Pet Requests Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025: New Rules for Landlords

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gives tenants a statutory right to request a pet — and you cannot unreasonably refuse. Here's what counts as reasonable refusal, how to respond in time, and how pet insurance fits in.

<pOne of the most talked-about changes in the Renters' Rights Act 2025 is the new statutory framework for pet ownership in rented homes. From <strong1 May 2026</strong, tenants in England can formally request to keep a pet, and landlords must respond within a strict timeframe with reasonable grounds for any refusal.</p

<h2What the new law says</h2 <pSection 11 of the Act inserts an implied term into every assured tenancy: tenants have the right to request consent to keep a pet, and the landlord's consent <strongmust not be unreasonably refused</strong. The framework is similar to a tenant's right to request consent to alterations under existing landlord and tenant law.</p

<h2The 28-day response window</h2 <pLandlords must respond to a written pet request within <strong28 days</strong. If you reasonably ask for more information about the pet, you then have the remainder of the original 28 days or an extra 7 days to give your final decision, whichever is later; if the tenant does not provide the information, you do not have to consider the request. If you fail to respond in time, there is no automatic deemed consent — the tenant can apply to the court.</p

<h2What counts as a "reasonable" refusal?</h2 <pThe Act doesn't define this exhaustively, but case law on similar consent regimes — combined with the government's draft guidance — points to the following acceptable grounds:</p <ul <li<strongSuperior landlord prohibition:</strong Your head lease or freehold prohibits pets, and you cannot obtain consent.</li <li<strongProperty type unsuitable:</strong Studio flat with no outdoor space proposed for a large dog; HMO with shared communal areas.</li <li<strongSpecific welfare concerns:</strong The proposed pet is genuinely unsuitable for the property (e.g. an exotic animal requiring specialist conditions).</li <li<strongHealth and safety risk:</strong Other tenants in an HMO have documented severe allergies or phobias.</li </ul <pWhat is <strongnot</strong reasonable: a blanket "no pets" policy, refusal based on stereotype (e.g. "all dogs cause damage"), or refusal because you'd prefer not to deal with the admin.</p

<h2Pet insurance: what landlords cannot require</h2 <pThe pet damage insurance provision that appeared in the Bill was removed before Royal Assent and is not in the final Act. You cannot require pet insurance, a separate "pet deposit" or premium rent as a condition of consent — those would breach the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Your protection against pet damage is the ordinary tenancy deposit (subject to the statutory cap) and the normal deductions process at the end of the tenancy.</p

<h2How to handle a pet request — step by step</h2 <ol <li<strongAcknowledge the request in writing</strong within a few days. Confirm the date you received it and the 28-day deadline.</li <li<strongAsk for details:</strong species, breed, age, size, whether it's currently kept indoors, vaccination and microchipping status, and any references from previous landlords.</li <li<strongCheck your superior interest.</strong If the property is leasehold, review the head lease before responding.</li <li<strongDecide and document.</strong Issue a written decision before the deadline, with clear reasons if refusing. Keep evidence — a tenant who disputes a refusal can apply to the court.</li <li<strongSet reasonable conditions if granting:</strong for example behavioural conditions such as a dog being supervised in a shared garden. You cannot require pet insurance or a pet deposit.</li </ol

<h2What if you refuse and the tenant disputes it?</h2 <pThe tenant can apply to the court for a determination. If the court finds the refusal unreasonable, it can order that consent is granted. Keep a written record of your reasons so you can show the refusal was reasonable.</p

<h2Existing tenants with pets</h2 <pIf a tenant already kept a pet before 1 May 2026 with your consent, that consent stands. Check the GOV.UK guidance if you are unsure how the new rules apply to an existing arrangement.</p

<h2How LetSentry helps</h2 <pLetSentry includes a built-in <a href="/dashboard"pet request tracker</a that timestamps every request, logs your decision and reasoning, stores supporting evidence, and creates an audit trail you can rely on if a refusal is ever challenged. <a href="/auth"Sign up free</a and stay on the right side of the new pet rules.</p

<p<emLast reviewed against official sources: 28 September 2026.</em</p

Sources: - https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3764 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-bill - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/26/contents - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2019/4/contents

Published: 2026-04-23.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-28.

General summary; not legal advice.