Landlords: How To Answer A Tenant's Pet Request

Landlords: How To Answer A Tenant's Pet Request

The message usually arrives on a Sunday evening, and it is always polite.

"We have been thinking about getting a dog. Would that be OK?"

Since 1 May 2026, how you answer that is no longer just a matter of preference. There is a process, there is a deadline, and there are reasons you are allowed to give and reasons you are not.

What changed for landlords on 1 May 2026?

The Renters' Rights Act came into force for most purposes on 1 May 2026. Alongside the bigger headlines about periodic tenancies and the end of Section 21, it changed how pet requests work.

A tenant now has a proper route to ask; you have to consider it fairly and individually, and you cannot refuse without a fair reason. A blanket no in the tenancy agreement is no longer the end of the conversation. That is not the same as saying you must accept every pet. It means you must actually look at the one in front of you.

How does a pet request work in practice?

The government's own guidance for landlords sets out the steps.

1. The tenant asks in writing, and their request has to include a description of the pet.
2. You have 28 days to respond in writing.
3. If you need more information before you can decide, you can ask for it. You then have either the remainder of the original 28 days or an extra 7 days from getting that information, whichever is later.
4. You consider the request on its own merits. Case by case, not by policy.

Two practical points come out of that. Put the request in writing even if the tenant raised it in conversation, and diarise the 28 days from the day it arrives. This is one of those deadlines that quietly runs out while you are waiting to hear back from someone else.

What counts as a fair reason to say no?

The guidance gives examples of when refusing may be reasonable.

• Another tenant at the property has an allergy.
• The property is too small for a large pet, or for several pets.
• The pet is illegal to own.
• Your own lease or freeholder prohibits pets, or a superior landlord has refused consent.

Notice how specific these are. They are about this property and this pet. That is the test you are being asked to apply.

A first floor flat with no outside space and a request for two large dogs is a very different question from a three bedroom house with a garden and a request for one cat. You are allowed to reach different answers, as long as the reason sits with the property rather than with pets in general.

What is not a fair reason?

The guidance is equally clear about the other side, and this is where landlords are most likely to trip up. It would usually be unreasonable to refuse because:

• You do not like pets.
• You have had issues with tenants who had pets in the past.
• Previous tenants with pets damaged the property.

That last one catches a lot of landlords, because it feels like the most reasonable objection of the three. If you have had a carpet ruined before, refusing the next request feels like learning from experience. In law, it is not. The damage a different tenant's pet did to a different tenancy says nothing about this tenant or this animal.

What happens if you simply do not reply?

You may have read that consent is automatically granted if you miss the 28 days. That is doing the rounds, and it is worth being careful with, because it is not what the government guidance says.

The guidance says that if you do not respond within 28 days, the tenant will be able to apply to the court. That is a different problem, and a worse one. You could end up with the pet, the costs and a damaged relationship with a tenant who was polite enough to ask first.

Either way, silence is the one answer that helps nobody. Reply, even if the reply is a request for more information.

How do you protect the property instead?

This is the part worth thinking about, because the old lever has gone. You cannot ask for a larger deposit to cover a pet, because the deposit cap applies regardless of what is living in the property.

So the protection moves elsewhere.

• Get the inventory right. A thorough, photographed, dated inventory at the start is now doing the job the extra deposit used to do. This matters more than it did a year ago.
• Put the agreement in writing when you say yes. Which pet, how many, and the tenant's responsibility for any damage it causes. Consent for one cat is not consent for a litter of kittens.
• Check your own insurance. Look at whether your landlord policy covers damage caused by pets, and speak to your insurer if you are not sure. It is a much better safety net than a refusal you cannot justify.
• Consider a mid-tenancy inspection. Not to catch anybody out, but because a small issue found in month four is cheaper than a big one found at the end.

Is a tenant with a pet actually a problem?

Worth a thought before you reach for a reason. Pet owners have historically had very little choice in the rental market, which tends to make them stay put once they find somewhere. A long, settled tenancy with a cat in it is a better commercial outcome than a spotless void. Yes is not always right, but the answer deserves a proper look, which is precisely what the law now asks of you.

Not sure how to answer a request you have had?

If a pet request has landed and you are not sure whether your reason would stand up, talk to us before the 28 days run down. It is a short conversation, and it is a great deal easier than unpicking it afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

Can a landlord refuse a pet under the Renters' Rights Act?

Yes, but only with a fair reason relating to the property or the pet. Government guidance gives examples such as another tenant having an allergy, the property being too small for a large pet or several pets, the pet being illegal to own, or a superior landlord or freeholder refusing consent.

How long does a landlord have to respond to a pet request?

28 days from receiving the written request. If you ask the tenant for more information, you then have either the remainder of the original 28 days or an extra 7 days from receiving it, whichever is later.

Is consent automatic if the landlord does not reply in time?

This is widely claimed, but it is not what the government guidance says. The guidance states that if the landlord does not respond within 28 days, the tenant will be able to apply to the court. Replying on time is always the better route.

Can a landlord charge a bigger deposit for a pet?

No. The deposit cap applies regardless of whether there is a pet, so the extra pet deposit that some landlords used to take is not available. A thorough inventory and the right insurance do that job now.

Does a no pets clause in the tenancy agreement still work?

A blanket ban no longer settles the matter. A tenant can still make a written request, and you still have to consider it on its merits and reply within the deadline.

If you know a landlord who would find this useful, please pass it on.

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Sources: GOV.UK, "Renting out your property: guidance for landlords and letting agents, if a tenant wants a pet to live with them" (28 day response deadline, the extra 7 days where further information is requested, examples of reasonable and unreasonable refusal, and the tenant's route to court where a landlord does not respond). GOV.UK, "Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: our roadmap for reforming the Private Rented Sector" (main provisions in force 1 May 2026). Checked July 2026