Pet request
Pet requests are written requests from a tenant asking for consent to keep a pet in a rental property. From a landlord perspective, they need a consistent, documented process, including pets can increase wear, complaints and repairs, but refusing without proper grounds can now create legal risk.
From 1 May 2026, the Renters’ Rights Act changes the position in England. Your tenant must ask you in writing and describe the pet. If they keep a pet without permission, it may breach the tenancy agreement. When you receive a request, you must respond in writing within 28 days. If you do not respond in time, the tenant can apply to court. You can request more information (for example, size, breed, house-training), and once the tenant replies you have either the remainder of the original 28 days or an extra 7 days to make your final decision, whichever is later.
You cannot refuse a request without a fair reason and should consider each case individually. Government guidance gives examples of when refusal may be reasonable, such as, including the property being too small for the animal, the pet being illegal to own, another occupier having an allergy, or a superior lease/freeholder rule preventing pet requests, relevant for leasehold landlords. It also flags refusals that are not usually reasonable, such as simply disliking pets or having general concerns about possible future damage.
If you grant consent, you cannot later withdraw it simply because you change your mind. The agreed pet is not a breach. A further pet needs fresh consent.
Costs matter too. You can use the tenancy deposit within the legal cap and normal deposit protection rules for proven damage at the end of the tenancy, but you cannot “double recover” for the same damage. For example, from both the tenancy deposit and pet damage insurance.
Because Section 21 notice ends under the Act, the safest approach is to respond on time, record your decision and reasons, and manage issues through dialogue and, if needed, existing routes such as anti-social behaviour processes, rather than relying on Section 21 “no-fault” possession.
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