Tenants Union urges government to make it easier for pet owners to find a rental

"Unless you're speaking with tenants and really understanding what that animal means to them, on face value it's exceptionally easy for a landlord or property manager to tick and flick a box and reject them," said Tamara Newstead, assistant services manager at the Tenant's Advocacy Service in Dubbo.

"Having a pet is really no different to having another occupant or a child. You're still responsible for them in the same way as you already would've been."

Ms Newstead said regional pet owners looking for a rental are feeling the pressure now more than ever with an increase in migration of people into towns from the city and a massive uptake of pet ownership.

"Given pet ownership skyrocketed during the COVID pandemic and now we're in a situation where there is already such limited stock and the further west you go the more limited the stock is," she said.

"In places like Bourke, Brewarrina and Lightning Ridge - all those places - there are hardly any rental properties at all so it is extremely difficult to start off with, let alone if you have a pet and the landlord doesn't want an animal on the property."

The NSW Government is currently holding a consultation on whether the rules around pets in rentals should be changed to make it easier on tenants. So far, 87 percent of respondents to the NSW government's poll have agreed with the proposal.

"The people's voice should stand for itself. From that survey there's very clear support - it's something the government should be taking notice of and reviewing in policy change," said Ms Newstead.

In other states and territories, rules have recently changed to make it easier for tenants to keep pets in rental homes.

In Queensland, there is a list of reasons that allow a landlord to refuse a pet and if the tenant wants to challenge the reason given, they can make an application to the rental tribunal.

In Victoria, the ACT and the Northern Territory, a landlord can only refuse permission to keep a pet if they obtain permission from the Tribunal.

Changing the law in NSW to make it easier for renters to own pets or for pet owners to find rentals would ease some of the burden felt by many Dubbo locals who've struggled to find a home with a pet in tow.

Leigh (who asked that her family name not be used) said she felt like she "struck gold" when she found a landlord willing to take a chance on her dog. She moved to Dubbo without any family and said it was "depressing" to spend time away from her dog while she house-hunted.

"Even though it was pets on application I still had my dog living at my parents' house in another town initially as quite often people without pets get preference over pet owners," she said.

"I still feel like I'm harbouring a fugitive when the real estate comes over for inspections, it is as though they are looking for any reason to refuse my pet to live with me."

Dubbo local Colette Cameron said it took "four months, hundreds of applications and a deluge of fear" to find a property after her previous rental property sold.

Although landlords don't legally need to provide a reason for rejecting a rental application she feels the family cat led her to be put into a "no go file".

"We had been fortunate in the past that having a cat had no effect on our ability to secure a home. Suddenly now though it did," she said.

"We were lucky to find a landlord willing to trust that we would take great respect and care with his property. My cat is a member of the family and I could not even contemplate giving him up to secure a property."

The NSW Government's survey on keeping pets in rental homes will be open until 5 pm Friday, 2 December 2022.

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