Pets in Rented Housing

A No Pets policy discriminates against responsible pet owners who are not fortunate enough to own their own homes. It forces tenants to make an impossible choice if they need for whatever reason, to move home. Social Media sites such as Facebook are awash with pets for sale or needing to be rehomed because their owners need to move but are unable to find a home which will allow them to keep their family pets. In many cases, these pets are dogs which have been a member of the family for many years. Pet owners can be tempted to be dishonest when entering into Tenancy Agreements by stating that they do not have pets when in fact, they do. This will render any contract void and puts the tenant at risk of eviction should the landlord or their agent find out that they've lied about pet ownership. In addition to this, there is a human rights issue because the right to a family life and a right to privacy is enshrined in Human Rights Law. If the Right to a Family Life is enough to stop a terrorist from being deported, why should it not prevent landlords from dictating to tenants how they live their lives within reason. After all, the landlord might own the building, but it's the tenant's home.