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Last updated 1 May 2026
On Friday 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, marking a significant shift for landlords and tenants in the private rented sector. One of the most widely discussed aspects of the Act is the regulation of pets in tenancies.
Under the new legal framework, tenants gain a statutory right to request keeping a pet in their rented home and landlords will no longer be able to impose a blanket “no pets” policy without first reasonably considering each individual request.
According to Inventory Base only around 5.9% of rental properties across England are listed as pet friendly, which equates to just 5,839 out of approximately 98,964 properties.
This has long been a point of contention between landlords and tenants. Campaigners argue that pet ownership contributes significantly to wellbeing and mental health, while landlords remain concerned about the risk of damage, associated costs, and delays in re-letting properties. While many pets cause minimal issues, some cases have resulted in damage exceeding the limits of a standard tenancy deposit.
Previous reforms approached the issue cautiously. In 2021, the government reissued its Model Tenancy Agreement with a default position allowing pets, requiring landlords to object in writing within 28 days of a written request and to provide a “good reason” for refusal.
The Renters’ Rights Act now places this principle on a statutory footing. It provides that tenants must seek prior written consent to keep a pet, and landlords must not unreasonably withhold or delay such requests. Each request must be considered on its individual merits, taking into account factors such as the suitability of the property and the tenant’s ability to care responsibly for the animal.
Although the Model Tenancy Agreement itself is not mandatory, the Act effectively incorporates its core principles into law for assured tenancies.
Key point: Properties may be advertised as being not suitable for pets but subject to the equality act, disabled people must be permitted service animals.
Pets can affect your property in several ways, from additional wear and tear to possible damage to furniture and flooring. Under the new Act, landlords are expected to assess pet requests reasonably rather than refuse them outright and may put conditions in place such as requesting pet-damage insurance. This means landlords must carefully consider how to allow pets without increasing risk to the property.
New figures from UK Pet Food show that 62% of households in the UK own a pet. By choosing not to rent to pet owners, landlords may be excluding more than half of the potential tenant market.
Where a property is suitable, allowing pets can offer a number of benefits. While concerns about potential damage are understandable, there are several clear advantages:
Allowing pets is not without risk, but with the right checks, clear agreements, and property management processes in place, many landlords find that the benefits outweigh the potential downsides.
Despite the shift in tenant rights, landlords can still refuse pet requests where there is a valid and reasonable justification.
Reasonable grounds include:
It will not usually be reasonable to refuse if you:
Landlords may use the tenancy deposit to cover damage caused by pets, subject to the rules of the tenancy deposit scheme. However, they must not recover the same loss twice, for example, by claiming through both insurance and the deposit. Doing so could amount to fraud.
Many landlords are therefore turning to insurance solutions to manage risk. For example, Total Landlord offers pet damage protection covering up to £2,500 per policy period for pet-related damage to buildings and contents (where insured). Policies typically require proper inventories, agreement with tenants or formal dispute resolution, and compliance with tenancy deposit protection requirements.
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 and listen to Landlordzone Pets in rented accommodation podcast.
Our partner, mydeposits, offers exclusive insights and breaking news on the private rented sector. Keep up to date with everything you need to know by visiting mydeposits Renters’ Rights Hub, for more information on the act.
You can also visit Total Landlord's Renters’ Rights Act hub which will be regularly updated.
