# 2 cats, to tell or not to tell?



## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

Our cats are indoor, neutered and well behaved. They don't spray or destroy stuff.

A friend of a friend who has lived in London for 14 years, upon hearing that we will be honest and declare that we have 2 cats, say that we should keep quiet and not say anything . 

She said that why should we give more reasons to limit our chances of getting the apt we want. and also give more money for pet deposit etc when we already have zero credit as newcomers (EU folks coming to the UK ) 

According to her, she knows many people who take in stray cats as pets after they moved in and as long as they pay their rent on time and not have any damages to the property or furniture, people tend to keep quiet about having cats?

My answer is that we are afraid of being evicted should the owner or letting agent see or know that we have cats later..like when they come for repairs etc. Her answer is that how often are repairs required? Especially if we sign the first lease for one year?

What to do? We like being honest and upfront, but she has a point. If we didn't have the cats when we move in, and later adopt 2 cats, will we have to tell the landlord or letting agent?

Please advise...all scenarios , pros and cons etc are appreciated.


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

I wouldn't suggest lying. Period.


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## fergie (Oct 4, 2010)

I would be honest and up front about you cats, whilst they are well behaved, indoor cats, no landlord would be pleased to find out you have cats without asking without asking first.
Most landlords or their agents, will do a check of the property form time to time, or neighbours might tell them, if for some reason they are annoyed with you. The landlord may have an allergy to pets (cats or dogs), and not want any in the property, which is understandable.
We have had 'well behaved' cats in the past, and they have done odd bits of damage, scratched doors, and damaged one of my leather settees.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

fergie said:


> I would be honest and up front about you cats, whilst they are well behaved, indoor cats, no landlord would be pleased to find out you have cats without asking without asking first.
> Most landlords or their agents, will do a check of the property form time to time, or neighbours might tell them, if for some reason they are annoyed with you. The landlord may have an allergy to pets (cats or dogs), and not want any in the property, which is understandable.
> We have had 'well behaved' cats in the past, and they have done odd bits of damage, scratched doors, and damaged one of my leather settees.


Thanks for your input..any more suggestions from others?


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

fergie said:


> I would be honest and up front about you cats, whilst they are well behaved, indoor cats, no landlord would be pleased to find out you have cats without asking without asking first.
> Most landlords or their agents, will do a check of the property form time to time, or neighbours might tell them, if for some reason they are annoyed with you. The landlord may have an allergy to pets (cats or dogs), and not want any in the property, which is understandable.
> We have had 'well behaved' cats in the past, and they have done odd bits of damage, scratched doors, and damaged one of my leather settees.



I do agree with you. Thanks for your advice. Yes, the best well behaved cats can and do scratch sofas, that is why we prefer to rent unfurnished or partially furnished if there are a few items such as cupboards etc. We also prefer hardwood floors rather than carpets, but in the UK , carpets are a lot more common than here in Sweden, where rentals tend to have all hardwood floors. 

I guess I must be prepared for limited choices when it comes to landlords accepting cats:-( We are prepared to pay pet deposit ontop of regular deposit and even 6 months rent in lieu of not having UK credit.

What do others think ? I appreciate all pros and cons and would like to see if what others would do.


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## Jrge (Mar 22, 2011)

MultiCrayon said:


> I do agree with you. Thanks for your advice. Yes, the best well behaved cats can and do scratch sofas, that is why we prefer to rent unfurnished or partially furnished if there are a few items such as cupboards etc. We also prefer hardwood floors rather than carpets, but in the UK , carpets are a lot more common than here in Sweden, where rentals tend to have all hardwood floors.


Hi,

I might have to disagree with you on this regard. Laminated floors and natural stone tiles are now -and have been for awhile- pretty common in the UK (At least in London) 



MultiCrayon said:


> I guess I must be prepared for limited choices when it comes to landlords accepting cats:-( We are prepared to pay pet deposit ontop of regular deposit and even *6 months rent in lieu of not having UK credit*.
> 
> What do others think ? I appreciate all pros and cons and would like to see if what others would do.


Your best bet is to contact a letting agent and tell them what you want/have to see if they can find you a suitable accommodation. If your fiance is already set to start in October, you guys only need to ask his employer for a letter of employment and that will make a huge difference in any offer you can make, as it will show financial means.

My brother has recently rented (let) an apartment (flat) in London, and the letting agent and landlord found his letter of employment from the US to be more than enough. Hence, he was only asked for 6 weeks of security deposit and 1st month rent.

