Little appetite to force landlords to accept pet owners: poll

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – We know it’s incredibly difficult to find a place, with a near zero per cent vacancy rate — and it can be even more challenging for pet owners.

But a new survey finds there isn’t big support to make things any easier for those with dogs and cats.

About two in three people who responded to an Angus Reid survey which asked if the law should be adjusted to force landlords to accept tenants with pets back the status quo.

“Ultimately, what we’re seeing in these numbers is that Canadians don’t necessarily want to see this changed through legislation,” says Shachi Kurl with Angus Reid. “Maybe the answer really just lies in better communication between tenants and landlords.”

It seems there’s no real desire here to make a change, with many people feeling property owners should have the ultimate say on whether animals are allowed.

The groups most sympathetic to those with pets are those 34 years old and younger, as well as those making less than $50,000 per year. Still, even among those segments, a slim majority of those polled don’t feel changing the law would be appropriate.

“What is notable is that division between renters,” says Kurl. “It really comes down to if you have somebody who is looking for a place to rent, they may not necessarily be wanting to inherit a place that was lived in or occupied by pets because of allergens or health reasons. Or it could simply be that you’ve got the case of people understanding — even if they are renting themselves — maybe one day they hope to buy, and they don’t want themselves to be in a position where they’re forced to rent to people own pets.

“It’s not the greatest news for those who are calling for changes, but I think what that says is that there needs to be a change in the conversation about how people view pets in living spaces.”

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