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Guide to renting with pets under the Renters’ Rights Act

The Renters’ Rights Act provides tenants with greater security and includes new rules on keeping pets. We look at what those reforms mean and how they work in practice for both landlords and renters.  

02.06.26

By Heath Alexander-Bew

This content was factually correct when written but may not reflect current developments or information.

Guide to renting with pets

Is it illegal to say 'no pets' when renting in the UK? 

Tenants have the legal right to request a pet in their rental property, and landlords must consider that request, by law. If a tenant asks for permission to keep a pet, landlords must respond within 28 days.  

Fundamentally, this means that landlords cannot automatically refuse pets and blanket bans cannot be applied. 

What’s the process if a tenant wants to keep a pet? 

Tenants must ask for permission in writing and describe the pet they’d like to keep, along with any other relevant information. For example: 

  • The type of pet and breed, if applicable. 

  • How big the animal is. 

  • Whether it will need an enclosure. 

When a tenant submits a request, landlords must respond in writing within 28 days. Landlords can also request more information within the 28 days (this deadline can be extended by a further seven days if extra information is requested).  

When can a landlord legally refuse a pet? 

Landlords can refuse a pet if it’s ‘reasonable’ to do so, but must provide a reason why. There’s no strict definition of what’s considered reasonable grounds for refusal, but it could include: 

  • Other tenants in the property have allergies which could be triggered by an animal. 

  • The property is too small for a large pet or several pets. 

  • The pet is illegal to own (for example, if it is banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act).  

  • The landlord is a leaseholder, and the freeholder does not allow pets.  

If a landlord refuses the request, tenants can challenge the decision in court. 

 

Can landlords charge extra for pets? 


If a landlord approves a tenant’s request to keep a pet, they cannot ask for more money or increase the deposit, which is capped at five weeks’ worth of rent (if the rent is less than £50,000 annually). If the annual rent is £50,000 or more, the maximum deposit landlords can ask for is six weeks’ rent.  

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords can only increase rent once a year (by following the Section 13 process). Any increase must also be in line with market rates, or it could be challenged. With this in mind, landlords also cannot increase rent simply because a tenant wants or has a pet. Instead, landlords can ask tenants to consider home insurance that includes pet damage, but tenants are not obliged to agree.  

For landlords, it’s worth bearing in mind that if you do ask a tenant for more rent simply because they have a pet, you can be fined up to £7,000. 

 

Pet damage insurance 

Deposits can be used to cover pet damage, but landlords and tenants can add an extra layer of security with pet damage insurance.  

At Alan Boswell Group, pet damage insurance is automatically included with our Aviva landlords buildings or content cover, or cover can be added to our SAGIC landlord or tenant contents policies for just £25 (plus Insurance Premium Tax).   

Our policies provide up to £5,000 worth of cover for unintentional, unexpected events, for example, if a tenant’s dog pulled down curtains and damaged the wall or window. However, policies don’t cover wear and tear, so if a cat continually scratches the carpet or door frames, this won’t be covered. 

What about assistance animals? 

Assistance dogs are legally recognised and protected by the Equality Act. The rules around keeping assistance animals haven’t changed since the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act.  

If a tenant needs an assistance animal, they still need to ask for permission, but landlords are required to make reasonable adjustments where needed. Landlords who refuse to make reasonable adjustments could be found in breach of the Equality Act. 

What about emotional support animals (ESAs)? 

Unlike assistance animals, emotional support animals (ESAs) are not legally recognised in the UK (even if they’re certified). As there is no legal recognition of their status, they should be treated as any other pet and be subject to the rules under the Renters’ Rights Act.  

 

The benefits and drawbacks of renting to pet owners 


Welcoming tenants with pets increases the pool of prospective tenants, which can help you fill your tenancies more quickly. Pet owners who rent are also often long-term tenants and may be more willing to stay in a property, particularly if their animals are well settled. Both of these reasons are financially beneficial for landlords, as they mean fewer void periods and reduced administrative costs. Being open-minded about pets can also benefit landlord-tenant relationships, encouraging open dialogue and mutual trust. 

That said, for landlords, downsides include the potential for lingering pet smells, which can be difficult to shift, as well as the risk of flea infestations. There’s also the risk of complaints from neighbours if animals are noisy.  

Landlords also need to remember that at the end of a tenancy, the property only needs to be returned to the same standard it was in at the start (landlords may use the deposit to do this). In other words, landlords cannot make tenants pay for professional cleaning.  

Landlord insurance for peace of mind

With the Renters’ Rights Act shifting the balance of the rental market in favour of tenants, landlord insurance becomes even more important.  

Policies with Alan Boswell Group include landlord legal expenses and legal & rent guarantee insurance, which can prove invaluable should tenants default or breach the terms of their tenancy. Adding on features such as pet damage insurance extends that protection for greater peace of mind.  

To find out more about our award-winning landlord insurance policies, speak to one of our experts

Speak to us:  01603 216399

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