Animo
(Cheers)


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## DPK (Nov 11, 2011)

Do not lie about the cats!

If you do, and the agent becomes aware of this, they will then question whether you have been untruthful about anything else.

It is unlikely that they would evict you, they would more likely ask for the cats to be removed, but your relationship would be soured, and no reference for the future.

There is likely to be an inspection of the property at the 3 month stage, this is the most usual one, so what would you do, remove everything related to the cats and the cats themselves?It also puts yourselves under a lot of stress if you are not comfortable with being untruthful.

I personally do not think cats are a big deal to a landlord in an unfurnished property. Furnished more so, and dogs, more likely.

If you have the job, the contract of employment from your employer, and the funds to cover the move, make it easy on yourself and be honest.

When you find the area that you like, also have a look on the boards at news agents for private rental properties, and have a look in "Loot" for private rentals.

The more modern houses will be less likely to have carpet throughout the house.


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

Your friend has made it sound much worse than it really is. Like everyone else is suggesting, don't lie. A landlord has the right to spring an inspection upon you at any time by appointment and it would be bad luck to have a disgruntled neighbour feel they must mention it to the landlord too. This could lead to immediate eviction and a bad record. 

I rented with three dogs, and dogs do damage too - especially three male boisterous dogs! We found that we still had around a third of the letting agent's portfolio available to us and the agent kept us busy with pets-friendly properties. Some lettings required that we would agree to pay a deep-cleaning service charge at the end of the let, some wanted some extra deposit, and others just said all was fine, pets welcome! The place we settled upon had a clause that we could be billed for any deep-cleaning services if fleas or unclean areas were found, and that we would have to pay for any damage. The let was a success, our deposit was refunded and there were no extra charges.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

*Thanks for telling me to do the right thing!*

As I suspected, most people would be honest . We were prepared to be honest and ask the letting agent up front if we can have cats.

Then the friend who has rented for 14 yrs in London heard about this and emailed me to tell me to give me her opinion. She said her hubby felt the same. Hence I wanted to see if others in London saw things in the same light.

Frankly, I have always been truthful about my cats for all rentals in the US before I owned my own house there. Paid big fat deposits even. Those kitties are now in the Great Beyond but we now have Swedish cats In Sweden, all rentals owned by the municipalities are considered pet friendly unless specified. Private landlords can lay down their own regulations regarding pets and unless they specifically say no to pets, one can assume pets are allowed.

Hearing your stories about dogs and pet friendly places in London, plus words of advice, has really helped to make me feel better about my prospects and that honesty is the best policy.


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## 2farapart (Aug 18, 2011)

We found the best course of action was to register up front with letting agents stating a requirement for pet-friendly places only. That eliminated any chance of falling in love with a place, only to be declined and disappointed once our pets were mentioned. Good luck with your hunting!


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

Jrge said:


> Hi,
> 
> I might have to disagree with you on this regard. Laminated floors and natural stone tiles are now -and have been for awhile- pretty common in the UK (At least in London)
> 
> ...


Thanks Animo for your reply. My fiance has already accepted the offer in writing from the company in Soho. _What exactly is the letter of employment you mentioned? I_s that the actual contract itself or just the offer letter, stating his annual salary and quarterly bonus? He hasn't signed the actual contract yet. 

Should I go to a letting agent in the area I want to live and ask them to help me find pet friendly properties in the price range we are in? 

I am getting over a sinus infection and plan on flying out to London asap to begin the apt hunt. _Should I start to email letting agents right now? _I read somewhere that letting agents don't always respond to emails but prefer face to face.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

DPK said:


> Do not lie about the cats!
> 
> If you do, and the agent becomes aware of this, they will then question whether you have been untruthful about anything else.
> 
> ...


Thanks DPK for your input. Yes, we are not dishonest people but i just wanted to double check after the remark from a friend about not telling or rather lying by omission. 

By saying the "boards at news agents" do you mean news stands or stores that sell magazines and newspapers? What's in "Loot"? Sorry for having to clarify local slang words that I am not that familiar with.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

2farapart said:


> Your friend has made it sound much worse than it really is. Like everyone else is suggesting, don't lie. A landlord has the right to spring an inspection upon you at any time by appointment and it would be bad luck to have a disgruntled neighbour feel they must mention it to the landlord too. This could lead to immediate eviction and a bad record.
> 
> I rented with three dogs, and dogs do damage too - especially three male boisterous dogs! We found that we still had around a third of the letting agent's portfolio available to us and the agent kept us busy with pets-friendly properties. Some lettings required that we would agree to pay a deep-cleaning service charge at the end of the let, some wanted some extra deposit, and others just said all was fine, pets welcome! The place we settled upon had a clause that we could be billed for any deep-cleaning services if fleas or unclean areas were found, and that we would have to pay for any damage. The let was a success, our deposit was refunded and there were no extra charges.


