Pets in rental properties: What are your rights?

Questioner

My boyfriend and I live in a rental property. We would like to take a cat into our home. Our rental contract states the following: 'no pets allowed without written permission from the landlord'. I therefore contacted our landlord. He indicated that he did not want to allow the pet because of 'the hygiene and cleaning of the apartment complex'. I then started looking for information and I found out that banning a pet is not permitted by law, as this is an infringement of our living pleasure. We as tenants are allowed to decide for ourselves how we live in the house and what we do in our home. A rental contract therefore cannot ban a pet. In addition, we, as tenants, ensure that our apartment remains clean, a cat is not going to change that. I would like to know to what extent I am right? Am I right in these arguments?

Lawyer

In principle, you are right and you can have a cat as a pet, provided that the cat does not cause excessive nuisance. You have the right to enjoy your home and having a pet does not stand in the way of that. If the landlord still has problems with that, he can go to court. If you cannot reach an agreement, please contact me immediately and without obligation.