Renters' Rights Act pets: how to reply to a tenant's pet request, and when you can say no

A tenant emails to ask if they can get a dog. Before May 2026 many landlords would have pointed to a "no pets" clause and left it there. Under the Renters' Rights Act, pets are handled differently: the tenant has a statutory right to ask, you must answer in writing within a fixed time, and you must not refuse unreasonably.

This post covers the Renters' Rights Act pets rules for private landlords in England: the timetable, the ways you can extend it, what a reasonable refusal looks like, and what you can and cannot charge.

The implied term in every assured tenancy

Section 16A of the Housing Act 1988, inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, makes it an implied term of every private assured tenancy that:

• the tenant may keep a pet if they ask in accordance with the section and you consent;
• you must not unreasonably refuse consent; and
• you must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the date of the request, except as subsections (2) to (5) provide.

(Housing Act 1988, s 16A(1))

The request itself must be in writing and include a description of the pet (s 16B(3)). A text or email is writing. "Can I get a dog?" in passing at an inspection is not a section 16A request, though it is sensible to reply asking them to put it in writing.

Because it is an implied term, it applies even if your tenancy agreement says "no pets". Your written statement of terms must also tell the tenant about this right (SI 2026/324, Schedule para 17). Our guide to the written statement of terms under the Renters' Rights Act covers the rest of that document.

The timescales

The basic deadline is the 28th day after the date of the request (s 16A(1)(c)). To be safe, count from the date on the request or the day you received it, whichever is earlier. You can take longer in only three ways (s 16A(2) to (4)):

1. Ask for more information. If, on or before the 28th day, you reasonably ask the tenant for further information about the pet, you can delay your decision until the 7th day after they provide it. If they never provide it, you are not required to decide.
2. Ask your own landlord. If you hold a lease (typical for a flat) and keeping the pet would need your superior landlord's consent, and you ask them on or before the 28th day, you can delay until the 7th day after you receive their answer.
3. Agree a later date. You and the tenant can agree that you will decide by a later date. Get the agreement in writing.

If more than one applies, you get the latest of the dates (s 16A(5)). Note what is not on the list: "I was on holiday" and "I forgot". Put a diary reminder on the day any request arrives.

When a refusal is reasonable

The Act gives two examples of reasonable refusal, both about leases (s 16B(4)):

• keeping the pet would put you in breach of an agreement with your superior landlord; or
• your lease prohibits pets without the superior landlord's consent, you took reasonable steps to get that consent, and it was not given.

Those are "included" circumstances, so other reasons can also be reasonable. The Act does not list them, and there is not yet case law on the new section to rely on, so judge each request on its facts and write your reasons down before you decide. The kind of reasons more likely to stand up are specific and evidenced: the particular animal is genuinely unsuitable for the particular property, for example a large dog in a small flat with no outside space. Reasons less likely to stand up are blanket ones: "I don't allow pets", or "the last tenant's cat damaged the carpet".

What happens if you get it wrong

If you miss the deadline or refuse unreasonably, the tenant can go to court. In a claim that you breached the implied term, the court may order specific performance (s 16B(5)), which in practice means ordering you to give consent.

The Act also provides for a landlord ombudsman scheme, which tenants are expected to be able to use for complaints like this. It is not running yet: the government's roadmap expects mandatory landlord sign-up in 2028, and the regulations have not been made (Renters' Rights Act 2025, Part 2 Chapter 2; GOV.UK roadmap).

A written, reasoned reply on time is your best protection either way. If a pet dispute does escalate, our post on resolving a contract dispute without going to court has general pointers on keeping things documented and proportionate.

What you can and cannot charge

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 still applies. Any payment you require in connection with the tenancy is banned unless it is on the permitted list (Tenant Fees Act 2019, s 1; Sch 1). That means:

• No "pet fee" or separate "pet rent". A rent increase has to go through a section 13 notice, as our guide to rent increases under section 13 and Form 4A explains.
• No extra deposit above the cap. The tenancy deposit is capped at five weeks' rent (six weeks if the annual rent is £50,000 or more) (Sch 1 para 2). The ordinary deposit can cover pet damage beyond fair wear and tear.
• No compulsory pet insurance. A landlord must not require a tenant to enter into a contract of insurance with a third party in connection with the tenancy (s 1(3)).
• No compulsory professional cleaning charge. Instead, require the property to be returned clean to the check-in standard, and claim the reasonable cost of putting right pet damage or infestation from the deposit, with evidence.

You can set sensible conditions on consent, about the specific animal, keeping it under control, and treatment for fleas and worms.

A pet clause for the tenancy agreement

A "pet clause for tenancy agreement" search turns up plenty of old wording that bans pets outright. That no longer works for an assured tenancy. A workable clause now does three things: restates the right to ask and the duty not to refuse unreasonably, sets out the reply timetable, and makes the tenant responsible for pet damage beyond fair wear and tear and for treating any infestation the pet causes. It should also record any pets you have already agreed at the start.

A good check-in inventory, with dated photos, is what makes a pet damage claim from the deposit stick at the end. Keep it, and every pet request and reply, on the property file; our legal housekeeping checklist is a good prompt for that kind of record-keeping.

How the Landlord Pack helps

The Landlord Pack (England) includes Pet Request Replies: five letters for answering on time and in writing.

• Letter A: Consent, with conditions about the specific pet, control, treatment, damage and returning the property clean.
• Letter B: Request for more information, to send on or before the 28th day after the request; you then decide by the 7th day after the tenant provides it.
• Letter C: Seeking the freeholder's consent, for flats where your lease requires it; you then decide by the 7th day after you receive their answer.
• Letter D: Refusal with reasons, with prompts to give the facts rather than a bare "no".
• Letter E: Agreeing a later date, asking the tenant to confirm in writing that you may decide by a date you both agree (s 16A(4)).

The pack's Written Statement of Terms has a pets clause with the required statement and the timetable, and a Key Details row for pets agreed at the start. The Inventory and Check-in Report gives you the baseline for any damage claim.

The letters do not decide for you whether a refusal is reasonable. That judgment, and the evidence behind it, is yours. If a tenant says they need an assistance dog, or the refusal is being challenged, take advice: other law, including the Equality Act 2010, may apply.

For more on the wider changes, see the Landlord Pack FAQ.

This is general information, not legal advice on your situation.

See what's in The Landlord Pack (England).

Sources

• Housing Act 1988, s 16A (requesting consent to keep a pet)
• Housing Act 1988, s 16B (further provision)
• SI 2026/324, Schedule para 17 (pets statement)
• Tenant Fees Act 2019, s 1 (prohibited payments)
• Tenant Fees Act 2019, Sch 1 (permitted payments, deposit cap)
• Renters' Rights Act 2025, Part 2 Chapter 2 (landlord redress schemes)
• GOV.UK: Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025, our roadmap