The hot rental market in Australia is forcing tenants to give up their pets, leaving SA animal shelters flooded with animals in need of adoption.
Key points:
- More than 600 animals at the Lonsdale shelter are waiting to be adopted
- Tenants are forced to give up pets or risk homelessness
- RSPCA SA calls for legal reforms to help tenants with pets
The Better Renting Tenants Advocacy Group calls on all states and territories to impose regulations that prevent landlords from discriminating against people with pets.
It comes when RSPCA SA made an urgent request for volunteers and foster carers to help with a record number of 1,161 animals in their care.
Better Renting CEO Joel Dignam said the lack of pet-friendly accommodation was “an additional hurdle” for pet owners in the competitive rental market.
“Most people don’t want to give up their pets. It’s their family,” he said.
“If some people are more desperate, or if they are facing eviction, they may choose to sleep in their cars instead of giving up their pets.
“Some people had to hand over their pets, such as at RSPCA.”
Dignam calls on all states and territories to let landlords ask if potential tenants have a pet.
“The ability to insure a home should not be due to the biases of a person looking to rent out their rental property,” he said.
Paired dogs Maggie and Roy are being adopted together by RSPCA SA. (Supplied by: RSPCA SA)
Shelters full of pets
RSPCA SA has received more than 7,200 animals through its doors this year so far, with a growing number of tenants struggling to give up their pets amid the worsening rental crisis in South Australia.
At least one in five pets delivered to RSPCA SA comes from tenants who cannot have a pet for rent.
The number of pets delivered due to rental problems so far this year is 616, up from 259 in 2018-19.
RSPCA SA supports legislative change demands to enhance tenants’ rights to have pets and align the state with Victoria, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
Sherlock, one year old, is waiting to be relocated after being handed over to RSPCA SA. (Supplied by: RSPCA SA)
In Victoria, for example, landlords can only deny a tenant’s pet application if they receive approval from the Victoria Civil and Administrative Court.
RSPCA Victoria reported a decrease in the number of pets being delivered for rental purposes after the law came into force in 2020.
But SA owners should not provide a reason to reject pets in rental homes, said RSPCA animal welfare advocate Rebecca Eyers.
“This means that many, many pet owners receive a general refusal and have nowhere to go, and have to hand over their pets,” he said.
“You have dogs that are very confused. They are taken out by the force of their loving families.
“You have owners with tears who tell us it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever had to do.
“You have frontline staff at the RSPCA who are very distressed.”
Dr. Eyers suggested preparing a pet resume and negotiating a pet agreement with the landlord to increase your chances of being accepted as a tenant.
Rising rental prices and low unemployment rates in SA are forcing tenants to make difficult decisions about giving up their beloved pets or risking homelessness.
Alice Clark says there are few rentals that accept pets in the market. (ABC News: Patrick Martin)
Shelter SA CEO Alice Clark said pet owners had been struggling to find new rentals “for a long time”, but the problem had worsened with declining vacancy rates in South Australia.
“In this market, homeowners are eager to choose,” he said.
“We’ve heard of people with children, single parents, who just can’t find a place to rent. Couples without children are preferred.”
Dr. Clark wants landlords and tenants to come to an agreement where pets are allowed based on the size of the pet, the size of the rental house, and its outside area.
“A responsible pet owner would not let their pet damage the property,” he said.
More pets need new homes
At Lonsdale Shelter, there are 605 animals waiting to be rehoused, with hundreds more living with volunteer caregivers or at the RSPCA’s Whyalla and Port Lincoln shelters.
RSPCA SA is reducing its dog adoption fee to $ 150 and tripling its appointments at the Lonsdale shelter this weekend.
He has also made a desperate call for more volunteers to take care of 120 dogs and puppies that arrived last weekend.
Mickel is one of hundreds of cats in adoption through RSPCA SA. (Supplied by: RSPCA SA)
Dr. Eyers encouraged people who could not adopt to become foster carers.
“All food, bedding and veterinary care is provided by RSPCA,” he said.
“You will have the support of our animal care team and you will offer such a wonderful service to this animal until you find a permanent loving home.
“If the animal is healthy, we will cling to that animal for as long as it takes to find a home … and that can be very long, so it is a big drain on our resources.”
Posted 11 hours ago 11 hours on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 6:29 AM, updated 10 hours ago Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 6:40 AM