Can landlords refuse pets? The 2026 rules in England

Can landlords refuse pets?

Yes, but only for a good reason. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, every assured periodic tenancy in England now includes a term that the tenant may keep a pet if they ask in the right way and the landlord consents, and the landlord must not refuse unreasonably. The right started on 1 May 2026.

This is a right to ask and to get a fair answer. It is not a right to keep any pet without permission. The government’s Information Sheet puts it this way for tenants: from 1 May 2026 you have the right to request to keep a pet, your landlord cannot unreasonably refuse, and each request must be considered case by case. A tenant who brings a pet in without asking is not protected by these rules. Equally, a ‘no pets’ clause in an older agreement no longer lets a landlord say no without considering the request.

The rules cover private tenancies that are assured periodic tenancies. Lodgers living in the landlord’s home are not covered. See assured periodic tenancies explained if you are unsure which you have. This guide covers England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules.

Sources: GOV.UK: if a tenant wants a pet to live with them (landlord guide) · Legislation: Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 11 (right to request a pet)

How a tenant asks to keep a pet

The request must be in writing and must describe the pet. GOV.UK suggests the description could include what type of animal it is, how big it is and how much room it will need, for example whether it will live in an enclosure.

A letter, an email or a message can all be in writing. As a landlord, save the request and note the date you received it, because your 28 days run from the request. If a tenant asks in conversation, ask them to put it in writing so that both of you have a clear start date.

For tenants, a clear request helps. Say what the animal is, its size, and where it will be kept, and keep a copy of what you sent and when. The landlord is entitled to ask for more detail, and answering quickly keeps the clock moving. Wait for written consent before the pet moves in: the right in the Act is to keep a pet where the landlord has consented, and a landlord who has refused unreasonably can be challenged.

Sources: GOV.UK: if a tenant wants a pet to live with them (landlord guide)

Renters’ Rights Act pets: the landlord’s 28-day time limit

You have 28 days to respond in writing. The Act says the landlord must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the date of the request.

You can ask the tenant for more information about the pet within that time. Once they provide it, GOV.UK says you have either the rest of the original 28 days or an extra 7 days to give your final decision, whichever is later. If you are a leaseholder and need your freeholder’s permission, the Act lets you wait until the 7th day after you receive the freeholder’s answer, so ask them promptly.

Do not let the deadline pass in silence. GOV.UK tells tenants they can complain if the landlord does not respond within 28 days. The guidance does not say that silence counts as consent, so a tenant should not assume it does.

Sources: GOV.UK: if a tenant wants a pet to live with them (landlord guide) · GOV.UK: if you want a pet to live with you (tenant guide) · Legislation: Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 11 (right to request a pet)

Reasonable grounds to refuse a pet

Each request must be considered on its own facts. GOV.UK gives examples on both sides. The examples are not a complete list, and a court has the final say on whether a refusal was reasonable. What they have in common is that a reasonable refusal is about this animal in this property, while an unreasonable one is a general attitude to pets or to tenants who keep them.

One reason is written into the Act itself: a refusal is reasonable where keeping the pet would put the landlord in breach of an agreement with a superior landlord, such as a lease that forbids pets. Check your lease before answering. Leases of flats sometimes restrict animals, so leasehold landlords should read theirs first. If the lease allows pets with the freeholder’s permission, ask for that permission in writing and keep the reply, because the date you receive it sets your own deadline.

If you refuse, do it in writing and give the reason. The government’s Information Sheet tells tenants that a landlord who refuses must inform them in writing and should tell them why.

Sources: GOV.UK: if a tenant wants a pet to live with them (landlord guide) · Legislation: Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 11 (right to request a pet) · GOV.UK: The Renters’ Rights Act Information Sheet 2026

Can a landlord require pet insurance?

No. The Act as passed contains no power to make a tenant take out pet insurance. You may have read that landlords would be able to insist on it. Section 11 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which creates the pet rules, does not mention insurance at all.

That leaves the Tenant Fees Act 2019 in charge. Section 1 says a landlord must not require a tenant to enter into a contract of insurance with a third party in connection with a tenancy. The exceptions are for utilities and communication services. There is no exception for pets. Making consent depend on the tenant buying a policy would therefore be requiring something the law prohibits.

A tenant can still choose to insure. GOV.UK tells landlords they may be able to claim through insurance if either side has a relevant policy, and tells tenants the landlord cannot claim for the same damage twice.

Sources: Legislation: Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 11 (right to request a pet) · Legislation: Tenant Fees Act 2019, section 1 · GOV.UK: if a tenant wants a pet to live with them (landlord guide) · GOV.UK: if you want a pet to live with you (tenant guide)

Pet deposits, fees and the Tenant Fees Act

There is no separate pet deposit. The tenancy deposit cap still applies: up to five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is less than £50,000, and up to six weeks’ rent where it is £50,000 or more. If you already hold the maximum, you cannot take more because a pet arrives. Our tenancy deposit protection guide explains the cap.

A one-off pet fee, a cleaning fee charged in advance or a regular pet charge on top of the rent are not among the payments GOV.UK lists as allowed, which are things like late rent, lost keys, changes to the agreement and ending the tenancy early. The rent itself can only be raised through the yearly section 13 process: see how much a landlord can increase rent.

Your protection against damage is the ordinary one. GOV.UK says a landlord can keep money from the deposit to cover the cost of repairing damage caused by a pet. A dated inventory with photographs at the start of the tenancy makes any later claim far easier to support. If a tenant asks for a pet partway through a tenancy, it is sensible to update the photographs of floors, doors and garden at that point, so there is a record of the condition before the animal arrived.

Sources: GOV.UK: rent in advance and deposits · GOV.UK: rent and other payments · GOV.UK: if you want a pet to live with you (tenant guide)

What to do when a pet request arrives

A short routine keeps you inside the time limit and gives you a record if the decision is questioned later.

• Save the written request and note the date it arrived.
• Diarise day 28. Aim to answer well before it.
• If the description is thin, ask for more detail in writing straight away, and note the date the tenant replies.
• If the property is leasehold, read the lease and ask the freeholder in writing if their consent is needed.
• Decide on the facts of this pet and this property, not on a blanket policy.
• Reply in writing. If you refuse, give the specific reason.
• If you agree, keep the consent with the tenancy file and update your inventory photographs.
• Do not ask for a pet fee, an extra deposit above the cap or a compulsory insurance policy.

Sources: GOV.UK: if a tenant wants a pet to live with them (landlord guide)

After you say yes, and if the tenant disagrees with a no

Consent is final. GOV.UK says that once you have agreed, you cannot change your mind or change the tenancy agreement, and if you try, the tenant can still keep the pet. If the pet later causes a nuisance or damage, that is dealt with under the normal rules on the tenant’s behaviour and the condition of the property, not by withdrawing consent. Our guide to section 8 grounds for possession sets out the grounds that exist.

A tenant who thinks a refusal is unreasonable can complain to the landlord or agent, and can apply to the court. The Act allows the court to order the landlord to comply with the obligation. A planned private landlord ombudsman is intended to give tenants a way to complain without going to court, but landlords are not yet required to join one.

Sources: GOV.UK: if a tenant wants a pet to live with them (landlord guide) · Legislation: Renters’ Rights Act 2025, section 11 (right to request a pet)

Common questions