Thanks for the story about your dogs. It is encouraging to hear that there are pet friendly landlords and letting agents!


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## DPK (Nov 11, 2011)

Loot is one of the United Kingdom's leading free classified advertising publishers, distributing its products via print, internet, interactive television.

http://loot.com/

Very useful magazine. If properties are advertised in it, they are frequently private ads, and the properties get snapped up very quickly.

A lot of news agents, (shops which sell magazines, papers, sweets, cigarettes etc) are often located near tube stations. A large number of them will have a board on the wall or in the window with local classified ads on there.

Local people pay something like 25 pence a week to advertise whatever they wish to sell or their services.

This can range from a house for sale or to rent, to a second hand car, to a kitten, a sewing machine, whatever, or a cleaner looking for a job
its always worth a look at these boards, you may just be lucky.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

DPK said:


> Loot is one of the United Kingdom's leading free classified advertising publishers, distributing its products via print, internet, interactive television.
> 
> Loot | Local items for sale : Find it, Buy it, Sell it, Rent it
> 
> ...


That is an excellent tip!! I am so glad to have such helpful hints and advice from this Expat Forum, you guys are so sweet! !


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## DPK (Nov 11, 2011)

You may also want to have a look at the Evening Standard, the London evening paper.
Interesting articles are areas of London as well as property for rent.

News | London Evening Standard


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

DPK said:


> You may also want to have a look at the Evening Standard, the London evening paper.
> Interesting articles are areas of London as well as property for rent.
> 
> News | London Evening Standard


Ooh, another great tip!! Thank you!!!


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

MultiCrayon said:


> Should I go to a letting agent in the area I want to live and ask them to help me find pet friendly properties in the price range we are in?
> 
> I am getting over a sinus infection and plan on flying out to London asap to begin the apt hunt. _Should I start to email letting agents right now? _I read somewhere that letting agents don't always respond to emails but prefer face to face.


Estate agents are very neighborhood specific so you will have to contact agents in each different area that you are interested in looking and yes tell them you have cats. 

Once you have your travel plans for London set, call a couple of agents and tell them you will be arriving in a couple of days and try to set up a meeting. It is highly unlikely that you will get any response to an email.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

nyclon said:


> Estate agents are very neighborhood specific so you will have to contact agents in each different area that you are interested in looking and yes tell them you have cats.
> 
> Once you have your travel plans for London set, call a couple of agents and tell them you will be arriving in a couple of days and try to set up a meeting. It is highly unlikely that you will get any response to an email.


Yes, thanks for the tip. I will do as you suggested and call them ahead of time. I am prepared to check out the areas of easy commute first so the first agents to call will be in Ealing. 

Somehow, I seem to think that Crouch End/Hornsey area looks kinda interesting though the commute is not direct but Turnpike station is close by and does a pretty good commute to Tottenham Court TCR. The New River Village complex looks very good, will check to see if they take cats


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

We had no trouble finding a place that would allow our cat. We told the letting agents up front we had a cat. We also told them she was not a kitten and she was declawed. Even though none of the properties we viewed were listed as 'dogs or cats allowed' when the agent contacted the owners in each case they all said yes. We had to pay 8 weeks deposit instead of the normal 6 weeks but what was an additional 2 weeks when the fees to get started on a rental were so high as it was!


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

lovestravel said:


> We had no trouble finding a place that would allow our cat. We told the letting agents up front we had a cat. We also told them she was not a kitten and she was declawed. Even though none of the properties we viewed were listed as 'dogs or cats allowed' when the agent contacted the owners in each case they all said yes. We had to pay 8 weeks deposit instead of the normal 6 weeks but what was an additional 2 weeks when the fees to get started on a rental were so high as it was!


Awww that is so good to hear your story!! Thanks for chiming in! Yes, 8 weeks deposit is nothing for a furry baby to be allowed! 

I do so appreciate hearing different experiences, so thank you !


