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Note: Articles on the Renters’ Rights Bill will be continuously updated as details emerge
Last updated 11 October 2024
As with the original Renters (Reform) Bill, the Renters’ Rights Bill gives tenants the right to request permission from the landlord to keep a pet.
The request must be in writing and include a description of the pet. The landlord must respond within 28 days and will not be able to turn down the request without good reason. The tenant will be able to challenge unfair decisions, which is likely to be done through the new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
The cap on tenancy deposits of five weeks’ rent and a ban on charging tenant fees that was brought in by the Tenant Fees Act 2019, had the unintended consequence of putting many landlords in England off accepting tenants with pets, as they were worried about covering costs of any damage caused.
This led to the previous Government amending the Renters (Reform) Bill to allow landlords to charge tenants for the cost of obtaining pet insurance.
The new Renters’ Rights Bill retains this provision, and the Tenant Fees Act will be amended to include pet insurance as a permitted payment. Tenants must either comply with their landlord’s request to take out pet insurance themselves or reimburse the landlord for the costs.
“We know that some landlords are concerned about potential damage caused by pets. That is why the Renters’ Rights Bill will allow landlords to require insurance covering pet damage. This will provide landlords with reassurance that any damage caused by a pet can be taken care of, and that the responsibility for preventing and resolving damage caused by a pet will fall to the tenant.”
It is worth noting that the right for tenants to ask the landlord for consent to have a pet will only apply to tenants, not applicants. This means that landlords will still be able to advertise a property as ‘no pets allowed’. Claire Calder, Head of Public Affairs at Dogs Trust, welcomed the new legislation but commented:
“It is important to note that, while these proposals will be beneficial for those with existing tenancies who are seeking to get a pet, it will not increase the overall availability of pet-friendly housing. We would urge the Government to work with the private and social rental sectors to increase confidence in renting to pet owners so that they are not disadvantaged when seeking to access suitable accommodation.”
A quick search on Rightmove in any area of the UK for a rental property will reveal that many landlords don’t want pets in their property – only around nine per cent of rental properties across England are listed as pet friendly, which equates to just over 8,000 out of approximately 94,000 properties.
This has been a bone of contention for many years between landlords and tenants, with campaigners arguing that having a pet is a human right and that many people gain huge benefits and improved mental health from having a cat or dog in their home.
Landlords, on the other hand, are worried about pets causing damage, which can cost them not only money but also time to repair, meaning a delay before the property can be re-let. Although the reality is that most pets cause minimal problems, some landlords have suffered extensive damage that has cost far in excess of the allowed ‘pet deposit’ to put right.
The Conservative Government moved cautiously on this, though. In 2021 the ‘model contract’ that landlords are encouraged to use when creating tenancies was re-issued with a clause requiring consent for pets to be the default position and for landlords to object in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant giving ‘a good reason’.
“A tenant must seek the prior written consent of the landlord should they wish to keep pets or other animals at the property. A landlord must not unreasonably withhold or delay a written request from a Tenant without considering the request on its own merits. The landlord should accept such a request where they are satisfied the tenant is a responsible pet owner and the pet is of a kind that is suitable in relation to the nature of the premises at which it will be kept.”
However, as the Model Tenancy Agreement is not compulsory, the original Renters’ Rights Bill will turn this ‘model’ into law for all assured private tenancies.
At Total Landlord we understand that many landlords worry about the additional wear and tear that pets can cause. That’s why we are introducing pet damage protection. Our new product helps protect your property against damage caused by your tenants’ pets, so that you can rent to pet owners without paying out of your pocket for costly repairs.
Find out more about our pet damage protection and get Total Landlord's 'lets with pets' checklists for landlords and tenants, which will help you make the most of the benefits and reduce the risks of pets in lets.
For more advice on renting to tenants with pets, read mydeposits guide, Pet rent and pet deposits: A landlord’s guide to lets for pets.
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You can also visit Total Landlord's Renters’ Rights Bill hub which will be regularly updated as the Bill progresses.
