It is estimated that just over two thirds of South Australian households own a pet, however less than 20 per cent of rental properties are advertised as allowing pets.
To address this, the Government of South Australia is proposing reforms to the Residential Tenancies Act, that would give renters a much greater chance of finding a property that accepts animals.
The State Government will consult on a bill which seeks to make it harder for landlords to automatically refuse applications from pet owners.
This is provided the tenant agrees to comply with any reasonable conditions imposed by the landlord, including requiring a pet to be kept outside if it is not the type of animal ordinarily kept inside and requiring carpets to be professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy.
Renters would still have to seek permission from the landlord to own a pet, and the landlord could refuse the request if they had a justifiable reason such as the property lacking suitable space or fencing, or if the animal presented a public safety risk.
The proposed reforms include an option for the tenant to apply to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if they don’t think the conditions being asked by the landlord are reasonable or if they believe their request to keep a pet was unreasonably refused.
RSPCA SA Chief Executive Marcus Gehrig welcomed the news, saying the number of pets surrendered because of rental stress had tripled over the past three years.
"The impact of surrender of a much-loved family pet is tragic: for the family having to give them up; for the animal who suffers from the separation and anxiety; and even for our frontline staff who are daily faced with very distressed humans and animals being separated through no fault of their own," Mr Gehrig said.
"Just last week we had a beautiful and very loved pet come to us. His mum was in a situation where staying where she was, was putting her and her pet at serious risk of harm. And her only choice of home was a hard ‘no’ to the pet. The tears that day. Hers, ours.”
He said SA’s residential tenancy laws had not kept up in the way they had in other states.
“Victoria, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the ACT have amended their rental regulation to help more pet-owning renters find a home,” Mr Gehrig said.
“In these states, renters must still seek permission from the landlord to have a pet and remain liable if the pet causes damage – but blanket ‘no pets’ clauses are prohibited.”
