Pets in rented property under the Renters' Rights Act
21 August 2026 · AgentCheck Editorial · 6 min read
Part of our UK Landlord Legal Guide
In short: Tenants now have a legal right to request a pet, and you cannot unreasonably refuse. You must reply in writing within 28 days, and if you miss that deadline the request is treated as agreed. You can no longer insist on a separate pet insurance policy, so the tenancy deposit is your main protection against damage.
Pets used to be a simple "no" for a lot of landlords. Since 1 May 2026 that has changed. The Renters' Rights Act gives tenants the right to keep a pet with the landlord's consent, and it makes clear that consent cannot be withheld without a good reason. This is one of the more talked-about parts of the reforms, partly because so many renters have been waiting for it.
None of this means you have lost all control. It means the default has flipped from "no unless I agree" to "yes unless I have a reasonable objection". Here is how to work with the new position.
The tenant makes a request, in writing
The process starts with the tenant asking. The request should be in writing and should say what pet they want to keep. A request for a house cat is a very different thing from a request for three large dogs in a first-floor flat, and you are allowed to weigh that up.
You then have 28 days to respond in writing. If you need more detail to make your decision, you can ask for it, which pauses the clock. In that case you must reply within seven days of getting the extra information, or within what is left of the original 28 days, whichever gives you longer. The deadline matters. Miss it and the law treats you as having agreed, so a request left sitting in an inbox becomes a yes by default.
What counts as a reasonable refusal
You can still say no, but only where it is reasonable. There is no fixed list, and each case turns on its facts, but the sorts of reasons that tend to hold up include:
- A superior landlord or head lease that bans pets, for example in a leasehold flat where the freeholder's rules prohibit them.
- A property that is genuinely unsuitable for the animal in question, such as a small flat with no outside space for a large, active dog.
- A specific health or allergy issue that a shared or connected space creates.
Reasons that will not hold up are the blanket ones. "I never allow pets" is no longer a lawful answer on its own. If you refuse, spell out the actual reason in your written reply, because a vague no is easy for a tenant to challenge.
The pet insurance change catches people out
Early drafts of the reform let landlords require tenants to hold pet damage insurance. That option was removed before the Act came in. You cannot make a separate pet insurance policy a condition of consent, and you cannot charge a higher deposit or an extra "pet deposit" to cover the animal. Deposits are still capped in the normal way.
So your protection against chewed skirting or a stained carpet is the standard tenancy deposit, plus the tenant's ordinary responsibility to return the property in good order beyond fair wear and tear. That makes two things more important than ever: a thorough inventory at check-in with photos, and a clear check-out comparison at the end.
Practical conditions you can still set
Consent can come with sensible, reasonable conditions. You might reasonably ask that the tenant keeps the pet under control, deals promptly with any damage, and has the property professionally cleaned at the end of the tenancy if that is proportionate to the pet. Keep conditions fair and related to the actual risk. Piling on unreasonable terms can itself look like a refusal dressed up.
If the tenant thinks you have been unreasonable
A tenant who believes you have refused unfairly, or ignored their request, can challenge it. Once the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman is up and running, that is one route. They can also take the matter to court. Either way, a landlord who blanket-refused or sat on the request for weeks is on weak ground. A landlord who gave a clear, specific, evidenced reason within the deadline is in a much stronger position.
A sensible approach for landlords
The realistic view is that pet-friendly lets are now the norm rather than the exception, and there are upsides. Pet owners often stay longer and value a landlord who says yes, which cuts your voids and re-letting costs. Rather than fighting the change, it is worth building a simple pet policy: a short request form, a standard set of reasonable conditions, and a solid inventory process so you are covered if anything does go wrong.
If keeping on top of requests, deadlines and inventories sounds like more than you want to manage, a letting agent will handle it as part of a managed service. You can compare letting agents on AgentCheck to find one whose approach fits how you want to run your property. For everything else that changed on 1 May 2026, see our Renters' Rights Act landlord guide.
Let an agent manage the details
The 28-day clock, the written reasons, the inventory that actually protects you: these are easy to let slip when you have a day job. Use AgentCheck to compare local letting agents and find one who will manage pet requests properly and keep you compliant.
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