LOUIS BURKE | Culture | CONTACT
Victorian landlords are in a state of protest over the Andrew’s Government push to allow renters the right to pet ownership. One vocal opponent is Fitzroy based landlord Randall Patel (56).
“For God’s sake, most of the youths I’ve had over the years have done a good enough job clogging the drain pipes up themselves without adding pet hair to the mix.”
Patel says changing these laws will put ordinary landlords like him, with a multi-million dollar property portfolio, at an unfair disadvantage.
“The smell was bad enough when that Ska band moved out of my terrace property. Steam cleaning that carpet was like performing a god-damn exorcism.”
According to Patel, pets in rental properties are usually more trouble than they are worth, citing a time where his Brunswick terrace house needed the carpet professionally cleaned, after it was urinated on by a pet dog.
“Haha yeah, that was me actually!” states Patel’s tenant Lucas Ranieri (23). “We just told him it was the dog because it was easier that way. I was really fucked up! We don’t even have a dog!”
Some are seeing the positive side of the laws, such as Leslie Sorenson (19), a current tenant of one of Patel’s properties.
“I know Randall might be against it, but if these laws change we’re definitely getting a cat. Would really help sort of the rat problem in here.”
