Can a landlord refuse pets?

How do I ask to keep a pet?

In writing, with a description of the pet. Those are the two things the law requires. GOV.UK suggests saying what kind of animal it is, how big it is and how much room it needs. An email is fine, and it gives you a dated record, which matters because the 28 days run from the date of your request.

Details that make a yes easier, though none is required:

• The species, breed, age, size and whether it is neutered.
• How it will be looked after while you are at work, and where it will sleep.
• Vaccination, worming and flea treatment records.
• A reference from a previous landlord who let you keep it.
• Whether you hold pet insurance that covers damage to a rented home.

How long does my landlord have to reply?

Twenty-eight days from your request, in writing. If they reasonably ask you for more information within those 28 days, they then have whichever is later: the rest of the original 28 days, or 7 days from when you give it to them. If you never provide what they reasonably asked for, they do not have to answer.

• If a superior landlord has to agree (usually because your landlord owns a flat on a lease), your landlord must ask them within the 28 days, and then has until 7 days after hearing back.
• You and your landlord can agree a later date between you.
• Where more than one extension applies, the latest date wins.

What counts as a reasonable reason to refuse?

GOV.UK gives examples: another tenant has an allergy, the property is too small for a large pet or several pets, the pet is illegal to own, or a lease above your landlord forbids it. It also says what is not reasonable: the landlord not liking pets, having had problems with tenants’ pets before, or worrying about damage in the future.

GOV.UK also tells landlords that refusing is unreasonable where they know the tenant needs an assistance animal, such as a guide dog.

These are examples, not a complete list. Whether a particular refusal is reasonable depends on the home, the animal and the reason given, and ultimately a court decides.

Can they say no because the building does not allow pets?

Often, yes. If your landlord owns a leasehold flat, the lease may ban pets or require the freeholder’s consent. The law says it is reasonable to refuse where a pet would put your landlord in breach of that lease, or where the freeholder’s consent is needed and your landlord has taken reasonable steps to get it but it has not been given.

It is fair to ask your landlord what steps they took and to see the relevant clause. “The building doesn’t allow it” is a reason; a reason they have not checked is weaker.

Can my landlord make me take out pet insurance?

No. Under the Tenant Fees Act a tenant must not be required to pay for insurance, and the pet rules added by the Renters’ Rights Act contain no power to insist on it. Your landlord can still ask whether you have a policy. If you choose to hold one that covers damage, GOV.UK says they may be able to claim through it, but not for the same damage twice.

Can they charge a pet deposit or a bigger deposit?

Not above the legal cap. Any money held as security for your obligations counts as a tenancy deposit under the Tenant Fees Act, whatever it is called, and the whole deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks’ where it is higher. A separate “pet deposit” has to fit inside that cap, not sit on top of it.

Your landlord can keep money from the deposit at the end to put right damage your pet has caused, as with any other damage beyond fair wear and tear. That is why the check-in inventory matters more when you have a pet.

Work out the deposit cap for your rent and check the deposit is protected once you have paid it.

Does it work differently in a shared house or HMO?

The same rule applies to an assured tenancy in a shared house, but the other people living there are part of the picture. GOV.UK gives another tenant’s allergy as a reasonable reason to refuse, and the space available is relevant too. We could not find any GOV.UK guidance written specifically for pets in houses in multiple occupation.

• If you are a lodger living with your landlord, you are usually not an assured tenant, so these rules do not apply and it is down to your agreement with them.
• Social housing tenancies are excluded from this section, so council and housing association tenants should check their own landlord’s rules.
• Talking to the people you live with before you ask saves a refusal you could have predicted.

My agreement says no pets. Can I still ask?

Yes. The right to ask is an implied term of every private assured tenancy, including ones that began before 1 May 2026, so it applies whatever the written agreement says. Your landlord still has to consider the request and answer it within the time limit, rather than pointing to the clause.

Been sent an agreement with a blanket ban, or other clauses that look out of date? What an agreement should say now.

What can I do if my landlord refuses or does not reply?

First, ask for the reason in writing if you have not been given one, and answer it: offer more information, a reference, or evidence the concern does not apply. If you still think the refusal is unreasonable, or the deadline has passed with no answer, GOV.UK says you can complain and can apply to court. The court can order your landlord to comply with the pet term.

• Keep your request, the date you sent it and every reply, in order.
• If an agent manages the property, complain to the agent too; every letting agent in England must belong to a redress scheme.
• Get advice before going to court: Shelter and Citizens Advice both help private renters for free.

What if I get a pet without asking?

Wait for the answer. If your tenancy requires consent and you keep a pet without it, you risk breaking an obligation of the tenancy, and breach of the tenancy is one of the grounds on which a landlord can ask a court for possession. Asking properly costs you 28 days; skipping it can cost you the home.

How a section 8 notice works, and the notice each ground needs.

I am looking for a place with a pet. What should I do?

Ask about the pet before you pay a holding deposit, not after. The request rules apply once you are a tenant, and a landlord who has already said no at viewing is unlikely to change their mind a week later. Get any yes written into the tenancy agreement itself, naming the animal.

Put it on your list with the other questions to ask before renting, and read what “let agreed” means before you reserve anywhere.