The Pet Resume Template Landlords Actually Like (2026)

Finding a rental that accepts pets is tough enough. Don't let your application get rejected because the landlord doesn't know anything about your furry companion.

Last updated: March 2026 | Reading time: 6 min | Pillar: Smart Renting

This information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, contact a tenancy advocate or solicitor in your state.

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Finding a rental that accepts pets is tough enough. Don't let your application get rejected because the landlord doesn't know anything about your furry companion.

A pet resume is a one-page document that introduces your pet to the landlord — their temperament, their health records, their track record. Done well, it turns "we don't usually allow pets" into "this one seems fine." This guide gives you a pet resume template that landlords actually like, with real examples and tips for every type of pet.

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Quick Answer

A pet resume should be one page and include: your pet's name, breed, age, and weight; desexing and vaccination status; microchip number; temperament description; training history; references from previous landlords; vet contact details; and photos. Pair it with a cover letter that addresses the landlord's concerns proactively.

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Why a Pet Resume Works

Property managers and landlords have one core concern about pets: damage and disruption. A pet resume directly addresses that concern with evidence.

A well-prepared pet resume signals: - You're a responsible pet owner - Your pet is well-managed and unlikely to cause problems - You've thought about the landlord's perspective - You're the kind of tenant who documents things properly

That last point matters more than most renters realise. A tenant who prepares a pet resume is also the kind of tenant who does a thorough condition report, reports maintenance issues promptly, and leaves the property in good condition. Landlords know this.

💡 RentWize Tip: Store your pet resume, vaccination certificates, and landlord references in RentWize — ready to share instantly with any property manager. [Manage your pet documents →](https://rentwize.com.au)

