Pet-owning renter describes tough choice as rescue reports more dumping

Pet owners are having their animals put down to secure a rental. Photo / 123rf

Animal owners desperate for a rental property are having pets put down to secure “a roof over our heads”. An animal rescue boss says it is “inhumane” and “wrong” but sometimes the only option as shelters are inundated. Other pet owners were living in cars with their fur babies. The Government hopes to encourage more landlords to allow pets with its pet bond proposal. Carmen Hall reports.

A distraught Bay of Plenty family is saying their final goodbyes and putting down their beloved 12-year-old dog they have raised from a puppy so they can move into a new rental.

The animal owner, who asked not to be named because he was “devastated”, said they would also give away three chickens for the move.

He said he felt fortunate his other two dogs were allowed at the new property, but that did not make the choice for his oldest dog to pay the price any easier.

“You have to make these sacrifices these days for your family. We need a roof over our heads.”

Time had run out and he had taken the only place he could get for his family after their rented home of four years was sold.

“This country has gone to shit compared to when I used to be a kid.

“[It’s] a real fight for rentals and it doesn’t matter how much money you make.”

’Heartbreaking’ situation

“Heartbreaking” was how animal rescue chief executive Siobhan Mikaere of Rescue Revive Rehome described the huge increase in surrender applications and pet dumping at shelters.

She said some people who couldn’t find pet-friendly rentals were “living in their cars because they can’t find a home with their animals”.

Rescue Revive Rehome chief executive Siobhan Mikaere with rescue dog Autumn. Photo / Alex Cairns

Others would give them up or decide to put them down.

“Pets make emotional, mental and physical connections to family … I think it is inhumane and wrong for both the family and the animal. We talk to people daily who are having to make that devastating choice.”

Mikaere said like every other not-for-profit rescue in New Zealand it had limited resources and could not take every animal. It recently rescued 30 dogs and puppies in a week.

“There is a huge, huge imbalance at the moment when it comes to animals and homes.”

L-R: Rescue Revive Rehome's foster parent Naiomi Macbeth with dog Ruby, chief executive Siobhan Mikaere with two rescue puppies and cofounder Rowan Elliot with dog Autumn. Photo / Alex Cairns

She said she “almost” disagreed with the pet bond as she believed in the current economy people could not afford to pay it on top of other move-in costs.

“Landlords can claim any kind of damage and blame it on the pets, you’re never going to see that bond back again.”

She said it would be better to make renters have rent insurance.

What landlords think

Rotorua landlord Debbie Van Den Broek said pet owners were her “number one choice every time”.

“The tenants we choose would rather sleep in their car than part with their pet.”

She was not interested in choosing tenants, “who offered to get rid of an animal just to get a house”.

“There are really good people who love their pets and are desperate for a clean tidy home to live in, not just a run-down hovel. We wanted to provide rentals that could offer this to people when many other landlords wouldn’t.”

Landlord Debbie Van Den Broek loves animals. Photo / Andrew Warner

Van Den Broek said she supported efforts to make renting easier for good pet owners.

“There are so many pet owners finding it impossible to get a rental and animal shelters are overflowing.”

Tauranga Property Investors Association spokeswoman Juli Tolley said reasons some landlords did not allow pets included the risk of damage and previous bad experiences such as, “damaged yards, walls, draperies, carpets and subflooring”.

Tauranga Property Investors Association president Juli Anne Tolley. Photo / NZME

“If a pet urinates in multiple rooms, insurance will treat each room as a separate instance. The tenant is liable for the excess which can be anywhere from $250 to $2500. If there are multiple instances, that can get quite costly.”

She said a pet bond, which would allow landlords to ask prospective tenants to put up an additional amount in bond for damage caused by a pet, could make a difference as the current bond of four weeks was unlikely to cover damages.

Allergens from pet dander were another concern as future tenants with low allergic tolerances intentionally look for properties that do not allow pets.

Rotorua Property Investors Association president Sally Copeland. Photo / Supplied

Rotorua Property Investors Association president Sally Copeland agreed pets could be wonderful companions but some caused considerable damage and that was a risk.

The New Zealand Property Investors Federation said in a statement the pet bond initiative was a step in the right direction but the new legislation was not due to be implemented until late 2025.

State homes are pet-friendly

Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities national services general manager Nick Maling said it had been a pet-friendly landlord since 2018.

“We understand that pets can be great companions and support people’s wellbeing.”

Tenants needed to get consent first and agree to follow council bylaws. They would also be responsible for the containment, health and wellbeing of their pet.

Kāinga Ora did not record whether damage to a property had been caused by a pet.

Proposed government changes

Housing Minister Chris Bishop said anyone who had tried to find a pet-friendly rental property would know how hard it was, so the government was making it easier.

“Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New Zealand households own at least one pet, and 59 per cent of people who don’t have a pet would like to get one.

“The proposal is a good faith attempt to strike the right balance between landlords’ interests and tenants who want to have pets in their rentals. We’re open to feedback and look forward to the select committee considering the issue.”

The pet bond idea was an Act Party policy and Minister of Regulation David Seymour said more landlords would be willing to allow pets if they could protect themselves from some of the risks.

“Anyone who has ever tried to find a pet-friendly rental property will know how hard it is. We proposed this policy as a genuine negotiation between tenants and landlords. It removes a barrier for some people who are more than happy to pay a little extra in order to live in their preferred home with their very good boy, and some landlords are willing to allow pets if they can protect themselves from some of the risks,” Seymour said.

“I appreciate that times are tough for everyone right now. If landlords and renters come to an agreement where rent insurance is a better arrangement for both of them then they can do that. Ultimately landlords want to make a fair return on helping another person with a place to live, and tenants want a choice of affordable places to live. The fewer barriers there are to achieving this the better for both.

“This policy is also important for helping victims of domestic abuse move on with their lives. Often, people stay in relationships to look after pets and become stuck. Helping these people find rentals that are accepting of pets will allow them to move on safely and have a brighter future,” he said.

Proposed changes

• Allow landlords to set a pet bond of a maximum of two weeks’ rent for damages.
• Likely to be included in a Residential Tenancy Act amendment bill.

Carmen Hall is a news director for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, covering business and general news. She has been a Voyager Media Awards winner and a journalist for 25 years.