What are the Renters' Rights Act 2025 rules on pets?
The Renters' Rights Act inserts new provisions into the Housing Act 1988 that give tenants a statutory right to request to keep a pet in their home. It applies to assured tenancies in England but not to social housing, so it covers most of the private rented sector. In practice, requests from tenants with pets are now routine, and landlords need a clear process to handle them. The rule is an implied term of every relevant tenancy, which means it overrides any older clause in your tenancy agreements that tried to ban animals outright.
Here is how the pet request process works for landlords:
- Tenants must make a written request that describes the pet they want to keep.
- Landlords must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the written request. Do not miss this deadline.
- Landlords must not unreasonably withhold consent; blanket bans are no longer lawful.
Limited extensions apply, for example a further seven days where you reasonably need more information, or where you must seek a superior landlord's consent.
If landlords fail to respond in time, or unreasonably refuse, tenants can apply to the court, and the court can order the pet to be allowed. Once you have agreed, you cannot later withdraw consent or amend the tenancy agreement to remove the animal. The statutory definition of a pet is broad: an animal kept mainly for personal interest, companionship or ornamental purposes. See our guide to refusing a tenant a pet.
Can you ask for a pet deposit or pet rent from your tenant?
This is the core money question, and the answer is a firm no. There is no such mechanism anywhere in the Renters' Rights Act 2025, and there is no separate pet category in the deposit rules. The tenancy deposit cap set by the Tenant Fees Act 2019 is unchanged:
- Five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000.
- Six weeks' rent where the annual rent is £50,000 or more.
- Any pet-specific top-up above that cap is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Charging an additional pet deposit because tenants have an animal exposes landlords to a financial penalty, so it is not a workaround. Before the 2019 reforms, landlords often took an extra deposit worth around two weeks' rent for a pet. That route closed years ago, and the Renters' Rights Act has not reopened it.
Asking prospective tenants to pay more rent because they have a pet can be an offence under the advertised-rent rules, carrying a penalty of up to £7,000.
What about insurance for pets living in your property?
Earlier drafts of the Tenant Fees legislation, before it was enacted, included a clause that would have let landlords require tenants to hold pet damage insurance or reimburse the premium. That clause was removed before the Renters' Rights Act 2025 became law. So landlords cannot compel tenants to take out pet damage insurance, and cannot make them pay for it, because that too would breach the Tenant Fees Act 2019. You can take out pet damage protection insurance at your own cost, but you cannot pass that cost to tenants.
Propertymark reports that one in five landlords who once accepted pets no longer do so. The same research found that 57% of landlords and agents say they cannot recover the cost of pet related damage. That caution leaves many landlords turning good tenants away and, in a tighter market, searching longer to find replacement tenants. The law gives landlords no extra deposit for a pet, but it does leave real protections, which is where the next section comes in.
What can you do to protect your property?
Losing that option does not mean losing control. For landlords, the strongest protection is preparation, and every measure below is lawful. Plenty of landlords run pet friendly rental properties without trouble, and the tenants with pets they choose are often their most reliable. Before you let a tenant keep a pet, put these protections in place, from vetting pet owners to recording the property's condition. Allowing pets on clear terms protects your property.
- Robust pet clauses in your tenancy agreements: set clear, reasonable conditions for allowing pets, for example professional cleaning at the end of the tenancy, prompt reporting of damage, and keeping the number and type of animal to what was agreed.
- Professional check-in and check-out inventories: detailed inventories with a dated, photographed record of the property condition at the start and end of the tenancy are the most valuable evidence landlords can hold. Without them, proving damage caused by a pet against normal wear and tear is far harder.
- Responsible pet owner vetting: before you agree, ask for references, including a previous-landlord reference and, where relevant, vet records confirming the animal is vaccinated and cared for. Responsible pet owners are usually happy to provide them, and good pet owners are often your most settled, long-term tenants.
- The standard tenancy deposit as your safety net: the tenancy deposit still protects landlords. Where a pet causes damage beyond fair wear and tear, you can claim against the deposit through your tenancy deposit scheme, provided your inventory evidence supports it.
