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. The clock can pause if the landlord requests further information (e.g. type of pet, vaccination status, previous tenancy references), and resumes once the tenant provides it. If you fail to respond in time, consent is deemed given by default.</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pThe Act doesn't define this exhaustively, but case law on similar consent regimes — combined with the government's draft guidance — points to the following acceptable grounds: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 can require</h2 <pThe Act allows landlords to require the tenant to maintain <strongpet damage insurance</strong (or to pay the landlord's reasonable cost of obtaining such insurance) as a condition of consent. This insurance must cover damage caused by the pet but cannot be used to charge a separate "pet deposit" or premium rent — those would breach the Tenant Fees Act 2019.</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 — refusal disputes often end up at the First-tier Tribunal.</li <li<strongSet conditions if granting:</strong require pet insurance, professional cleaning at end of tenancy, and any reasonable behavioural conditions (e.g. dog must be supervised in shared garden).</li </ol

<h2What if you refuse and the tenant disputes it?</h2 <pThe tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for a determination. If the Tribunal finds the refusal unreasonable, consent is granted on whatever conditions the Tribunal sets. There's no specific financial penalty, but ongoing breach exposes the landlord to compensation claims and reputational risk.</p

<h2Existing tenants with pets</h2 <pIf a tenant already had a pet before 1 May 2026 with informal consent, that consent is treated as given. You can't retroactively impose new insurance requirements on existing pets unless the tenancy agreement is varied by mutual consent.</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

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: 2026-08-30.

General summary; not legal advice.