08/09/2026
Pets and rental properties - No longer a simple case of saying “no” anymore.
We share our family home with two dogs and two cats, so I am not the person who will ever tell you that pets and a pristine home go hand in hand!
We get pet hair, wet and muddy paws (this morning a classic example! We have not missed wiping four lots of paws multiple times before we have even had breakfast) and yes, occasionally things are scratched.
But they are also part of our family, and that is worth remembering when we talk about the changes surrounding pets in rented properties.
Since May, tenants have a legal right to request permission to keep a pet, and landlords can no longer simply have a blanket “no pets” view. Aside from being asked about the new notice periods in place, questions surrounding pets are the next most common questions we are asked.
A request for a pet now must be properly considered, only to be refused where there is a reasonable reason to do so.
This applies not only to existing tenants but also where a prospective tenant applying for a property wants to live there with their pet.
However, landlords have not lost all control and this is where good management and a sensible, case-by-case approach have become crucial.
A large energetic dog in a small flat with no outside space is a very different proposition from an older house-trained dog in a family home with a secure garden, two indoor cats - different again.
We need to ask the right questions: What is the pet? How old? How big? Is it house-trained? How long will it be at home alone? Is the property genuinely suitable? Are there restrictions within a head lease or from a freeholder?
There are circumstances where saying “no” is still reasonable. For example, where the property is unsuitable for the size or number of pets or where a superior lease genuinely prevents them. What is not likely to be reasonable anymore, is simply saying “I have always said no pets” or “the last tenant’s dog damaged the property.”
But there is an opportunity here too.
Some absolutely fantastic tenants have pets.
For most, their pet is not an optional extra but part of the family. Automatically excluding them can mean excluding people who may otherwise be exactly the sort of long-term, responsible tenant a landlord would love to have.
I can see both sides because I am a managing agent and a pet owner.
My job is not to tell a landlord they must say “yes” to every pet but to make sure we are asking the right questions, following legislation and helping our landlords make sensible, informed decisions that protect their property without unnecessarily ruling out good tenants.
The rental market is changing considerably, and I think this is one area where having an experienced agent who understands both the legislation and the people involved is going to matter more than ever.
As for the pink lip gloss on the cat… that is a whole other conversation about responsible pet ownership!
