Landlords’ Rights – Tenant’s Request for Pets

We have shared in a previous Blog the interest around whether landlords will still have the right to say no to pets, after the Renters’ Rights Bill has been fully passed.

We have noticed that some members of ELA are still concerned about this and the potential damage caused by pets, but we would like to repeat some reassuring messaging around the subject.

The Renters’ Rights Bill has allowed for landlords to require tenants to insure, providing confidence that any damage caused by pets can be taken care of, and the responsibility for preventing and resolving any damage will fall to the tenant.

Remember too that post Renters’ Rights Bill, landlords can still say ‘no pets’ on any listing or adverts placed as the right doesn’t apply to applicants, only to tenants, and the landlord will have 28 days to respond to any tenant requests with their decision.  Therefore, you will still be able to say no to keeping a dog at the property for example, but you will need to have provided a valid reason.  It may be that the suitability of the property is a consideration, impact on other tenants or you have legitimate concern around potential damage and nuisance.  Therefore, it means that landlords cannot just decline tenants with pet requests anymore, without any explanation.  You will need to bear in mind too that tenants will have the right to challenge your refusal if they feel it is unjustified. 

The impact of the legislative change means it will not necessarily increase the overall availability of pet-friendly housing at this stage, and we are aware that there will still potentially be work required between the Government and private and social rental sectors to increase confidence in renting to pet owners. 

However, we also await the Government’s full guidance before the new rules come into play and we will continue to keep you up to date.