You can get some backlash and it can be nasty ... comments that aren’t too nice when you’re trying you’re very hardest. It’s quite stressful and upsetting.”
Morris suffers from social anxiety and said her pets offer solace when she feels stressed or anxious.
The couple are faced with multiple barriers despite being willing to pay a pet bond, extra money weekly; provide pet references and a CV, and more.
Morris said often property managers tell the pair they have been shortlisted but then upon hearing their dog’s breed, they backtrack.
She said there have been “a lot of tears” during the search. The couple have even considered living in a caravan or a hire cabin.
Companion Animals New Zealand general manager David Lloyd said the default of “no pets” is somewhat problematic but understandable.
“We understand concerns landlords may have around damage or noise caused by animals and believe that all people should be responsible for raising a well-adjusted and socially adept pet.
“We hear from renters and landlords that would be happy for a higher bond to be possible but in New Zealand, there is no flexibility for this,” he said.
Lloyd noted more pet-friendly rentals may relieve the pressure on the many animal shelters countrywide.
Bay of Islands Animal Rescue’s Summer Johnson said the rescue sees the result of no-pet policies. Her rescue receives a “minimum of five calls and emails daily” from people wanting to rehome their pets - primarily dogs - because of rental obligations.
“A lot of them are heartbroken,” she said. “It’s gut-wrenching.”
However, she said the flipside was that many pet owners had irresponsibly taken on animals they were not allowed to.
Johnson believed if more rentals allowed “responsible dog owners”, rescue shelters wouldn’t be burdened with so many dumped canines.
Property Scouts Didi Skinner, based in Whangārei, said landlords may be open to taking more risks if their hands weren’t currently tied by legislation.
Current policy says that landlords are allowed to decide whether their tenant is allowed pets but there is no legislation to protect owners from damages from tenants that cause issues “...so owners can’t take a chance”, she said.
She suggested owners could have the ability to end the tenancy if it wasn’t working or impose a three-month trial period for tenants with pets.
Skinner said damage that doesn’t come under fair wear and tear often results in a “no” from insurance companies, and Baycorp and community rules come into play.
“There’s a lot of things that tenants can do from their side to help the landlord understand how this can be beneficial,” Skinner said.
She suggested this may involve a carpet cleaning clause, offering to pay for fencing and providing details on the animal such as a pet CV, and references.
“From my personal experience, tenants who are allowed pets are happier. Not all, but most,” she said.
Brodie Stone is the education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie recently graduated from Massey University and has a special interest in the environment and investigative reporting.