The agency said the findings went hand-in-hand with an increase in dog ownership and the growing private rental sector.
Lucy Morton, senior partner and head of lettings at W.A.Ellis, said: “We are surprised by the amount of pet license addendums we have made to our tenancy agreements recently and believe it’s due to several factors; an increase in dog ownership, the UK’s relaxed quarantine laws which came into effect early last year and also the fact that some dog breeds have become a fashion accessory especially in London where it’s not uncommon to see a teacup pooch perched in a ‘pet taxi’ designer handbag!”
Morton said in the past it had proven difficult for pet owners to find a suitable rental property to accommodate their canine companions.
The research showed one in three pet owners struggled to find the right home and that it could take anything from two months to a year for them to find appropriate accommodation.
As such some tenants may try to sneak pets into their property without approval.
Morton added: “I was recently attending an inspection and heard continuous clawing and meowing – I did some investigation and discovered a cat hidden in the cupboard.
“We’ve also recently discovered a tenant is keeping a tarantula in their flat which goes against the leasehold agreement.”
She added that all tenants should be upfront about owning a pet although tenants should expect to pay a higher security deposit to protect against the risk of extra damage.