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The Pet Resume Template

``` PET RESUME

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

ABOUT [PET'S NAME]

Name: [Pet's name] Species: [Dog / Cat / Rabbit / Bird / etc.] Breed: [Breed — or "mixed breed" if applicable] Age: [Age in years/months] Weight: [Weight in kg] Colour: [Colour/markings]

HEALTH & REGISTRATION

Desexed: [Yes / No] Microchipped: [Yes — Chip No: XXXXXXXXXX] Vaccinations: [Up to date — last updated: Month Year] Flea/worm: [Up to date — last treated: Month Year] Council reg: [Yes — Registration No: XXXXXXXXXX / State] Vet: [Vet clinic name, suburb, phone number]

TEMPERAMENT & BEHAVIOUR

[2–3 sentences describing your pet's personality and behaviour. Be honest and specific. Examples:]

"Max is a calm, gentle Labrador who loves people and is excellent with children. He is not a barker and has never shown aggression. He is crate-trained and settles quietly when left alone."

"Luna is an indoor cat who is quiet, affectionate, and fully litter-trained. She does not scratch furniture and has lived in apartments her entire life."

TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS

[List any relevant training or certifications:] - Completed puppy school at [training school], [year] - Completed advanced obedience training at [training school], [year] - Canine Good Citizen certificate (if applicable) - [Any other relevant training]

RENTAL HISTORY

Previous properties where [pet's name] has lived:

Property 1: [Address or suburb], [dates] Landlord/Agent: [Name, phone, email] Outcome: [e.g., "Full bond refund. No pet-related damage or complaints."]

Property 2: [Address or suburb], [dates] Landlord/Agent: [Name, phone, email] Outcome: [e.g., "Full bond refund. Landlord reference available."]

MY COMMITMENTS AS A PET OWNER

I commit to: ✓ Maintaining the property in excellent condition ✓ Ensuring [pet's name] does not cause nuisance to neighbours ✓ Cleaning up after [pet's name] in all common areas and outdoor spaces ✓ Professional carpet cleaning at the end of my tenancy ✓ Flea treatment at the end of my tenancy (if applicable) ✓ Repairing any pet-related damage promptly ✓ Complying with all conditions attached to pet approval

PHOTOS

[Attach 2–3 photos:] 1. A clear photo of your pet 2. A photo of your pet in your current (clean, tidy) home 3. A photo of your pet with you (shows the bond and responsible ownership)

PREPARED BY

[Your full name] [Your phone number] [Your email] [Date]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ```

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Example Pet Resumes

### Example 1 — Dog (Labrador)

About Max - Species: Dog | Breed: Labrador Retriever | Age: 4 years | Weight: 32kg - Desexed: Yes | Microchipped: Yes (No. 956000012345678) | Vaccinations: Up to date (March 2026) - Council registered: Yes (City of Sydney, No. 12345) - Vet: Newtown Veterinary Clinic, 02 9555 1234

Temperament: Max is a calm, gentle Labrador who loves people and is excellent with children. He is not a barker and has never shown aggression. He is crate-trained and settles quietly when left alone for up to 8 hours.

Training: Completed puppy school at Sydney Dog Training Centre (2022). Completed advanced obedience training (2023). Canine Good Citizen certificate holder.

Rental history: Lived at 42 Smith Street, Newtown for 3 years. Full bond refund. No pet-related damage or complaints. Landlord reference: Sarah Chen, 0412 345 678.

My commitments: Professional carpet cleaning at end of tenancy. Flea treatment at end of tenancy. Max is kept indoors at night and in the backyard during the day.

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### Example 2 — Cat (Indoor)

Temperament: Luna is a quiet, affectionate indoor cat who has lived in apartments her entire life. She is fully litter-trained, does not scratch furniture (she has her own scratching post), and is not a vocaliser. She is comfortable being alone during work hours.

Rental history: Lived at 8/22 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy for 4 years. Full bond refund. No pet-related damage. Landlord reference: James Wong, 0423 456 789.

My commitments: Professional carpet cleaning at end of tenancy. Luna is strictly indoors — she will not access common areas or outdoor spaces.

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### Example 3 — Small Dog (First-Time Renter with Pet)

About Biscuit - Species: Dog | Breed: Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Age: 2 years | Weight: 7kg - Desexed: Yes | Microchipped: Yes | Vaccinations: Up to date (February 2026) - Council registered: Yes (Brisbane City Council) - Vet: Paddington Vet, 07 3555 9012

Temperament: Biscuit is a small, gentle dog who is quiet and well-behaved. He has never caused damage to any property and is comfortable in small spaces. He is walked twice daily and is not left alone for more than 4 hours.

Training: Completed puppy school at Brisbane Dog Training (2024).

Rental history: This is Biscuit's first rental property. I have a character reference from my previous accommodation provider (university college) confirming no pet-related issues during my 2-year stay.

My commitments: Professional carpet cleaning at end of tenancy. Biscuit is kept on a lead in all common areas. I am happy to provide an additional reference from my vet.

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Tips for a Stronger Pet Resume

### Do This

Be specific about temperament — "calm and quiet" is vague; "not a barker, crate-trained, settles alone for 8 hours" is convincing
Include actual landlord references — names and phone numbers that can be called
Show the property in photos — a photo of your pet in a clean, tidy home is worth a thousand words
Offer specific commitments — professional cleaning, flea treatment, keeping the pet in certain areas
Keep it to one page — concise and professional wins

### Don't Do This

Don't exaggerate your pet's behaviour — if they bark occasionally, say "occasional barker who responds to training" rather than "never barks"
Don't include irrelevant information
Don't use low-quality photos
Don't forget to update vaccination and registration details — outdated records undermine trust

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What to Do If You Have Multiple Pets

If you have more than one pet, create a brief resume for each — or a combined resume with a section for each pet. Be upfront about the number of animals. Hiding a second pet is a breach of your tenancy agreement.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a pet resume for a cat? A: Yes — especially in states where landlords have more discretion to refuse pets. A cat resume is shorter and simpler than a dog resume, but it still demonstrates responsible ownership.

Q: What if my pet has never lived in a rental before? A: Focus on character references from your vet, training school, or previous accommodation provider. Offer specific commitments to address the landlord's concerns.

Q: Should I include my pet's photo? A: Absolutely. A photo of a well-groomed, happy pet in a clean home is one of the most persuasive elements of a pet resume.

Q: What if my pet has caused minor damage in a previous rental? A: Be honest — but contextualise it. "Minor carpet wear that was repaired at our cost" is very different from "significant damage." Honesty builds trust; concealment destroys it.

Q: How do I get a landlord reference for my pet? A: Ask your current or previous property manager to provide a brief written reference confirming your pet's behaviour and any bond outcome. Most will do this by email.

Q: Is a pet resume legally required? A: No — but it's one of the most effective tools for getting pet approval in a competitive market.

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[Renting with Pets in Australia: State-by-State Guide →](/renting-with-pets-australia)
[Renting with Pets in NSW: Your Rights Explained →](/renting-with-pets-nsw)
[Rental Cover Letter Template That Actually Works →](/rental-cover-letter-template)
[How to Write a Rental Application That Gets Accepted →](/how-to-write-rental-application)
[How to Get Your Bond Back: The Complete Guide →](/how-to-get-bond-back)

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The App Your Landlord Doesn't Want You to Have.

RentWize stores your pet resume, vaccination certificates, and landlord references — ready to share with any property manager, instantly. Because the best time to have your documents ready is before you need them.

[Manage your pet documents with RentWize →](https://rentwize.com.au)

RentWize, Live Wiser.

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This information is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. Tenancy laws vary by state and are subject to change. For advice about your specific situation, contact a tenancy advocate or solicitor in your state.

This article may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The Daily Tenant

The Pet Resume Template Landlords Actually Like (2026)

The Pet Resume Template Landlords Actually Like (2026)

Quick Answer

Why a Pet Resume Works

The Pet Resume Template

Example Pet Resumes

Tips for a Stronger Pet Resume

What to Do If You Have Multiple Pets

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Articles

The App Your Landlord Doesn't Want You to Have.

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