Living in an apartment also means having neighbors, and that’s not always fun. Some are disturbed by loud music, others by children playing and a third by a barking dog.
Having pets in rental properties is usually not a problem, but there are rules to adhere to. Otherwise, you may risk having to pay high compensation or even be evicted.
News24 have talked to Glenn Karlssonunit lawyer at the Tenants’ Association, about what is okay and what is not with pets in tenements.
Can the landlord deny a resident a pet?
The question is not entirely simple, unless it concerns an allergy house.
– It’s a bit tricky. Of course it is possible to enter it as a condition in the rental agreement, but then the question becomes whether it would be seen as an unfair contractual condition. So that nothing happens in practice if you break the agreement, he says.
What happens if the animal destroys something in the apartment?
– As a rule, you become liable for compensation when you move out. That can be counted on if you have pets, says Karlsson and continues:
– If the animal were to cause serious damage, you could risk dismissal. But I find it hard to see that it would happen just because you have animals, without it being something else as well.
What counts as wear and tear is a matter of judgment in each individual case, but animal-related damage such as claw marks on walls or doors is not normal wear and tear.
What happens if the animal makes a lot of noise?
As a tenant, you are responsible for not disturbing your surroundings. Of course that includes animals that make sounds, but there are no exact rules here.
– The fact that an animal makes noise in itself should not be something you become homeless for, but if the animal makes noise and disturbs the neighbors continuously around the clock, then there is a risk in that.
There are no specific times in the tenancy law when you may not disturb, but according to Glenn Karlsson, a stricter assessment is often made late in the evening and at night.
Can you get rid of your tenancy if the animal disturbs or destroys?
The answer is yes, and that is especially true if the apartment is completely neglected.
– Yes, in extreme cases you run that risk. If you don’t go out with your animal, but let the animal relieve itself in the apartment, and then you don’t take care of it, says Glenn Karlsson and continues:
– But then there are usually other problems, and that you don’t take care of the accommodation at the same time.
As for disturbances, Glenn Karlsson has not read of any case where a person was thrown out solely because of it.
– If there is constant noise or other disturbances, you first get a warning, he says.
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