According to OLX Real Estate, 89% of landlords pay attention to the presence of pets among applicants for long-term rentals, and 65% of applicants have been refused because of pets.
Problems when searching for housing with pets
Searching for pet-friendly accommodation remains a challenge: 73% of those who looked for housing with pets encountered difficulties. For 26% the search was very difficult, a further 47% reported some obstacles, 17% considered the search not very difficult, and 8% — easy.
The role of estate agents in this process varies: 27% of tenants said the agent fully helped them find housing, 34% received partial assistance, 20% received no assistance, and 19% searched on their own. Among the problems in interactions with agents were inability to convince the owner (36%), lack of negotiations with owners (40%) and a shortage of arguments or negotiation experience (15%).
“Finding housing when you have pets requires aligning the expectations of all parties. For tenants it is important to find accommodation that will accept them together with their pets, while owners need to understand how living arrangements and responsibility for any damage will be organised. In this situation estate agents can help the parties discuss terms and find a solution that takes both sides’ interests into account,” comments Oksana Ostapchuk, head of OLX Real Estate.
Property damage and ways to resolve disputes
The experience of landlords and tenants is not always associated with serious damage: 47% of respondents who rented housing with pets reported that there was no damage, 44% reported minor damage, and 9% reported serious damage.
When damage occurred, parties most often resolved it by repair or replacement of items: 34% partially repaired or replaced property, 29% fully replaced damaged items, and 23% compensated losses. Costs were covered by the deposit in 11% of cases, and 3% of respondents said the owner did not demand compensation.
“To avoid misunderstandings and problems in the future, applicants should always inform the landlord about the presence of a pet, discuss living conditions and record agreements in the tenancy agreement. Owners, for their part, should clearly state in listings whether they are willing to rent to people with pets — for example, by applying the relevant filter,” notes Oksana Ostapchuk, head of OLX Real Estate.
Demand for house rentals in the regions
As winter approaches, Ukrainians increasingly consider houses for relocation; the highest median rental prices for houses by region are in Kyiv Oblast.
According to the study, in September 2026 the largest increase in demand for house rentals compared with last year was recorded in Chernivtsi Oblast: +163%. Next by growth were Zakarpattia Oblast (+110%) and Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (+105%).
