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 28 days, and a refusal needs a reason that would stand scrutiny: the property is genuinely unsuitable, the head lease prohibits animals, or similar. 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. 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 28-day window. The Pet Addendum (LS-E-005, £9) then attaches the consent to the tenancy as a signed variation: which animal, what reasonable conditions apply, and what happens at the end of the tenancy. It does not require pet insurance or an additional pet deposit, both of which are prohibited under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. 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
- No prohibited charges: the addendum does not require the tenant to take out or pay for pet insurance, or an additional pet deposit, both are prohibited payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019
- 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 28 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
- Reasonable-conditions wording aligned with the Tenant Fees Act 2019 (no pet insurance requirement, no additional pet deposit)
- 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 28 days, extendable where you reasonably ask the tenant for more information, where you need a superior landlord's decision, or by agreement with the tenant, with the latest applicable date governing. A missed deadline does not grant automatic consent, but a non-response, or a refusal without reasonable grounds, is a breach the tenant can pursue through the PRS Ombudsman or the courts, so diarise the deadline and document the decision either way.
Can I require pet insurance?+
No. You cannot require the tenant to take out or pay for pet-damage insurance, and you cannot recharge a policy you arrange, both are prohibited payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Your protection for pet damage is the deposit and the ordinary damages route; you may insure your own property at your own cost.
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, and you cannot take a separate pet deposit. A well-drafted addendum and the ordinary deposit and damages route are your protection.
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)
LetSafe UK provides landlord notice templates, compliance documents, and legal guides for England and Wales.