A brand-new pet-friendly apartment complex in Southampton could become a template for residential block design across the region, according to Weston-Super-Mare property consultants Mcilroy Smith.

Bow Square is a purpose-built apartment scheme catering for tenants with cats and dogs - and even offers a dog walking service.

And Andrew Simmonds, Managing Director of the new property consultancy in Weston-super-Mare says the scheme could catch on.

He said:

“Tenants with pets – particularly larger animals such as dogs – don’t normally expect to be received with open arms by the managers and landlords of residential blocks.

“While the Bow Square scheme is a fairly unique idea for now, I think it could work within the social housing sector and maybe for specific blocks on larger complexes where a pet-friendly building could be included.

“I am working with a brace of developers in the Weston area on a phased consultancy basis, looking to get lease issues like this sorted at the earliest possible stage of the development to help avoid friction later on.”

Andrew Simmonds said as a basic rule of thumb, present leases prevent the lessee from keeping any animals in a flat in order to guarantee protection from barking dogs etc.

But times are changing.

“These days, many people have smaller, more manageable dogs so apartments used as holiday or commuter pads might benefit from the idea. I have a small dog which goes everywhere with me – and people as likely to have lapdogs as Alsatians or Labradors.”

He went on:

“It's often hard to turn away a potential tenant because of their pet of their pets, so it’s great to see the designers of the Bow Square scheme thinking outside the box.”

Mcilroy Smith, is based in Pastures Avenue, St Georges, near Weston-super-Mare, alongside the M5 enabling it to service clients throughout the region.

Andrew Simmonds commented:

“We are aiming to provide a more personal service and pets are typical of the sort of landlord-tenant issues which can be identified at the design stage.

“In my view, pet-friendly sites such as the development at Bow Square in Southampton should and will become a way of life. “

Mcilroy smith can be found at www.mcilroysmith.com or call 0333 050 8550.