Growth in pet ownership prompts acquisition by Peterborough Lettings Hub

The Lettings Hub, based in Commerce Road, Lynch Wood, has acquired pet referencing firm PetsScore that allows tenants to register their pets’ details from microchip number to medical treatments and training to show the animals are healthy and well behaved.

The moves comes as new figures show a huge growth in pet ownership during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Demand for pet-friendly property has risen by 120 per cent in 2021 compared to the previous year.

Chief executive Heidi Shackell, said: “More than three million households have acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic, with 59 per cent of new owners aged 16-34 years old.

“It’s common sense we’ll see this translate more into the rental market and tenants’ needs.

“If the Rental Reform bill scraps section 21 notices, landlords have little protection against a tenant moving in a pet without permission.

“We’re working on solutions that give those landlords and letting agents that already allow, or want to consider pets, extra information to make informed decisions.

“This also helps tenants to access more homes that will welcome them, along with their pets.

PetsScore founder, Natasha Homer-Earley said: “We’re delighted to have been acquired by The Lettings Hub, a move that will take us forward on the next stage of our journey.”

She added: “Pet ownership is at an all-time high, getting on the property ladder has never been further out of reach for millions and there is a chasm between the availability of pet-friendly rental properties and the overwhelming demand for them.”

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