Pet Consent RRA: 28-Day Rule Deep Dive 2026

When a tenant asks in writing to keep a pet, you must reply in writing on or before the 28th day after the request, giving consent or refusing on reasonable grounds (Housing Act 1988, s.16A); the decision letter template below covers both.

Your tenant has asked in writing if they can keep a pet. You now have a deadline to answer, and only certain reasons you can give for saying no. From 1 May 2026 the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gives every assured periodic tenant in England the implied right to request to keep a pet. You must respond in writing within 28 days (or, if you reasonably ask for more information within that time, until 7 days after the tenant provides it), and you can only refuse on reasonable grounds.

This is not optional. Blanket "no pets" clauses in old AST agreements are void. The Act does not treat silence as consent, but missing the deadline breaks an implied term of the tenancy.

This deep dive covers the exact statutory process, the five refusal grounds that actually work in practice, a step-by-step response workflow, and a decision-letter template you can adapt.

The statutory process in one page

1. 1Tenant writes to landlord requesting permission for a specific pet (must be in writing, must describe the pet)
2. 2Landlord response clock starts the day the request is received
3. 3Landlord has 28 days to give or refuse consent in writing
4. 4If the landlord requests further information reasonably (and in writing, within 28 days), the clock extends to 7 days after that information is received, or to the original 28-day deadline if that is later
5. 5Refusal must be on reasonable grounds, stated in writing
6. 6If the landlord fails to respond in time, that silence is not consent. But it breaks an implied term of the tenancy, and the tenant can take it further, for example with a court claim, or through the Landlord Ombudsman once it opens
7. 7Tenant can challenge a refusal with a court claim, or through the Landlord Ombudsman once it opens (expected 2028)

What counts as "reasonable grounds" for refusal

Based on GOV.UK guidance (Renting out your property: If a tenant wants a pet to live with them):

Reasonable (likely to stand up)

Not reasonable (likely to fail)

Step-by-step response workflow

Day 0: Request received

• Log date and time of receipt
• Save the request (email, letter) to the tenancy file
• Start the 28-day timer

Let the countdown run itself. Log the request in LetCompliance against the tenancy and it shows the days left to the 28-day deadline, then reminds you about 7, 5 and 1 days before it. When you record the decision, with your reasons in the notes, it can email the tenant in one click, so the request date and the decision sit on file together. Get started, from £7.99 a month →

Day 1–7: Information gathering

• Check head lease / leasehold freeholder agreement (if flat)
• Check the insurance policy, and call the insurer if it’s unclear
• Consider property-specific factors (size, layout, outdoor space)

Day 5–10: Optional information request

If you need more from the tenant (e.g., pet breed, age, neutering status, insurance cover, references from a vet), send a written request. This extends the clock to 7 days after receipt.

Day 10–20: Decision

Decide: consent / conditional consent / refusal.

Day 20–25: Communicate decision

Send a written decision letter. Email is fine if the tenancy agreement permits email service. Keep proof.

Day 26–28: Buffer

Give yourself 2–3 days for postal delays or tenant-side disputes.

Legal response letter template

Subject: Your pet request dated [date]: our decision

Dear [tenant name],

Thank you for your request dated [date] to keep [species/breed, age, sex] at [property address]. We have considered your request in accordance with Section 16A–16B of the Housing Act 1988 (as inserted by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025).

[Option A: Consent]

We are pleased to confirm our consent, on the following basis:

- You accept liability for any pet-caused damage beyond fair wear and tear, recoverable from the protected deposit in the usual way.

- If the pet causes a documented nuisance to neighbours, we reserve the right to review consent.

[Option B: Refusal]

After careful consideration we are unable to consent, on the following reasonable grounds:

- [Specific ground, e.g., "The head lease at clause 3.4 prohibits keeping pets without freeholder consent, which has been refused. See attached correspondence dated X."]

If you disagree with this decision, you can challenge it through the courts, or (once it opens) through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman.

Yours sincerely,

[Landlord name]

Common 2026 pitfalls

1. Relying on old tenancy clauses

"The tenancy agreement says no pets" is irrelevant after 1 May 2026. The RRA overrides.

2. Verbal refusal

It must be in writing. A spoken refusal doesn't count, so use email at minimum.

3. Vague reasons ("we don't allow pets in this property")

Too general. Be specific: head lease clause, insurance refusal, property-size mismatch.

4. Missing the deadline entirely

Missing the deadline breaks an implied term of the tenancy. The deadline is day 28, or 7 days after further information you asked for arrives. Set a calendar reminder at day 20.

5. Demanding a "pet deposit"

The 5-week deposit cap from the Tenant Fees Act 2019 still applies, so you cannot add a separate pet deposit. Nor can you require pet insurance instead: the pet-insurance clause was dropped before the Renters’ Rights Act passed, and charging the tenant for cover would be a prohibited payment. The protected deposit is your remedy for pet damage.

What you can and cannot attach to consent

You have far less room than the pre-Act commentary suggested. The pet-insurance provision was dropped before the Renters’ Rights Act passed, and the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans charging the tenant anything outside a short list of permitted payments.

• Cannot: require the tenant to hold pet insurance, or charge them for cover you take out
• Cannot: take a separate pet deposit, or require professional end-of-tenancy cleaning (a prohibited term since 2019)
• Can: record that the tenant is liable for pet damage beyond fair wear and tear, recoverable from the protected deposit
• Can: include a review clause if the pet causes documented nuisance
• Can: expect compliance with the law that already applies to the animal (e.g. microchipping for dogs)
• Freeholder consent evidence (if leasehold)

FAQs

Can I set a flat "no dogs over 25kg" rule?

Not as a blanket clause. You must consider each request on its facts. A 30kg dog in a 3-bed with garden may be reasonable; in a studio flat, not.

Does the tenant have to tell me about the pet if it moves in without permission?

Not as a separate legal duty. The RRA gives the tenant a right to ask, and you must answer within 28 days. Whether keeping a pet without consent is a breach depends on the tenancy terms: if the agreement says pets need your consent, it is a breach of that term, and a breach of the tenancy can support discretionary Section 8 Ground 12.

What if the tenant's circumstances change (new pet years later)?

Each separate pet request triggers a fresh 28-day clock. Previous consent doesn't cover a new animal.

My leasehold block has a "no pets" rule. Am I safe to refuse?

Much stronger ground, but you should still provide evidence (the head lease clause + the freeholder refusal in writing). Don't just refer to "building rules".

Can I pass on my freeholder's admin fee for pet consent?

Not directly. That's a cost you'll need to absorb. You can include it in the general conversation with the tenant.

Where to go next

• Periodic tenancy conversion RRA: all the 1 May 2026 changes
• Renters’ Rights Act 2025 hub: pets, Information Sheet and Section 8 in one place
• Renters’ Rights Act landlord checklist: the full compliance list

Get started, from £7.99 a month. A pet request is an ordinary part of running a let, and the hard part is the date. LetCompliance logs each request against the tenancy with a 28-day countdown and tracks your written response, alongside the tenancy agreement, the deposit record and the inventory photos you would rely on if there is damage later. If the tenant takes it further, your dates are on file.