Tenants with Pets – How The Renters Rights Act has changed things
Most of Renters Rights Act 2025 (RRA) came in to force on 1st May 2026 and one of the big changes is towards tenants with pets.
Before the RRA it was very much up to a landlord whether they accepted pets. Some had a blanket ban, others said yes whilst some took a view on the number and types of pets before making a decision.
Under the RRA tenants must submit written requests for pets, however, landlords can only refuse on certain grounds such as the animal is illegal, the over lease (mainly flats) bans pets or other tenants in shared properties are allergic. Landlord being allergic is not a valid reason to refuse.
Landlords must tread carefully when considering pet requests and make sure their decision is inline with The Renters Rights Act 2025
