The core obligation
- →Tenants have the right to request permission to keep a pet.
- →Landlords must respond within 28 days of a valid written request.
- →Refusal must be on reasonable grounds. Blanket no-pets clauses are not valid.
- →Landlords can require the tenant to obtain pet damage insurance.
What the RRA 2025 says about pets
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces a statutory right for tenants to request permission to keep a pet. This is a significant change from the previous regime, where landlords could include blanket no-pets clauses in tenancy agreements and enforce them without justification.
The key provisions apply to all assured tenancies — which covers the vast majority of private rented tenancies in England. Social housing is handled separately under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.
What counts as a valid pet request?
The tenant must make the request in writing. The request should include:
- What type of pet they want to keep
- The breed or species (where relevant)
- Any other relevant details (e.g. whether the pet will live indoors or outdoors)
If the request does not include enough information for the landlord to make a decision, the landlord can ask for more details. The 28-day clock does not start until a complete request is received.
The 28-day response deadline
Once a valid written pet request is received, the landlord (or their agent) must respond within 28 days. The response must either:
- Grant consent (unconditionally or with conditions such as insurance), or
- Refuse consent and explain the reasonable grounds for refusal
Missed the deadline?
Failure to respond within 28 days is treated as consent given. The tenant can keep the pet without any further requirement. There is no grace period — if the clock runs out, the request is approved by default.
This is the provision most likely to catch agencies out. A request received on a busy Friday and not logged properly could easily fall through. Agencies should ensure all pet requests are date-stamped and assigned a response deadline on receipt.
What are reasonable grounds for refusal?
The RRA 2025 does not give an exhaustive list but confirmed reasonable grounds include:
- ✓The property type makes it unsuitable (e.g. a studio flat in a building with no outdoor access for a large dog)
- ✓The property is leasehold and the head lease prohibits pets — the landlord cannot consent even if they want to
- ✓The tenant already has pets and adding another would be unreasonable given the property size
- ✓The specific animal poses a genuine risk (e.g. an animal prohibited under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act)
What is not a reasonable ground:
- ✕A blanket “no pets” clause in the tenancy agreement — these clauses are now overridden by the statutory right
- ✕A general preference not to have pets in the property
- ✕Concern about damage without more specific justification (insurance can address this)
Pet damage insurance
Even when consent is granted, landlords can require the tenant to obtain and maintain pet damage insurance. This is a significant new tool — it allows landlords to say yes while protecting against the main financial risk (damage to the property).
The insurance requirement must be reasonable (i.e. a commercially available policy at a proportionate premium). Landlords cannot require impossible or disproportionate conditions as a back-door refusal.
Agencies should record in writing any insurance condition attached to consent, and check at each annual or periodic inspection that the policy remains in force. Lapse of insurance without renewal would be a tenancy breach.
What about tenancy agreement clauses?
Any clause in a tenancy agreement that attempts to prevent or limit the tenant's right to make a pet request is void. The statutory right overrides contractual provisions.
Agencies using template tenancy agreements should review them to ensure no-pets clauses are either removed or replaced with language that reflects the new process (e.g. “Pets require prior written consent from the landlord, which will not be unreasonably withheld”).
How agencies should handle pet requests
Best practice for agencies managing properties on behalf of landlords:
- 1.Log the request immediately — record the date received, the pet details, and set a 28-day response deadline. Late response = automatic consent.
- 2.Refer to the landlord promptly — the landlord is the decision-maker, not the agent. Give the landlord enough time to consider and respond before the deadline.
- 3.Check the lease/head lease — for leasehold properties, confirm whether the head lease permits pets before advising the landlord to consent.
- 4.Respond in writing — grant with conditions (insurance requirement, specific pet only) or refuse with specific, documented grounds. Keep the response on file.
- 5.If consent granted, record the conditions — note in the tenancy record which pet was approved, any insurance requirement, and the approval date.
Track pet requests automatically
LetSense logs pet requests with a 28-day countdown. You'll never miss a response deadline — the system alerts you before the clock runs out and records the outcome against the tenancy.