How Pet-Friendly is the Estonian Rental Real Estate Market?

Pet owners find it difficult to find rental housing: only 3.5% of offers allow moving in with a pet. However, the situation has improved somewhat, as a few years ago this figure was only 1.3%.

According to Urmas Uibomäe, the CEO of the real estate portal Kinnisvara24, pets are allowed in only 3.5% of active rental offers. "In 2022, there were only 1.3% of such listings on the portal, which means that over four years, the number of pet-friendly rental apartments has nearly tripled," he says, noting that although the lives of pet owners have become somewhat easier, the choice is still very limited. According to him, the portal currently has around 60 such rental offers, and 10% of them are booked. "This suggests that demand for pet-friendly rental spaces exceeds supply."

Arco Vara broker Siim Peets confirms that finding a rental apartment for a pet owner is rather difficult. "Most of the rental apartments I deal with are ones where pets are not welcome. In my experience, there have been more pet owners over time, but the supply hasn't kept up with demand," notes Peets.

According to him, it is particularly difficult for pet owners to find rental housing in new developments. "Owners have invested a lot in new developments – everything is new and fresh and they don't want to take risks. They are more accommodating when the apartment hasn't been recently renovated and the furnishings aren't completely new."

The main reason why owners are wary of tenants with pets lies, according to Peets, in previous bad experiences. "If the owner themselves or someone they know has had a tenant whose pet caused damage, they are generally not willing to sign a contract with a tenant with a pet again."

However, those who do allow pets in rental spaces try to protect themselves against possible damage in every way. For example, they may ask the tenant for a larger security deposit or add special conditions to the rental agreement that regulate how damages are compensated. Many also have, according to Peets, special insurance that covers potential damage.

A survey conducted by Kinnisvara24 revealed that people most often want to move into rental housing with a dog or cat. Less common are reptiles, rodents, or aquarium dwellers as pets. According to Peets, the pet ban applies primarily to cats and dogs. "Landlords have very often said that if it's a pet kept in a cage, then there's no problem," he adds.

To make the search for rental housing go more smoothly, Peets recommends being open with landlords from the start. "You should mention in the first contact that you want to move in with a pet. There have been situations where everything is already arranged and discussed, and then it's mentioned that a cat or dog would come with the tenant. If the owner is set on renting to a tenant without a pet, then both sides are just wasting their time."