Tenant requests a pet? Presumption is yes!
For a long time, some landlords have been reluctant to take pets fearing damage to property and in some cases, noise created for neighbours.
The new Renters Rights Act, the majority of which kicked in on 1st May 2026 changes the reasons a landlord can refuse a pet request with all reasonable pet requests needing to be granted.
A tenant should still put the request to keep a pet in writing however, a landlord can only say no for a small amount of reasons….such as….
- In the case of flats, the freeholder has a ban on pets
- In the case of shared accommodation someone in the property is allergic
- The pet is illegal
- The property is too small for a large pet or several pets.
The last one is the most difficult to judge as it will be guided be precedence which are yet to be set. But we feel it is safe to say what is considered normal in an owned property will be thought to acceptable in a rented one. So, two cats in a three bedroom semi…reasonable…..15 cats in a one bedroom flat…unreasonable.
Existing tenants will need to be made aware of the changes to their tenancy through the Renters Rights Bill Information Sheet 2026 that all landlords (or their agents) should provide to all tenants with assured or assured shorthold tenancies (that commenced before 30th April 2026) by 31st May 2026.
If you have a property, you manage yourself and are looking to engage a managing agent, contact us today on 01493 849111 to discuss your options.
