More than half of UK adults own a pet, but finding a private rented home that allows one has always been difficult. Research by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection found that while 46% of landlords said they allowed pets, only 30% of tenants said their rental agreement actually permitted dogs, and 32% said cats were allowed.
Under the old system, your landlord had complete discretion. If the tenancy agreement said no pets, that was that. If it didn't mention pets, you needed permission, and your landlord could say no for any reason without having to explain. And if you pushed back, the threat of a Section 21 eviction notice was always there.
From May 1st, 2026, that has changed. The Renters' Rights Act gives every private tenant in England a statutory right to request to keep a pet, and landlords can only refuse if they have a reasonable ground for doing so.
Section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act inserts an implied term into every assured tenancy that:
It doesn't matter what your tenancy agreement says about pets. Even if it contains a blanket ban, the implied term overrides it.
The process is the same for every tenant: You make your request in writing, which must include a description of the pet, what type of animal it is, how many, and any other relevant details your landlord would need to make a decision.
Your landlord then has 28 days to respond in writing, either granting or refusing consent. If they need more information about the pet, they can ask for it within the 28-day window, and the clock pauses until you provide it. If they don't respond at all within 28 days and haven't asked for more information, consent is treated as given.
If your landlord refuses, they must give their reasons in writing. The refusal has to be reasonable. A blanket "I don't allow pets" is not a reasonable refusal. Neither is a general dislike of animals, a bad experience with a previous tenant's pet, or concerns about damage that haven't been assessed against the specific animal you're asking about.
The Act doesn't give an exhaustive list, but it does name specific circumstances where refusal is reasonable.
The most common one in practice will be superior lease restrictions. If your landlord's own lease (from a freeholder or head landlord) prohibits pets, or requires the superior landlord's consent, your landlord has a reasonable ground to refuse, provided they've taken reasonable steps to get that consent and it hasn't been given.
GOV.UK guidance gives further examples of what might count as reasonable: the property is too small for the type of animal, the pet would pose a health and safety risk to other occupiers (relevant in HMOs), or keeping the pet would breach animal welfare standards.
What isn’t reasonable: refusing because of a general policy against pets, because a previous tenant's pet caused damage, because the landlord prefers not to deal with pets, or because of the breed of dog, and without assessing the specific animal. Every request must be considered individually, on its own facts.
There was a lot of misinformation circling in the run-up to the Renters’ Rights Act surrounding pet deposits and pet insurance.
During the Bill's passage through Parliament, amendments were proposed to allow landlords to charge a pet deposit of up to three weeks' rent, and to require tenants to have pet insurance as a condition of consent. Both were debated at length, and both were ultimately rejected in the final Act.
The government's position was that an additional deposit of up to three weeks' rent would cost the average tenant over £900, which greatly exceeds the average deposit deduction for pet damage of £300. It would have defeated the purpose of making pet ownership accessible to renters, and it was therefore shelved.
This means that landlords cannot request pet deposits or insist that a tenant has pet insurance. Deposit rules remain the same, with the existing deposit caps of five weeks’ rent for annual rents below £50,000 or six weeks’ rent for £50,000 or more still applying. That deposit covers all aspects of the tenancy, including any pet damage, but your landlord can't charge you a separate pet-specific deposit on top of it.
Your landlord also can't charge additional rent specifically for having a pet. Rent increases must follow the Section 13 process and apply to the tenancy as a whole, not to the presence of an animal.
If your pet does cause damage, your landlord can make a deduction from your deposit at the end of the tenancy in the usual way. The standard rules apply here: the deduction must be reasonable, supported by evidence, and if you disagree, you can use the free adjudication service through DPS, TDS, or MyDeposits.
This is a tricky one because if you keep a pet without going through the formal request process, or after your landlord has reasonably refused, you’re in breach of your tenancy agreement. That means your landlord could use discretionary Ground 12 (breach of tenancy) to seek possession. If the pet has caused damage, Grounds 13 (deterioration of property) or 15 (deterioration of furniture) might also apply.
