Pet fees
Pet fees are charges a landlord tries to add purely because a tenant wants to keep a pet in a rental property. In England, this is the area where many landlords get caught out. Most “extra pet fees” are banned under the Tenant Fees Act unless they fall within the narrow list of permitted payments. Shelter’s professional guidance is clear that you cannot charge a specific fee for a pet unless it is a permitted payment. So make sure you understand what to do when a tenant makes a pet request.
What can be charged in England? If the tenant asks to change the tenancy agreement, a payment to vary the tenancy can be charged, typically capped at £50, or higher only if you can evidence reasonable costs. This is often the closest thing to a legitimate “pet fee”, and it only applies when the tenant requests the change.
What you generally cannot do in England is take a separate “pet deposit” that pushes the tenancy deposit above the legal cap. The cap remains, so risk has to be managed in other ways.
In practice, landlords sometimes reflect additional risk through the headline rent, often called “pet rent”. That is not a fee, but it must be transparent and advertised up front. Under the Renters’ Rights Act from 1 May 2026, rent increases during the tenancy are more structured, for example via Section 13 notice, with limits on frequency and notice, and rental bidding is banned, so you should not rely on informal “top ups” once the tenancy is running.
Finally, note that earlier proposals to let landlords require specific pet damage insurance or extra pet deposits were not carried into the Act as passed. Manage risk with a clear pet requests process, a well-documented inventory, prompt repairs reporting, and fair use of the deposit protection process for evidenced damage at the end of the tenancy.
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