If you are moving to London with a pet, a cat or a dog, advanced planning is essential. Focus on renting with your pet in London first, as this is the more complicated and time-consuming process. The more focused you are the better. For example, where do you want to be in the Capital, what is my budget and does the property allow a pet? Also, Landlords will want to know how long you intend to stay. If a Landlord is unsure about allowing a pet, he may say yes if you are looking to stay for more than a year. People letting with with pets do tend to stay longer when they find a good pet friendly rental in London.
Only 10% of London Landlords are currently pet-friendly. Central London is also tricky with a lot on non-pet friendly blocks. You may see people with dogs in mansion blocks, however, some are not allowed officially and are only there because the concierge loves dogs. You won’t get a pet’s clause in any tenancy agreement.
At Pets Lets we look after a lot of clients relocating to London with their pets. A trend at the moment is for an unfurnished property, which makes it even more complicated. If you have your own furniture, Landlords will again want a commitment of more than 1 year, otherwise it is not worth it financially to move out the furniture.
As well as talking to local estate agents, there are London property portals that can help when finding London pet-friendly properties, such as www.petslets.com, www.zoopla.com and if you are looking for a room only try visiting www.spareroom.com
You can travel around London with your dog as long as they are well behaved on a lead. Busses and the underground are free. Makes sure you check the station you are travelling to has a lift for your dog. Some people carry their dogs on the escalator, at their own risk.
London is normally a fast-paced city. Yet, the parks and commons, help slow down the pace and allow dog owners to meet up and for the dogs to run around and ‘sniff’ out the scenery, including their friends. Always have poo bags at hand so you can clean up afterwards.
An increasing number of bars and pubs and stores have opened their doors to dogs. Look for the watering bowl outside for a clue. Have a look at www.thedogvine.com, www.thelondog.com, as well as www.paaw.house, and www.londondogweek.com.
We relocate people with pets to London from all over the world. We are happy to offer pet owners pets & London pet-friendly property advice. Email hello@petslets.com or follow us on Instagram @petslets