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Dogs are getting into the garden of my rented property through an insecure fence. Who is responsible for securing the garden?
I have just moved into a rented property and am having a problem with dogs invading my garden. The garden is tree/hedge lined down both sides, with some rickety wire wound into the hedges, but there are gaps, and the wire is very low anyway and can easily be jumped. This morning a pair of dogs came into our garden (I believe they're from a couple of doors down, but not sure). I started to chase them away with a broom; one promptly ran back through the fence, the other started to come towards me as though to attack. I threw a bucket of water over it and it then ran away. My toddler has, until now, been playing out in the garden on his own and I am terrified that he might come under attack if this happens again. Who legally needs to secure their garden - me, as the tenant, my landlord, or the household with the dogs?
If the property was let with secure boundaries then this is the landlord's responsibility. You should immediately notify the landlord of your concerns. You are most likely entitled under Section 11 of the Housing Act 1988 to demand repair of the fences where they are defective but not to expect them to be raised.
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