- A court claim for excess damage: if the loss exceeds the tenancy deposit scheme balance, landlords can pursue tenants separately in court to recover the difference, and our recovering property damage from a tenant support covers exactly this route.
The National Residential Landlords Association makes the same point: you cannot take a larger deposit for a pet, but you can claim on the deposit for pet damage where strong check-in and check-out reports evidence the property's condition. If the deposit does not cover the loss, you can pursue a separate court claim.
This groundwork pays off because Section 21 no-fault evictions have ended. To act against a pet kept without your prior written consent, landlords now need a discretionary Section 8 ground, and a judge decides the outcome. So your paperwork and evidence carry more weight than ever. Our tenancy agreement drafting service and property deposit management support are built around getting this right from the first day of the tenancy.
When can a landlord reasonably refuse a pet request?
Landlords must not unreasonably refuse a pet request, but reasonable refusal is still allowed in certain circumstances, where there are reasonable grounds for it. The test turns on the specific property and the specific pet, not on a general dislike of animals. A tenant who wants to keep a pet in a suitable property should usually be allowed to do so. If you refuse, you should explain your reasons in writing.
Grounds that are likely to count as reasonable refusal include:
- A superior lease or head lease that prohibits pets, provided you have taken reasonable steps to seek the superior landlord's consent. The Act expressly recognises this ground.
- A property that is genuinely unsuitable, for example a small flat with no outdoor space that is too small for a large pet or several animals.
- A shared home or HMO where another tenant has a relevant allergy.
- An animal that is illegal to own.
Grounds that are likely to be unreasonable include a broad dislike of pets, past problems with other tenants' animals, earlier damage caused by a pet at another property, or a general worry that allowing pets might affect future rentals. None of these will stand on their own, so blanket bans dressed up as case-by-case refusals will not survive scrutiny. If anything, marketing the property as pet friendly can widen your pool of reliable tenants.
Assistance animals sit outside this process entirely. A guide dog or other assistance animal is protected under the Equality Act 2010, where landlords are treated as service providers who must make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the animal. Refusing an assistance animal, or failing to make a reasonable adjustment, is not a pet decision and can breach the Equality Act. However, emotional support animals are not legally recognised in the UK, so they are treated as ordinary pets that still need the landlord's permission under the normal pet request process. For the finer points, our guide to pet ownership disputes under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 goes deeper.
How AST Assistance can help
AST Assistance provides practical support to UK landlords, helping you manage pet requests, comply with the Renters’ Rights Act and resolve tenancy disputes. We are a landlord consultancy rather than a firm of solicitors, so you receive hands-on guidance throughout the process without having to manage each stage alone.
Landlord advice
We advise landlords from the moment a tenant submits a written request to keep a pet. Our team can help you assess the request fairly, carry out responsible pet owner checks and understand the steps needed to protect your property.
We also help ensure your tenancy agreement, inventory and supporting evidence are properly prepared from the outset. This reduces uncertainty and places you in a stronger position if damage, unpaid costs or a disagreement arises later.
Renters’ Rights Act compliance
he new rules introduce specific responsibilities for landlords when responding to pet requests. AST Assistance can:
- Draft compliant pet clauses for tenancy agreements
- Manage written pet requests on your behalf
- Prepare and issue a response within the required 28-day period
- Help establish any refusal is supported by reasonable grounds
- Guide you through appropriate pet owner vetting
- Review your processes and documentation for compliance
Whether you own one rental property or manage a larger portfolio, we can help you apply a consistent and compliant approach across your tenancies.
Dispute handling
Getting the tenancy agreement and evidence right at the beginning can prevent many disputes from escalating. Where formal legal paperwork or court proceedings become necessary, we can instruct trusted independent solicitors and manage the process on your behalf. You retain one point of contact while the appropriate legal professionals handle the work that requires formal representation.
Request a callback
Have tenants asked to keep a pet, or do you want your tenancy agreements reviewed before the next request arrives? With only 28 days to respond in writing, the time to get your position right is before the clock starts. Request a callback and our team will advise on your next step. Call AST Assistance today on 01706 619954 or complete an online query form.