Those, however, are discretionary grounds, not mandatory, which means the court has to decide whether eviction is reasonable in the circumstances. A judge weighing up whether to evict someone over a well-behaved cat is likely to reach a different conclusion than one dealing with a tenant who moved in three large dogs without asking, which then damaged the property.
The safest approach is always going to be to follow the process by making the request in writing and waiting for a response. If the landlord refuses, you can challenge it in court.
If your landlord refuses your pet request and you believe the refusal is unreasonable, the Act gives you the right to take the matter to court. The court can order specific performance of the implied term, which means ordering the landlord to grant consent.
Once the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman is established (expected in a later phase of the Act), tenants will also be able to raise unreasonable refusals through that route, which will be quicker and cheaper than court proceedings.
In the meantime, the practical options for tenants refused pet permission are: writing back to your landlord explaining why you believe the refusal is unreasonable and asking them to reconsider, getting advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice, or, as a last resort, applying to court.
You can also just go ahead and ignore the landlord’s decision, but that would be a breach of the tenancy agreement and could lead to an eviction — that’s very unlikely if the pet doesn’t cause any issues (e.g., damage, nuisance), but it’s still a possibility.
Guide dogs, hearing dogs, and other animals trained to perform specific tasks for disabled people are legally protected under the Equality Act 2010. They aren’t classified as pets under the Renters' Rights Act, and the pet request process does not apply to them.
Refusing an assistance animal is disability discrimination. A landlord must permit them as a reasonable adjustment and cannot charge additional rent, fees, or an increased deposit for their presence.
Emotional support animals are different. They don't have the same automatic legal protection in the UK because they aren't required to be trained to perform specific tasks, and requests for emotional support animals go through the standard pet request process. If, however, the tenant has a recognised disability under the Equality Act and can demonstrate the animal is necessary for their wellbeing, refusing may still constitute disability discrimination.
The right to request a pet only applies once you are a tenant. If you're looking for rented accommodation and want to bring a pet, you can ask about it during viewings or the application process, but the formal 28-day process and the reasonableness requirement don't kick in until the tenancy has started.
That said, the new anti-discrimination provisions in the Act mean a landlord can't refuse to let you simply because you have a pet. Blanket "no pet owners" policies in marketing or tenant selection are not compliant with the spirit of the Act, though enforcement will depend on local authority capacity and individual complaints.
If your landlord has unreasonably refused your pet request, Shelter's helpline is available on 0808 800 4444. Citizens Advice can help online or through your local bureau. Dogs Trust runs a pet-friendly housing advice service that can help you understand your options.
If you're in a dispute about pet damage deductions from your deposit at the end of a tenancy, use the free adjudication service through DPS, TDS, or MyDeposits, depending on which scheme your deposit is in.
Only on reasonable grounds. From May 1st, 2026, you have a statutory right to request to keep a pet, and blanket pet bans in tenancy agreements are overridden. Your landlord must respond in writing within 28 days. If they don't respond and haven't asked for more information, consent is treated as given.
The most common example is a restriction in the landlord's own lease from a freeholder that prohibits pets. The property being too small for the type of animal, or the pet posing a health and safety risk to other occupiers, may also count. A general dislike of animals, a bad experience with a previous tenant's pet, or a blanket policy against pets is not reasonable.
No. A pet deposit amendment was proposed during the Bill's passage through Parliament and was rejected. Your existing deposit covers any pet damage alongside everything else, subject to the normal Tenant Fees Act cap. Your landlord also can't charge additional rent for having a pet.
Guide dogs, hearing dogs, and other animals trained to perform specific tasks for disabled people are not classified as pets under the Renters' Rights Act. They're protected under the Equality Act 2010. Refusing an assistance animal is disability discrimination. The pet request process doesn't apply to them.
You'd be in breach of your tenancy agreement. Your landlord could use discretionary Ground 12 (breach of tenancy) to seek possession. However, the court would have to decide whether eviction is a reasonable response to the breach, which will depend on the circumstances.
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