So many pet owners say to us, “Pet Resume/ CV, what is that?” Yet, it is such a powerful tool for people looking to rent with pets in the UK. A few cute images can win over the most hardened landlord.
If you think about it, it is the only way for the landlord to imagine what the prospective tenant’s dog or cat looks like. The pet resume or cv, lets you show what a responsible pet owner you are. Write down any training qualifications, show your vaccinations are up to date. Add to that a bit about your pet, their character, how they sleep a lot and you work from home, so they are rarely alone …. how can a landlord say no!
What is a landlord looking for
- Not always about the price
- Sometimes it is about the right tenant profile. Especially if it was the landlord’s old home as it is more than a pure investment. They want someone to look after it. A previous landlord testimonial can help. Shows a responsible track record as a responsible tenant and paying your rent on time.
- Affordability. The general guideline is that your gross income should be 3 times the amount of rent. This article also has a budget calculator if you are unsure. If you are based outside the UK, a UK guarantor can help. Also if you have savings, have those ready to show. It should be recent statement.
Key pet cv tips
- Cute images. You can download a pet cv on Pets Lets. There are some examples to look at to guide you. Sounds obvious, but avoid any pictures of your dog chewing or cat scratching. It will just ‘remind’ a landlord of potential damage to their property.
- For a dog, any training qualifications are important. Show you are responsible and your dog is not going to run ‘riot’ in their property. If you have a house cat, then state it is a house cat. From experience, some landlords love house cats.
- All our pets have their own characters. Use the pet resume / cv, to highlight that. How affectionate they are, mild mannered, a big part of the family with the children. Appeal to a landlord’s emotions. Many will have their own families and some will have a dog or cat.
- Keep it to 1 page if you can. Just like a press release, landlords will only read so much.
- Here are some further tips from the Dogs Trust lets with pets scheme. It is also a good source of information for renting with dogs in the UK.
Case Study
We have had great success for our clients with pets over the years. One that always stands out in my mind, was winning a sealed bid on a property for a lovely UK family, 2 adults, their daughter as well as two dogs, a cat and a hedgehog. The picture of the hedgehog on the pet cv won it with the landlord!
” We presented Pets Lets with a slightly unusual challenge of helping us find a central London apartment for ourselves plus our two dogs, cat and our rescue African Pygmy Hedgehog! Within a short period of time Pets Lets was able to find a suitable property and secure it for us in a very competitive rental market.”
Have a go at creating your own pet resume/ cv on Pets Lets. It is something fun to do for you and the family.
This article was written by Russell Hunt, Founder of Pets Lets. With over 25 years as a London estate agent and London property search agent covering London and the home counties, as well as a dog owner with a basset/ beagle, setting up the Pets Lets Relocation Service made complete sense. We work with clients from all over the world. Pets are our four-legged children, aka ‘fur-babies’.