Pet reference

Pet reference

It's a good idea to ask prospective tenants to provide you with a reference for their pet from a previous landlord. If they have not rented with their pets before, you could ask for a reference from their veterinary surgeon but please bear in mind that there may be some circumstances in which tenants cannot provide a reference.

The keys points that you should ask to be covered in a pet reference from a previous landlord are:

  • How long did the tenant live in the previous property with their pets?
  • Which pets did they own at that time?
  • Does the referee consider the tenant to be a responsible pet owner?
  • Were the tenant's pets well behaved?
  • Did their pets cause any damage to the property?
  • Did their pets cause a nuisance to neighbours or visitors?

If the reference is to be provided by a veterinary surgeon, it should cover the following points:

  • Are the tenant's pets generally well behaved?
  • Does the veterinary surgeon consider the tenant to be a responsible pet owner?
  • Does the tenant provide routine preventive health care, such as vaccinations and flea treatments, for their pets (when appropriate)?