{"id":6106874,"date":"2025-12-11T18:42:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/?p=6106874"},"modified":"2025-12-11T18:42:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T17:42:37","slug":"renters-rights-act-what-landlords-need-to-know-about-new-rules-for-pets-in-lets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buyassociationgroup.com\/en-gb\/news\/renters-rights-act-what-landlords-need-to-know-about-new-rules-for-pets-in-lets\/","title":{"rendered":"Renters\u2019 Rights Act: What landlords need to know about new rules for pets in lets"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the more contentious areas of the Renters\u2019 Rights Act is the new requirement for landlords to consider all tenant requests for pets, with refusals allowed only where they can be shown to be reasonable.<\/h2>\n

For many landlords, this raises practical questions about timescales, process and what counts as acceptable grounds to say no.<\/p>\n

The Government has now published the full details on how the new pet rules will work, and the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has provided a practical guide to its key points.<\/p>\n

The start date for the pet rules has not yet been formally confirmed, but they are expected to come into force in May 2026 when the first phase of the Act is implemented.<\/p>\n

How the request process will work<\/h2>\n

When they do come into force, a tenant must make requests to keep a pet in writing, including a description of the animal. Blanket bans on keeping them will not be allowed.<\/p>\n

Once a request is received, landlords must respond in writing within 28 days.<\/p>\n

During this period, they can ask for additional information, such as the animal\u2019s size, its breed or whether it is house-trained. After the tenant replies, landlords then have either the remainder of the original 28 days or an additional seven days, whichever is later, to issue a final decision.<\/p>\n

If landlords do not respond within the required timeframe, the tenant may then apply to the County Court, which can enforce compliance if it believes the landlord is not meeting their obligations.<\/p>\n

Leaseholders may also need to secure freeholder permission if, as many do, their lease restricts pets.<\/p>\n

A simple example<\/h2>\n

The Government\u2019s guidance gives this example of a tenant requesting a dog:<\/p>\n

You ask for more details within the 28-day period. The tenant replies, confirming it is a small, fully trained dog. You then issue your final decision within the permitted deadline.<\/p>\n

If consent is granted, it cannot be withdrawn later for that same pet. Any additional pets, though, require a new request.<\/p>\n

When refusal may be reasonable<\/h2>\n

A refusal can be reasonable in the following kinds of \u00a0situations:<\/p>\n