The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gives every tenant in England the right to request that a pet be kept in the property. You must respond in writing within 28 days. You cannot refuse arbitrarily, only on reasonable grounds, which must be evidenced. This is one of the most commonly misunderstood changes in the new regime.
A missed deadline does not grant automatic consent. A phone call saying 'probably fine' does not count as a response. Put it in writing, email is fine, and keep the record. The 28 days can be extended where you reasonably ask the tenant for more information, where you need a superior landlord's decision, or by agreement with the tenant; the latest of any applicable dates applies.
What counts as reasonable grounds to refuse
- Superior landlord (e.g. freeholder of the block) prohibits pets and that prohibition is in your head-lease.
- The property is unsuitable, for example a 3rd-floor flat with no outdoor access for a medium-sized dog.
- Breed-specific legislation applies (e.g. XL Bully under the Dangerous Dogs Act).
- Allergies of immediate neighbours where shared access is unavoidable (studio HMO, converted house).
- Existing damage or ASB issues from the tenant's occupation that suggest a pet would exacerbate the situation.
What does NOT count as reasonable grounds
- A blanket 'no pets' clause in the tenancy. Since 1 May 2026 this clause is of no effect.
- Landlord personal preference.
- Concern about wear and tear, that's what the deposit and the pet clause address.
- Concern about insurance premiums. You cannot require the tenant to take out or pay for pet insurance, and you cannot recharge the cost of a policy you arrange (both are prohibited payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019).
- A prior tenant's poorly-behaved pet.
Pet insurance, you cannot require it
You cannot require the tenant to take out pet-damage insurance, and you cannot require them to pay for, or reimburse, a policy you arrange. That power was removed before the Act was enacted, and charging for it now is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Your protection for pet damage is the deposit and the normal damages route, not an insurance requirement. You remain free to take out your own landlord insurance at your own cost.
Structuring the pet clause
A workable pet addendum names the animal (species, breed, rough age), sets expectations for carpet/curtain cleaning at end-of-tenancy if the pet's presence leaves visible marks, and crucially records that the tenant is responsible for damage over and above fair wear and tear caused by the pet. It must not require the tenant to take out or pay for pet insurance. Attach it as a schedule to the tenancy, not a separate document, that way it binds on successors.
Pets and the deposit
You cannot charge an additional deposit for a pet beyond the 5-weeks' rent cap. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 is absolute on this. If you attempt it, the deposit is unprotected in law and you lose the right to rely on it at end-of-tenancy. The right route is a carefully worded pet clause and the ordinary deposit and damages route, not a fatter deposit and not a pet-insurance charge.
The Pet Addendum includes a 28-day response template (grant or refuse), a standard pet schedule for the tenancy, and a cleaning-specification checklist for end-of-tenancy.