Frustrated searching for pet friendly rentals
My partner and I moved from Victoria to Queensland with our 3-year-old Australian Shepherd, Kai.
Kai is a great companion and was a blessing during lockdown in Melbourne. He has a gentle and relaxed manner at home and loves the outdoors – always up for a walk, which has kept us active! Whenever you arrive home you are greeted with excitement and a huge smile. He is now living his best life on the beach on the Gold Coast!
We had a great rental experience in Victoria with a pet friendly landlord. Queensland, on the other hand, has been the compete opposite experience. About 95% of rentals marketed were listed as 'not pet-friendly', making applying a nightmare, especially from Victoria where you can't build rapport with real estate agents at inspections.
Out of about 100 properties that met our top-level requirements, we were able to apply for about four that were pet friendly. The one that we did get accepted for was timing really; I had all paperwork ready and when seeing it appear online, I called the real estate immediately to organise a private facetime inspection.
In total, we probably applied for 10-12 properties. Even ones that weren't pet friendly, we highlighted our references and offered pet bonds. We have perfect rental history and previously been accepted to multiple properties when applying.
Furthermore, many rental property listings in QLD didn’t highlight that they were not pet friendly. When applying the pet friendly filter on realestate.com.au, properties would appear which we would get excited about and then call their office to find out that they weren't pet friendly. It was frustrating and waste of time.
We are now looking to buy in Queensland and having to apply with body corporates (for Kai) before we go to auctions. I think it hilarious that you can spend up to $1 million for a home and a body corporate says no to pets. My dog is much cleaner and quieter than a child under age 5!
Advice for tenants
Be prepared and get pet references from neighbours and real estates. Create a resume for your pet and include photos and videos to show obedience and general attitude.