Pets in rented property: your right to request
Direct answer
Before May 2026, landlords could include blanket 'no pets' clauses with no right of challenge. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed that. Tenants now have a statutory right to request a pet.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces a right for assured tenants in England to make a written request to keep a pet. The landlord must consider the request and respond in writing within a statutory time limit. A refusal must be on reasonable grounds.
This is legal information, not legal advice. If your landlord refuses unreasonably, contact Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or your local Citizens Advice.
The new statutory right
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces a right for assured tenants in England to make a written request to keep a pet. The landlord must consider the request and respond in writing within the statutory time limit set by commencement regulations. A refusal must be on reasonable grounds, and the test is fact-specific - sweeping 'no pets' policies, blanket prohibitions in tenancy agreements, and bare assertions are not reasonable refusals.
How to make a pet request
Make the request in writing, identify the pet, and keep proof of receipt. The landlord normally has 28 days to respond, subject to the statutory extensions when further information or superior-landlord consent is pursued.
- The species, breed, size, and age of the pet
- Relevant medical, behavioural, and welfare information
- Whether the pet has lived in rental accommodation before
- How you will prevent nuisance and deal with any damage
- The proposed date for the pet to move in
Reasonable vs unreasonable refusals
Reasonableness is fact-specific. A superior-lease restriction, property suitability, other occupants' allergies, legality, animal welfare, and specific safety concerns may matter. General dislike of pets or generic fears about future damage are ordinarily insufficient.
- A refusal with no property- or pet-specific reason
- Generic concern about possible damage without supporting facts
- A blanket policy applied without considering the request
- Assumed nuisance with no concrete evidence
Deposits, insurance, and damage
The final Act does not create a general power for the landlord to require tenant-bought pet insurance. Proven pet damage may be addressed under the tenancy, through the protected deposit, or by a damages claim, subject to proof and no double recovery. The landlord cannot impose an extra deposit beyond the Tenant Fees Act cap.
What if the landlord refuses unreasonably?
Ask in writing for the reasons. Current GOV.UK guidance says the tenant can complain to the landlord or apply to court; obtain housing advice because proceedings carry costs and procedural risk. The PRS Landlord Ombudsman is not a current route and mandatory membership is scheduled for 2028. A later possession notice is not automatically invalid, but the landlord must still prove an available statutory ground and follow the court process.
Free checkers
- Renters' Rights Act 2026 complete guide
All the major reforms in one place: Section 21, periodic tenancies, rent rules, pets, repairs. - Pet refusal Q&A
Direct-answer Q&A for what to do when a landlord refuses a written pet request.
Related guidance inside this topic
- If your next step turns on pet request rights, read landlord refused pet request guide.
- For the dates, forms, and evidence behind the post-1 May 2026 reform framework, see the reform implementation timetable guide before you respond.
- If this issue overlaps with the post-1 May 2026 reform framework, check Section 21 abolition guide to compare the legal tests.
- For a fuller breakdown of your tenancy, use Section 8 notice checker for the underlying rule set.
- If you need the route-specific rules on the post-1 May 2026 reform framework, start with Section 21 checker so you can check the dates and documents against your own case.
Sources used for this guide
These are primary legislation and public guidance sources that support the legal-information framework used on this page.
- Renters' Rights Act 2025
Primary reform statute referenced by these guides for the 2026 private rented sector changes in England. - GOV.UK: tenant requests to keep a pet
Government guidance on pet requests, landlord response timing, reasonable refusal, insurance, and damage. - Equality Act 2010
Primary statute for disability discrimination and reasonable-adjustment context, relevant where an assistance animal request is connected to disability.
Related articles
- Tenant rights in England: complete guide
The main overview page linking eviction, repairs, deposit protection, rent increases, and illegal eviction rights together. - Section 21 validity outcome guides
Primary Section 21 validity hub: all 72 outcome guides from the checker, grouped by deposit protection, prescribed documents, notice timing, licensing, and retaliatory eviction. - Pet permission letter template for tenants in England
Copy or download a free pet permission request letter for private renters in England. Add your known pet details, review the draft and keep a dated copy. - Pet request 28 days: landlord response rule
Landlord 28-day response rule for pet requests in rented property: written request, extra information, final decision, refusal reasons, and challenge options. - Assistance dog in rented property
Assistance dogs in rented property: pet request rules, disability context, reasonable refusal, evidence, and when tenants should get advice.
Common questions
- Can a landlord still refuse a pet outright?
- Only on reasonable grounds. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 requires landlords to consider each request and refuse only where there is a genuine practical reason - such as a superior lease that prohibits pets, the property being unsuitable for the type of pet, or a real risk to other occupants. Blanket 'no pets' refusals without justification are no longer enforceable.
- What is a 'reasonable' refusal?
- A refusal supported by a specific, evidenced reason. Examples include: a head-lease ban that the landlord cannot lawfully override; the property is genuinely unsuitable for the size or type of pet (a flat with no outside space for a large active dog); allergic occupants in shared parts of a building. The landlord must be able to articulate the specific concern.
- Can a landlord charge a pet deposit?
- A landlord cannot use a pet request to exceed the Tenant Fees Act 2019 deposit cap: normally 5 weeks' rent, or 6 weeks where annual rent is £50,000 or more. The final Renters' Rights Act pet provisions do not create a general power to require the tenant to buy pet insurance. Proven pet damage may be claimed through the ordinary deposit or damages routes without double recovery.
- What if I get a pet without permission?
- Keeping a pet without consent may breach the tenancy and could support a discretionary Ground 12 possession claim. The landlord must prove the breach and satisfy the court that possession is reasonable. Do not assume the court will adjourn or refuse the claim; make the written request first and get advice if proceedings are threatened.
- Can I keep an assistance dog?
- A disabled tenant may have separate Equality Act 2010 protection and may be entitled to a reasonable adjustment for an assistance animal. The answer is fact-specific rather than automatic, so identify the disability-related need in writing and obtain discrimination advice if consent is refused.
- Where can I get help if my landlord refuses unreasonably?
- Current GOV.UK guidance says a tenant can complain to the landlord or apply to court. The government roadmap schedules mandatory PRS Landlord Ombudsman membership for 2028, so it is not a current complaint route. Get advice from Shelter, Citizens Advice, or a housing solicitor before court action.
Use the interactive checker on getrentersrights.com for the full step-by-step result.
