Regent’s Park and other prime central London areas near open space are seeing a boom in potential tenants with dogs according to research.

The surge has been attributed to a celebrity-driven craze for toy breeds but changes to Stamp Duty and soaring house prices have also seen older would-be buyers – who are more likely to have dogs – pushed into the rental market.

According to lettings agent E J Harris who compiled the report, the number of dog-owning tenants looking for a London flat has risen from only two per cent five years ago to 30 per cent this year. Despite this, the agent estimates that pets are disqualified from 40 per cent of prime central London flats because it is written into the head lease of many blocks.

And rapidly increasing demand combined with a lack of suitable properties means that premiums of up to £25,000 are being added to deposits for properties that allow dogs.

Deposits can also be bumped up by requests for non-refundable charges for professional cleaning and sanitation at the end of a tenancy, which can amount to several hundred pounds according to the report.

However, Elizabeth Harris, Managing Director of E J Harris says that this concern on the part of landlords is unwarranted as most dog owning tenants looking for homes in central London are responsible, clean professionals.

She said: “We have seen a significant rise in the number of dog owning tenants looking for private rental accommodation in Central London.

“These tenants want luxury pads situated close to Hyde Park or The Regent’s Park, where they can regularly take their pets for walks.

“Despite the stigma surrounding tenancies with pets, in our experience tenants who own dogs make for reliable and responsible tenants who take good care of the property and keep their pets pampered and well trained.

“We always advise dog owning tenants to create a ‘pet CV’ that provides a detailed description of the pet and outlines key facts regarding behavior, health and grooming, which can help alleviate the landlord’s concerns.”