#1
#2
She said, “She looks very small. Must be a miniature Siamese.”
I was like, “No, just cat sized.”
She said, “I’m CERTAIN she’s a miniature. I COULD ALLOW a miniature.”
So our lease says, Miniature Siamese, and she didn’t ask us to pay any extra.
And that was what it was like in the olden days, kids!
#3
The cat sadly died last year, she was 16 and had always stayed my little girl. She hated most people but loved my now husband. Loved her and still miss her.
It’s not hard to understand why some people end up hiding their pets. Landlords often worry that animals will damage the property, while renters fear they won’t be able to secure a home if they admit to having one. So, many choose to keep their pets under wraps, and that’s how this quiet standoff begins.
In fact, it’s a lot more common than you might expect. A 2023 study commissioned by Mars Petcare revealed that a quarter of adults in the UK admitted to hiding a pet from their landlord at some point. Unsurprisingly, this secrecy comes with emotional baggage—52% said it made them feel anxious, 45% felt worried, and 28% felt guilty.
Still, the risk of being discovered is real. One in 10 renters said they had been caught hiding a pet, most often due to a surprise landlord visit (48%), being spotted while out walking the dog (21%), or even anonymous tip-offs from neighbors (20%).
And for some, the consequences were severe. 22% of those caught said it led to eviction. Yet 53% say they’d still take the risk if it meant keeping their beloved pet.
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#6
It took six months before the property manager managed to catch sight of the cat in the window while walking the property. I got an email asking about it, I lied and said I just got the cat and hadn’t had a chance to notify them yet, they said cool the pet deposit is $200. So I cut them a check and dropped it off at the office, expecting that to be that.
Two weeks later, I get a knock at the door. It’s the property manager with a pet gift basket, telling me that my cat was the reason they caught an employee embezzling tens of thousands of dollars - the off-cycle check knocked over the precarious tower of cards one of the receptionists had been maintaining, and it all came tumbling down. Kitty got lots of treats that night lol.
To understand why this issue continues to be such a widespread problem, Bored Panda reached out to Russell Hunt, a pet-friendly broker and founder of Pets Lets, a relocation service that helps pet owners find homes where they and their animals can live peacefully.
“Many estate agents work on individual commission, so the focus is on closing the deal quickly. In many cases, tenants without pets are seen as the safer choice by landlords, which makes it easier for agents to get the deal over the line,” he explains.
“As a result, some tenants choose not to disclose that they have a pet at all. They hide the evidence, leave the property during inspections, and hope for the best. But this approach has risks,” he adds. “Neighbors might report the pet, or the building itself may have a strict no-pet policy, leaving the tenant in a stressful position. Constantly looking over your shoulder is no way to live.”
Hunt believes that landlords’ assumptions about pets causing damage are starting to feel outdated.
“I specialize in pets and property, and in my experience, 99% of pet owners are responsible tenants,” he says. “For many people, pets are family. In fact, pet owners often look after properties better than house sharers or even some adults without pets.”
“I’ve even come across landlords who are dog owners themselves and still say no to pets! Some landlords turn down tenants with young children, citing concerns about damage.”
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#8
"Management has checked but never saw my real cats, only the fakes, and they commented on how real they look.
#9
Now we have a couple of nearly identical cats so they get merged into a single pet on applications. My spouse and I have started collecting letters about our cleanliness as pet owners whenever we move to give to the next landlord and so far it's worked out well.
The real question is: what would make renters feel confident enough to be honest about their pets and what would persuade landlords to be more open-minded?
Australia’s rental reform, which came into effect in July 2024, could point the way. It states that landlords can no longer reject tenants just for having pets. While they can apply reasonable conditions, such as requesting carpet cleaning or covering any damage, they’re no longer allowed to charge a separate pet bond.
Despite these changes, many pet owners continue to struggle to find places that welcome them. Hunt points out that the upcoming Renters’ Reform Bill in the UK promises to make it harder for landlords to turn away tenants with pets, but from his experience, he’s not holding his breath.
“The rental market is simply too competitive. Landlords will find reasons to choose another tenant,” he says. “I receive so many emails from people genuinely heartbroken at the thought of giving up their pets. Sadly, I still think we’ll continue to see tenants hiding their animals just to keep a roof over their heads.”
“Pet damage insurance might help build landlord confidence, and there are new products slowly coming to market. But landlord scepticism is still high, especially among private landlords,” he notes.
#10
RIP Gus Chiggins .
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There is some room for optimism, especially when it comes to corporate landlords and Build to Rent developments. “These larger, professionally managed blocks are more open to pets. But do watch out for extra pet charges,” he warns.
In the meantime, your only options aren’t limited to sneaking pets in or giving them up. Hunt suggests creating a Pet CV, a fun and practical way to show landlords that your pet is well-behaved and that you’re a responsible tenant.
“Include a few cute photos, a short description of your pet’s personality, and practical details like whether you work from home or walk your dogs regularly. If your pets are older, say so. What damage? They’re asleep most of the day!” he says.
You can easily create one through Pets Lets. “It’s a simple step that can help you stand out in a competitive rental market,” Russell adds.
So good luck out there—give your pets a hug from us, and may your journey end somewhere you both feel at home.
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#16
I'd planned on making sure the cat was outside when the landlord was going to come by, but then he just popped up unannounced. Because it was hot as hell inside my house, I'd opened my doors for air circulation. Landlord walks in and sees the cat lounging on my living room floor, and he was like "oh I didn't know you had a cat." I looked that man dead in the eye and said "I don't know that cat." Idk if he believed me or not, but he shrugged and nothing more was said about it. The cat and I continued living there for like three more years.
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#18
In my city, the law was that if anyone from management knew we had pets and they did nothing for like ninety days they couldn’t enforce the no pets clause anymore, so I said nothing and let her do her thing.
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#20
Later on, there was a mouse problem in the apartment building. An exterminator came in with our landlord to look around and ask if we’ve seen any mice. We hadn’t and the exterminator didn’t find any proof that the mice had entered our apt. The exterminator saw our cat tree, pointed to it and went “this is why they’re the only ones with no mice!” My landlord looked at us, at the cat tree, then went “I guess that worked out, huh?”
We got lucky that our cat potentially saved him money lol. His wife met our cat recently and our cat made sure to get in her good graces too.
(Edit: sp).