In short: Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (from 1 May 2026), tenants can request to keep a pet at any point during the tenancy, and you cannot refuse “unreasonably”, a blanket “no pets” policy is no longer a safe default. You can, however, assess each request on its merits and require the tenant to hold pet damage insurance as a condition of consent. In practice, allowing pets widens your applicant pool and cuts void periods, and with sensible clauses and insurance in place, the added risk is usually smaller than landlords fear.
The law has changed, “no pets” is no longer a blanket option
Before the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords could simply write “no pets” into the tenancy agreement and refuse every request outright. That default has gone. From 1 May 2026:
- Tenants have a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet, and the request is deemed granted if the landlord doesn’t respond within a set period (broadly 28 days, though check the final regulations for the exact figure at the time you’re reading this).
- A landlord cannot refuse unreasonably. What counts as reasonable isn’t a fixed list, but factors likely to matter include: the size and type of the property (a large dog in a studio flat is a harder case than a cat in a house with a garden), the terms of the landlord’s head lease or superior lease (if the property is leasehold and the lease itself bans pets, that’s a legitimate reason to refuse), building insurance restrictions, and the specific animal and tenant’s ability to look after it responsibly.
- If a tenant believes a refusal is unreasonable, they can challenge it through the courts, and in future through the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman once that body is operational.
- Landlords retain the right to attach conditions to consent, most importantly, requiring the tenant to take out pet damage insurance to cover the cost of repairing any pet-related damage.
This is a genuine shift in bargaining power. Previously, a landlord who didn’t want pets simply said no. Now, refusal has to be justified and documented, silence or inaction risks the request being treated as granted.
Why the deposit cap makes pet insurance more important than ever
Tenancy deposits in England remain capped at five weeks’ rent (or six weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more) under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, and the Renters’ Rights Act hasn’t changed this cap. That deposit has to cover all potential end-of-tenancy costs, general wear and tear disputes, unpaid rent, cleaning, and any damage, pet-related or not. If you previously relied on charging a higher deposit for pet-owning tenants, that route was already closed off (higher “pet deposits” breach the Tenant Fees Act), and it remains closed now.
This is exactly why pet damage insurance, a separate product, either arranged by the landlord and paid for by the tenant, or increasingly bundled by landlord insurers and lettings platforms, matters more than before. It sits alongside the deposit rather than replacing it, giving you a dedicated pot for pet-specific damage (chewed skirting boards, stained carpets, scratched doors) without eating into the deposit you need for other purposes.
The case for allowing pets
The commercial argument for saying yes has strengthened in the current market:
- Bigger applicant pool. Roughly half of UK households own a pet, and pet-owning tenants often struggle to find suitable properties, meaning pet-friendly listings can attract more enquiries and let faster, reducing void periods.
- Longer tenancies, less turnover. Tenants with pets who find a landlord willing to accommodate them tend to stay longer, because moving with an animal is stressful and options are limited. Lower turnover means fewer void periods and re-letting costs.
- Rent resilience. Some landlords who allow pets find they can hold rents at or slightly above market rate, reflecting the scarcity of pet-friendly stock, though this varies by area.
- Better-vetted tenants by necessity. Because pet owners know landlords can be selective, many arrive with references, insurance already researched, and a genuine willingness to discuss house rules, often making them easier applicants to deal with, not harder.
The case for caution, and how to manage the risk
The realistic downsides are damage, noise/nuisance complaints from neighbours (especially in flats), and disputes over what counts as reasonable refusal. Manage these with:
- A pet clause in the tenancy agreement specifying the named animal(s) permitted, a requirement to re-seek permission before getting an additional or different pet, and responsibility for flea treatment and professional cleaning at the end of the tenancy.
- Requiring proof of pet damage insurance (or a landlord-arranged policy recharged to the tenant) as your standard condition for consent, this is explicitly allowed and is your main financial safety net given the deposit cap.
- A structured request process: ask for the type, breed/size, and age of the animal, and (for larger or higher-risk breeds) any behavioural references, so refusals, where genuinely justified, are evidence-based rather than a gut reaction.
- Checking your own lease/insurance first. If you’re leasehold or your buildings insurance has pet restrictions, get that confirmed in writing so you can point to a concrete, legitimate reason if you do need to refuse.
- Responding within the time limit. Because a non-response can be treated as consent, build pet requests into your standard tenant-management workflow so none slip through unanswered.
Bottom line
The regulatory direction of travel is clearly toward “yes, unless you have a good reason not to.” Landlords who resist this by quietly maintaining an informal no-pets stance risk both a shrinking applicant pool and legal challenge. Landlords who build a clear pet policy, insurance required, conditions documented, requests answered promptly, tend to find the practical risk is manageable and the commercial upside (faster lets, longer tenancies) is real.
Related reading
Sources
- Renting with pets: the rules and what’s changing, Shelter England
- Can landlords refuse pets? The Renters’ Rights Act and pets, NRLA
This is general information, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules referenced are accurate to the best of available information as of July 2026 for England unless stated otherwise. Always check current government guidance (gov.uk) or consult a solicitor for your specific situation.
Last Updated on September 21, 2026