I am in my late 20’s.
I’m single and childless.
I’m about to start my PhD, on a full scholarship.
I work part-time in a great, secure job.
And if I don’t find somewhere to live in a couple of weeks time, I’m going to be homeless.
Now, I don’t mean homeless in the sense that I’ll have to sleep in a park somewhere, or at a shelter or anything. I’m lucky enough to have friends and family that I can stay with for a while. But, homeless in the sense that I won’t have a permanent residence.
I don’t do drugs. I’ve never been arrested or even gotten a fine. I’ve never been evicted, and have always gotten all of my security bond returned at the end of a lease. Sure, I enjoy the odd glass of wine as much as the next person, but I’m certainly not a party animal. I have a great rental record, zero criminal history and have never been late paying anything in my life.
But I have a dog. And having a dog is what could lead to not having anywhere to live.
I’ve been looking for a place to rent for months. Literally, months. I spend hours searching the web every day. I scroll through hundreds of listings on real estate websites, only to see the same thing over and over: “NO PETS”. I’ve emailed agents, asked everyone I know, put ads in local classifieds, and even begged. See, she’s not even a big dog. She’s not a Golden Retriever, or a Staffy. She’s a Chihuahua. A tiny, freaking Chihuahua who loves nothing more than to sleep in the sun. Preferably somewhere clean. She hates to get dirty.
Today, for example, there have been 27 new rental listings in the Adelaide metro area on domain.com.au. None of them allow pets.
On realestate.com.au, there are just 63 listings in the whole of South Australia that specify that a pet is ok (or at least according to realestate.com.au’s not-so-reliable search function. I’ve found that it’s usually wrong and the number of results should be about half of what it usually is). Most of them are in rural areas, or suburbs that are too far away for someone who attends university in the city, or are areas that I just wouldn’t feel safe living in as a single female.
According to petnet.com.au, around 63% of Australian households own a pet. We are a nation of pet lovers. Unless you’re a landlord or property manager, it seems.
Now, I can understand that it is a homeowners right to decide whether or not a tenant can have a pet. I really do. I get that they can say no to whatever they like. That being said, the Residential Tenancies Act of South Australia also states that a tenant has the right to quiet enjoyment of a property without interruption. For me, enjoyment of a property includes my dog.
According to their website, the RSCPA takes in around 150,000 animals in Australia every year. I’m going to bet that a significant proportion of these are beloved pets whose owners circumstances change and who then find themselves in the same situation as me.
I think the thing I find most frustrating is that I’m a responsible pet owner, I’m not the kind of person who would let a pet damage a property in anyway. I’m in this position because the owner of my current home is selling the property and I didn’t get a dog to surrender her when it all got too hard.
My dog is microchipped, desexed, vaccinated and gets monthly flea/mite/worming treatments and has her coat and nails trimmed once every 5 weeks. If she were a human child, discrimination against her would be illegal. And unlike a child, she can’t draw on walls. She can’t spill fizzy drinks on the carpet. Sure, she barks occasionally. She’s a dog. But kids can be just as loud and just as annoying.
I won’t give up, and I won’t give my dog up. It’s time that this blanket ban on pets in rental properties ended, and it’s a fight I’m willing to take up.
