Social media influencer Sophia revealed how she was kicked out of her home purely because she was accompanied by her pet dog there.
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She explained on TikTok how she was heartbroken on being forced out of the apartment so swiftly in Sydney in Australia.
She says her landlord in the New South Wales capital acted after being told about the dog.
Sophia had been living there for just a fortnight before being evicted and potentially left with a £2,600 bill to pay.
The TikToker, originally from Los Angeles in the United States and posting under the name @sophiainsydney, described having to forfeit four weeks in rent after being abruptly ordered out.
She said: “This building is very crazy and they noticed I have a dog.”
She tearfully told viewers: “I don’t think I want to go through this all over again – finding a place, losing more things.
“But you know what? It’s life.”
A security manager reported her pet to the owner of the apartment complex in Sydney’s Chippendale district, Sophia told the Independent.
She did, however, accept there might have been “mistakes I’ve made” such as not telling the landlord in advance she had a dog.
But she added: “Sometimes the pressure gets to be so much.”
Her TikTok video has now received almost 3,600 “likes”, with many people posting comments in support and sympathy.
One viewer wrote in response: “People who have lived in Sydney their whole lives have felt what you’re feeling.”
Another said: “Sorry this has happened, Sophia. Although it’s hard right now, you appear to thrive here – you’ll find the right pet-friendly place.”
She was also told, “This breaks my heart” and “Stay strong” – while many people urged her to move almost 1,000km down south to Melbourne, describing the city as more pet-friendly.
But critics said Sophia had “created this situation unfortunately”, with another quizzing her: “Did you not have to put down that you have a dog on the application form?”
Earlier this year a traveller criticised a council for evicting her from a site in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, due to her dogs.
One in ten tenants who own pets admit to hiding their banned animals from landlords, according to a recent study.
Rules on pets when renting homes in the UK say tenants must seek written consent from a landlord if their contract has a no-pets clause.
Property owners can launch eviction proceedings for breaching a tenancy agreement, under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988.
But a new law announced in June last year means landlords cannot refuse a request for a pet without a valid reason such as an insurance policy or the condition of the building’s lease.
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