The blanket "no pets" clause is dead. Since 1 May 2026, tenants have a statutory right to request a pet, and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse or delay consent. That is not the same as tenants having an absolute right to keep animals — but it does mean every request now needs a considered, defensible answer.
One widely-reported detail changed late in the Act's passage: the provision letting landlords require pet damage insurance was removed before the Act passed. You cannot require it. The standard deposit is expected to cover pet-related damage.
How the process works
- The tenant asks in writing. Consent must be sought before the pet moves in — a tenant who just acquires one is in breach of the request process, which itself matters if things go wrong later.
- You must respond, and not slowly. Unreasonable delay is treated like unreasonable refusal. Don't sit on requests.
- Each request on its merits. A policy of refusing everything is exactly what the Act prohibits. The question is whether this animal in this property with this tenant is reasonable.
What "reasonable refusal" looks like
The Act doesn't publish an exhaustive list, but defensible grounds cluster around:
- The property genuinely doesn't suit the animal — a large dog in a small flat with no outside space; an animal whose needs the property cannot meet
- A superior lease prohibits pets — common in leasehold flats, where your own headlease may bind you
- Specific, evidenced concerns — an animal with a documented history of damage or nuisance, or numbers that amount to over-occupation
Weak refusals — "I just don't allow pets", generalised worry about damage with nothing property-specific behind it — are the kind the Act was written to end, and refusals can be challenged.
What you can and can't require
| You can | You can't |
|---|---|
| Require the request in writing, and keep the correspondence | Impose a blanket no-pets policy |
| Refuse with specific, property-based reasons | Refuse or delay without reasons |
| Rely on a superior lease that prohibits pets | Require pet damage insurance — removed from the final Act |
| Use the deposit for pet damage like any other damage | Charge additional "pet rent" as a condition of consent* |
*Rent is rent — set it under the normal rules. Conditioning consent on side payments sits badly with a statutory right and the ban on prohibited payments; take advice before attempting anything of the kind.
The practical playbook
- Write a one-page pet policy for your own use: what you'd weigh, per property type. It keeps your responses consistent and defensible.
- Respond in writing, promptly, with reasons. Whether yes or no, the paper trail is the point — a challenged refusal is judged on what you said at the time.
- If you consent, document the animal — type, breed/size, and any agreed conditions that are reasonable (professional cleaning at end of tenancy is commonly agreed).
- Photograph condition thoroughly at the next inspection after a pet arrives. Deposit deductions for pet damage follow the same evidence rules as everything else — see the inventory guidance in the changeover guide.
Pet-friendly listings consistently attract more applicants and longer tenancies — pet owners move less because finding pet-friendly homes is hard. Landlords who build a sensible consent process rather than fighting the change tend to come out ahead on voids.
Sources
Change log: 20 Aug 2026 — first published.
