Pets in a Rental Property: What Landlords Must Do Under the Renters' Rights Act

A tenant with an assured tenancy can now make a written request to keep a pet at the property. Once a request lands, the landlord has 28 days to respond in writing, and consent cannot be unreasonably refused. If you say yes, you can require the tenant to hold pet damage insurance — but you cannot charge a bigger deposit. This page sets out exactly what landlords must do to stay compliant, and what tenants can expect.

Key takeaways

• Tenants under an assured tenancy have a statutory right to request a pet, in writing, under new s.16A of the Housing Act 1988 (inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, in force 1 May 2026).
• Landlords must give or refuse consent in writing by the 28th day after the request — two specific circumstances can extend that deadline. Silence past the deadline counts as consent.
• Consent cannot be unreasonably refused. A blanket "no pets" rule or personal dislike of animals is not a reasonable ground.
• Landlords can require the tenant to hold pet damage insurance as a condition of consent, but cannot charge a higher or additional deposit for a pet.
• Existing blanket no-pet clauses in tenancy agreements became unenforceable from 1 May 2026 — no re-signing is needed for this to take effect.

The new right to request a pet

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserts a new section — s.16A Housing Act 1988 — giving a tenant under an assured tenancy the right to make a written request to their landlord to keep a pet at the property. This applies across assured tenancies generally, which covers the vast majority of private residential lettings in England.

The request has to be in writing. Once it's made, the clock starts on the landlord's statutory response window (see below). The right sits alongside the wider Renters' Rights Act framework — see our guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025 for how this fits with the abolition of fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies and the other changes taking effect from 1 May 2026.

A note on existing tenancy clauses. If your current tenancy agreement contains a blanket "no pets" clause, that clause is unenforceable from 1 May 2026. This happens automatically, by operation of law, because a blanket prohibition conflicts with the new statutory framework — you don't need to issue a variation or ask the tenant to re-sign anything for the change to take effect. That said, most landlords will still want to formally record any pet that is subsequently approved — see "If you say yes" below.

Who this doesn't cover: lodgers

The s.16A right applies to assured tenancies only. A lodger occupies under a licence, not an assured tenancy, so this statutory pet-request right does not apply to lodger arrangements. If you're letting a room in your own home under a lodger agreement, different rules apply — see our lodger agreements guide for how to handle pet requests in that context.

The 28-day clock

Once a tenant makes a written pet request, you must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the date of the request. If you do not respond in writing by the deadline (as validly extended), the law treats consent as given — the tenant is entitled to keep the pet, and you cannot reverse that by responding late. Build the deadline into your tenancy management calendar the moment a request arrives.

There are two circumstances that can move the deadline:

1. You reasonably request further information. If you ask the tenant reasonable follow-up questions about the pet (for example, breed, size, or how it will be kept) on or before day 28, the deadline shifts to the 7th day after the tenant provides that information. This is a single reasonable request — it is not a device for serially re-asking to reset the clock.
2. A superior landlord's consent is needed. If your own lease requires a superior landlord's consent before you can agree to a pet, and you seek that consent on or before day 28, the deadline shifts to the 7th day after the superior landlord responds.

Scenario	Deadline to respond
Standard request, no complications	28th day after the tenant's written request
You request more information about the pet by day 28	7th day after the tenant supplies the information
Superior landlord's consent needed, sought by day 28	7th day after the superior landlord responds

Both extensions depend on you acting on or before day 28 — requesting information or seeking superior consent after the original deadline has passed does not extend it.

When you can reasonably refuse — and when you can't

Consent to a pet cannot be unreasonably refused. The Act does not set out an exhaustive list of reasonable grounds, but the following are examples of situations that are likely to support a reasonable refusal:

Grounds that can support a reasonable refusal:

• The head lease or a superior lease prohibits pets and consent from the superior landlord has been refused.
• The property is genuinely unsuitable for the specific animal (for example, its size or type relative to the property).
• Legitimate, specific concerns about the particular animal — its number, size, or species — rather than pets in general.

Grounds that are NOT reasonable:

• A blanket "no pets" policy, applied without considering the specific request.
• Personal dislike of animals, with no connection to the property or the specific pet.

If a tenant believes a refusal was unreasonable, they can challenge it — this may involve a complaint or ombudsman route, or ultimately the courts, depending on the circumstances. If you're unsure whether a specific refusal would hold up, get advice on your particular situation before responding, rather than risk an unreasonable refusal on the record.

If you say yes: protecting yourself

Agreeing to a pet doesn't mean leaving things informal. Three things protect you once consent is given:

Require pet damage insurance. The Renters' Rights Act amends the Tenant Fees Act 2019 to make pet damage insurance a permitted condition of consent. You can lawfully require the tenant to hold this cover for the duration of the pet's residence at the property — this is your main financial safeguard, since you cannot take a bigger deposit instead (see below).

Record the specific pet in writing. Consent should identify the actual animal approved — not "a pet" in the abstract. Update or vary the tenancy agreement, or use a dedicated pet schedule or addendum, so there's a clear written record of what was agreed and when. See our guide to mid-tenancy variations and addendums for how to document this correctly without disturbing the rest of the agreement.

Set pet-specific obligations. A pet schedule is also the place to set out the tenant's ongoing responsibilities — routine cleaning, flea and pest treatment, and a requirement not to leave the pet unattended in a way that risks damage to the property. Being specific here reduces disputes at the end of the tenancy about what "reasonable wear and tear" does and doesn't cover.

Deposits and costs

You cannot charge a higher or additional deposit because a tenant has a pet. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 deposit cap applies regardless of whether a pet is present, and that cap is unchanged by the Renters' Rights Act. Pet damage insurance — not an inflated deposit — is the mechanism the law gives you to manage pet-related risk.

HMOs and superior leases

If you let an HMO, a pet request can interact with your HMO licence conditions as well as any superior lease. Check your licence terms and any head lease before responding, since a condition in either could form part of a reasonable ground for refusal, or could require you to seek a superior landlord's consent (which, if sought on or before day 28, extends your response deadline as set out above). See our guide to Houses in Multiple Occupation for the wider compliance picture in shared housing.

If you're a tenant: what this means for you

If you want a pet, put your request to your landlord in writing — this starts the 28-day clock. Your landlord cannot refuse simply because they operate a "no pets" policy or don't personally like animals; any refusal has to be reasonable and specific to your situation. They can ask you to hold pet damage insurance if they agree, but they cannot ask for a bigger deposit. If your request is refused and you think the refusal wasn't reasonable, you can challenge it — get advice on the options available for your specific case before deciding how to proceed.

Related guides

For the wider set of changes taking effect on 1 May 2026, see our guide to the Renters' Rights Act 2025. If you're formally recording an agreed pet or any other change to an existing tenancy, use our guide to mid-tenancy variations and addendums. Letting to a lodger rather than under an assured tenancy? See lodger agreements and contracts instead. Running an HMO? Check the Houses in Multiple Occupation guide for licence-related considerations. And if you're starting a new tenancy and want pet terms built in from day one, see our tenancy agreement template and our dedicated pets-allowed tenancy agreement.