Finding a pet-friendly place: Another challenge for renters
Posted March 25, 2013 10:50 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver is known for its lack of affordable housing, but that’s not the only challenge faced by potential renters. Finding a place to live can also be tough for pet owners.
Lorie Chortyk with the BC SPCA says they’re concerned about the lack of pet-friendly housing, explaining that it’s one of the main reasons people have to give up their cats and dogs.
“A lot of people drop their animals off at shelters; [they] would really love to keep them, but they just can’t find housing that will take their pets,” she tells us.
“Hundreds of animals come into our shelters every year who do have loving guardians.”
Right now, landlords can prohibit pets or restrict the size, kind or number of pets a tenant may keep. Chortyk says the SPCA would be in favour of changes to the Residential Tenancy Act.
“It’s very traumatic for the pet to be separated from their guardian, it’s traumatic for the person, and we feel there are a lot of very responsible pet guardians in our communities that would take very good care of their housing.”
She understands people may be uneasy about letting pets into their rental property, but adds bad renters can cause just as many, if not more, problems.