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

MultiCrayon said:


> Should I go to a letting agent in the area I want to live and ask them to help me find pet friendly properties in the price range we are in?
> 
> I am getting over a sinus infection and plan on flying out to London asap to begin the apt hunt. _Should I start to email letting agents right now? _I read somewhere that letting agents don't always respond to emails but prefer face to face.


We found that each agent can only show the listings they have. We figured out the best way was to look online and book appointments with the agents to view the specific properties we found and asked if they had any additional that fit our criteria. Once we were in touch with them they would contact us if they had any new listings. We only had a week to look so we made a decision quickly but with more time I think there would have been more options. It seems the agents contact their lists before they get officially posted.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

lovestravel said:


> We found that each agent can only show the listings they have. We figured out the best way was to look online and book appointments with the agents to view the specific properties we found and asked if they had any additional that fit our criteria. Once we were in touch with them they would contact us if they had any new listings. We only had a week to look so we made a decision quickly but with more time I think there would have been more options. It seems the agents contact their lists before they get officially posted.


Once again, thank you for the suggestion. I plan on calling the agents with properties that I am interested in, I looked on rightmove.co.uk . 

I am buying a one way ticket to fly out this weekend (depending on my state of health with this cough) maybe stay a week to 10 days or more. I have a friend who lives in Reading to stay with and I can take the train ,30 mins to paddington station everyday to central london then tube to whatever area I want to go.

Hey, Lovestravel ( good to meet a likeminded traveller;-) do you meet the letting agent at their office or meet at the apartment when you have an appointment to view an apt?


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## nyclon (Apr 3, 2011)

MultiCrayon said:


> Once again, thank you for the suggestion. I plan on calling the agents with properties that I am interested in, I looked on rightmove.co.uk .
> 
> I am buying a one way ticket to fly out this weekend (depending on my state of health with this cough) maybe stay a week to 10 days or more. I have a friend who lives in Reading to stay with and I can take the train ,30 mins to paddington station everyday to central london then tube to whatever area I want to go.
> 
> Hey, Lovestravel ( good to meet a likeminded traveller;-) do you meet the letting agent at their office or meet at the apartment when you have an appointment to view an apt?


Usually you'll meet them at the flat. If you have narrowed down some areas, I would suggest looking on the estate agent's websites in those areas for fresher listings. Rightmove and similar property listing sites don't always get kept up to date in a timely manner.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

nyclon said:


> Usually you'll meet them at the flat. If you have narrowed down some areas, I would suggest looking on the estate agent's websites in those areas for fresher listings. Rightmove and similar property listing sites don't always get kept up to date in a timely manner.


Good idea to look on the real estate agent's website. Thanks, as always Nyclon has practical tips!


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

MultiCrayon said:


> Good idea to look on the real estate agent's website. Thanks, as always Nyclon has practical tips!


In UK they are just called estate agents or letting agents (for rentals; many do both sale and rental), not real estate agents.


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## lovestravel (Apr 9, 2012)

MultiCrayon said:


> Hey, Lovestravel ( good to meet a likeminded traveller;-) do you meet the letting agent at their office or meet at the apartment when you have an appointment to view an apt?


We met some at the property and some at their office if they were close to the properties. We also wandered around the neighborhoods we were interested in and looked at the listings posted in the local agent store front windows. We just snapped pictures with our phones on the properties we wanted to contact to view later. Since most properties listed are occupied we did not walk right in and ask to view anything on the spot.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

Joppa said:


> In UK they are just called estate agents or letting agents (for rentals; many do both sale and rental), not real estate agents.


Thanks for the correction, Joppa! I reckon Americans make the distinction and emphasis on "real" estate, LOL. 

Yes, I realize from looking at numerous ads that estate agents do sell and rent properties!


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

lovestravel said:


> We met some at the property and some at their office if they were close to the properties. We also wandered around the neighborhoods we were interested in and looked at the listings posted in the local agent store front windows. We just snapped pictures with our phones on the properties we wanted to contact to view later. Since most properties listed are occupied we did not walk right in and ask to view anything on the spot.


Thanks for the tip!! Yes, I already know which areas to check and what agents I am going to target. I plan on spending 7 to 10 days doing my due diligence in checking out areas and apartments(flats).


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## pandapaw (Sep 12, 2012)

Be honest.


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## MultiCrayon (Jul 18, 2012)

pandapaw said:


> Be honest.



Oh yes, we intend to be and will. It's just a friend of a friend who's rented in London for 14 years saying we shouldn't and so I wanted to see if others thought the same way she did, that's all. Glad to see others differ.


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