The festive season is clearly upon us; the old chestnut of a dog is not just for Christmas has morphed into a new theme, a dog is not just for those who own their home. The Dog's Trust has teamed up with NALS, the National Approved Lettting Scheme, to encourage letting agents and their landlords to look more favourably on tenants wanting a pad that will welcome their pooch.

NALS is urging its firms to become pet friendly and get behind the campaign, telling tenants that many landlords do welcome pets. Caroline Pickering, NALS Chair said "By excluding pets, agencies are discounting a significant part of the population and potential tenants.

Lettings agents might be surprised to learn that a survey conducted by Dogs Trust showed that more landlords are prepared to accept pets than agents' realise.

There are some sensible guidelines to follow including a ‘pet deposit' and a ‘pet policy' within a tenant's contract. By taking a pragmatic approach, pets can be easily accommodated".

Letswithpets.org.uk