Pet request refusal

Since 1 May 2026 the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gives tenants an implied right to request to keep a pet, and a landlord may not unreasonably refuse. This is one of the most misunderstood changes in the Act, because a blanket “no pets” position, in the tenancy agreement or in the advert, is no longer lawful. You can still say no, but only with a specific, reasonable and defensible ground, given in writing. This checker walks through the common reasons and shows whether a refusal is likely to hold up.

The clock matters as much as the reason. Under section 11 you must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the tenant’s written request. If you reasonably ask the tenant for more information about the pet within that window, you get a further seven days once they reply. Where keeping the pet would need a superior landlord’s consent, for example a freeholder on a leasehold flat, the deadline extends until seven days after that decision. Miss the deadline and you risk being treated as having unreasonably refused.

What counts as a reasonable ground is narrow and fact-specific. A superior lease or your own leasehold genuinely prohibiting pets is the strongest. A property being genuinely unsuitable for the particular animal (a large, active dog in a small studio with no outdoor space) can work, but it must be specific to that animal and that home, not a general worry about mess. A documented history of damage from a previous pet kept by the same tenant can also support a refusal if you have the evidence.

What does not count is just as important. “I’d rather not have pets”, a general worry about wear and tear, or a standard “no pets” clause are not reasons on their own. If that is all you have, the safer route is usually to consent and rely on the protected deposit for any damage, rather than refuse and have the tenant ask the court to order consent.

The pet-insurance safeguard that appeared in early drafts did not survive: the provision was dropped before the Act passed, so you cannot make consent conditional on the tenant maintaining pet damage insurance, and you cannot charge them your cost of arranging cover. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans such a charge as a prohibited payment, and no exception was created for pets. Your remedy for pet damage is the protected deposit, which remains capped at five weeks’ rent. In practice, consenting with a clear written record of the pet and the tenant’s liability for damage is still a stronger position than a contestable refusal.

Whatever you decide, document it. Record the date of the request, your written decision and the specific reasons, and keep the thread. If a refusal is ever challenged, a dated, reasoned paper trail is the difference between a defensible decision and a finding that you unreasonably refused.