The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gives tenants in England a statutory right to request a pet, and the landlord may not unreasonably refuse. The request and response run to a statutory timetable, the response window is 42 days, and a refusal needs a reason that would stand scrutiny: the property is genuinely unsuitable, the head lease prohibits animals, or similar. Blanket bans do not survive.
Two documents manage this cleanly. The Pet Request Response Form (LS-E-006) records the decision and the reasonableness test inside the 42-day window. The Pet Addendum (LS-E-005, £9) then attaches the consent to the tenancy as a signed variation: which animal, what conditions, insurance, and what happens at the end of the tenancy. Together they turn a legal grey zone into paperwork.
What the addendum covers
- The specific pet: species, breed, description, so consent for one elderly cat is not consent for three dogs
- Conditions of consent: house rules on damage, noise, fouling and common parts
- Insurance: the Renters' Rights Act 2025 framework contemplates pet insurance as a condition, the addendum records who insures and against what
- End of tenancy: professional cleaning and damage-repair responsibilities, drafted to stay on the right side of the Tenant Fees Act 2019
- Withdrawal: what happens if conditions are breached or the pet causes serious damage or nuisance
Handling the request itself
The sequence matters: request received in writing, decision made and communicated within 42 days, reasons recorded if refusing, addendum signed if consenting. Skip the middle steps and a refusal looks arbitrary, which is exactly what the Act was written to prevent, and disputes can end up with the PRS ombudsman.
The Pet Request Response Form walks the reasonableness test: property suitability, superior lease terms, and the tenant's proposal. Refusals documented this way are defensible; refusals sent as one-line texts are not.
What's in the pack
Reviewed against the pet provisions of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The review date is stamped on the document footer.
- Pet Addendum (editable DOCX + typeset PDF), signature-ready as a tenancy variation
- Condition schedule you can tailor per property
- Insurance clause aligned with the Renters' Rights Act 2025 framework
- Completed example for a typical consent
- Free re-issue when the pet provisions or supporting regulations change
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord still refuse pets in 2026?+
Only with a reasonable, case-specific ground, for example genuine unsuitability of the property or a superior lease that prohibits animals, under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Blanket no-pet policies are no longer enforceable in England.
How long do I have to respond to a pet request?+
The statutory response window is 42 days. A non-response is treated in practice like an unreasonable refusal, so diarise the deadline and document the decision either way.
Can I require pet insurance?+
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 framework contemplates insurance as a condition of consent. The addendum records the insurance requirement and who maintains it; pair it with the Tenant Fees Act 2019 rules so no prohibited payment is created.
Can I charge a higher deposit for a pet?+
No. The tenancy deposit cap under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 is unchanged by pet consent, which is why the insurance route and a well-drafted addendum matter.
Does this apply in Wales or Scotland?+
No. The statutory pet-request right is an England provision of the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Wales runs on the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 and Scotland on the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, where pet terms remain a matter for the contract.
This page is drafted against the legislation below. Always check the current text of the law before acting.
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Tenant Fees Act 2019 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 (legislation.gov.uk)