Pet requests — how the new statutory right to a pet works under the Renters' Rights Act 2025
Every tenant has a statutory right under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 to request permission to keep a pet at a rented property, and the landlord can no longer unreasonably refuse. The mechanism is section 16A and section 16B of the Housing Act 1988, inserted by section 11 of the RRA. The framework gives the tenant a statutory pathway to make the request, gives the landlord a defined statutory period to respond, sets out what counts as a reasonable refusal, and creates a route to the First-tier Tribunal if the parties cannot agree. The right is not absolute. A landlord can still say no on reasonable grounds, and can still require the tenant to take out pet damage insurance. This page sets out the operational rules, the timeframes, and the route tenants and landlords should follow on a Harvey W James managed property. For tenant pet requests on a managed property, email lettings@harveywjames.com.
Where the right comes from
Before the RRA, whether a tenant could keep a pet was a matter of the tenancy agreement. Many tenancy agreements contained absolute "no pets" clauses, and a tenant who took on a pet without permission was in breach of the tenancy. The RRA changes the position in two ways. First, section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 (inserted by RRA s.11) gives every assured periodic tenant the statutory right to make a written request to keep a pet. Second, the landlord is required to give a written response within a statutory timeframe, and the landlord cannot refuse without a reasonable ground.
The right applies to all assured periodic tenancies under the post-RRA regime, including tenancies that were originally created as assured shorthold tenancies before 1 May 2026 and have since converted to periodic. A "no pets" clause written into the tenancy agreement does not override the statutory right; the statutory right takes precedence over inconsistent contractual terms.
The statutory request — how a tenant makes one
The tenant makes the request in writing, addressed to the landlord (or to the landlord's agent if the property is managed). On a Harvey W James managed property, the route is to email lettings@harveywjames.com. The request must specify the pet the tenant proposes to keep. Best practice (and what we ask for at HWJ) is to include species, breed, age, expected adult size, and a short note on how the pet will live in the property. Where the pet is a dog or cat, attach any veterinary registration or microchip records the tenant already holds. The tenant does not have to provide character references for the pet, but volunteering relevant information at the request stage typically accelerates the decision and reduces follow-up exchanges.
A tenant who is asking about more than one pet should make a single request that lists all the pets. The 28-day statutory response period (see below) runs from the date the request is received, not the date each pet is named, so consolidating into one request is operationally simpler for both parties.
The 28-day statutory response window
Section 16B of the Housing Act 1988 (inserted by RRA s.11) requires the landlord to give a written response within 28 days of receiving the request. The response must be a clear yes or no, with reasons if no. The landlord can ask the tenant for further information once — for example, to clarify the breed or to ask for veterinary records. Where further information is requested, the landlord gets seven additional days from the receipt of the further information to give the final response. The total maximum window is therefore 28 days (request to response) or 28 + 7 = 35 days (request to further-information response). A landlord who does not respond within the statutory window is treated as having given consent by default.
On managed properties we operate to a target of 14 days for a first response. The statutory 28 days is a maximum; tenants in a stable tenancy generally do not want to wait the full period, and landlords who respond promptly retain goodwill on the renewal cycle. For a routine request on a property without strong contraindications (e.g. a one-bedroom flat with strict no-pet building rules), the response is typically same week.
What counts as a reasonable refusal
The Act does not enumerate "reasonable" grounds for refusal, but the case law and pre-RRA guidance point to a defined set. The categories below are how we frame the assessment on a managed property; they are not statutory definitions, but they reflect the kind of reasoning a Tribunal will accept if the matter is referred.
- Building-rules prohibition. Where the property is a leasehold flat and the head-lease or building regulations prohibit pets (or prohibit the specific species), the landlord has a reasonable ground to refuse. We verify the head-lease position before responding. A blanket "no pets in flats" position from a freeholder is itself sometimes open to challenge under the RRA, but at the level of a managed-property response, the leasehold restriction is a sufficient ground.
- Property unsuitability. A large dog in a studio flat, an exotic reptile that requires a controlled-environment enclosure the property cannot accommodate, or a pet whose physical needs the property cannot meet. The threshold is genuine unsuitability, not personal preference.
- Damage risk above what insurance can cover. Pets whose risk profile materially exceeds the level of damage that the deposit and standard pet-damage insurance can address. This is a narrow category; most pet-damage scenarios are covered.
- Health, safety, or hygiene grounds. Pets prohibited under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, banned breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, or species whose presence creates a documented health or safety risk to other occupants or neighbours.
- Documented prior breach. Where the same tenant has had a previous pet at the property without authorisation and there is evidence of damage, nuisance, or breach of conditions, that history is a reasonable ground for refusing a new request.
The grounds the Act and the case law do not accept as reasonable include: a blanket "no pets" policy unsupported by specifics; landlord personal preference; a generalised concern about wear and tear that is not specific to the pet or the property; and a fear of damage that is not anchored in evidence about the tenant's history or the specific animal.
Pet damage insurance — the standard condition
Where the request is granted, the landlord can require the tenant to take out pet damage insurance as a condition of consent. This is explicitly permitted under section 16B(3) of the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the RRA). The Tenant Fees Act 2019 was amended in parallel to allow this — pet damage insurance is a permitted payment, not a prohibited fee. On managed properties we treat pet damage insurance as a standard condition of pet consent. The tenant arranges the policy directly with an approved provider; the policy must cover the duration of the tenancy and must list the landlord as an interested party.
Standard cover is sized to be no less than two months' rent for the property. This is the operational benchmark; the policy itself is between the tenant and the insurer, and the limit can be higher where the deposit is materially smaller than two months' rent or where the pet is high-risk. The cost of the policy is borne by the tenant and is in addition to the deposit and rent.
When the tenant disagrees with the decision
If the landlord refuses the request and the tenant believes the refusal is unreasonable, the tenant has a right to refer the matter to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The Tribunal will look at the request, the response, the grounds given for refusal, and the surrounding circumstances of the property and the tenancy. The Tribunal can confirm the refusal, overturn it, or grant consent on conditions (for example, consent subject to pet damage insurance and specific behavioural conditions). The Tribunal route is also available where the landlord did not respond within the statutory window — in that case the law treats consent as having been given by default, but the tenant can ask the Tribunal to formally confirm the position.
Where the matter goes to Tribunal, the Property Redress Scheme is also a route for complaints about how Harvey W James (as agent) handled the request. The PRS membership and the route to the Ombudsman are set out in the Internal Complaints Procedure.
What happens at the end of the tenancy
At check-out, any pet-related damage is assessed alongside the standard end-of-tenancy inspection. The deductions hierarchy is: pet damage insurance is the first port of call (the tenant claims via their policy); any residual loss over and above the insurance and the deposit is claimed under the Goodlord Rent Protection and Legal Expenses cover where applicable (see the Rent Protection page for the deposit top-up provisions). Fair wear and tear is excluded from any claim under the standard inventory and check-out methodology.
How this fits with the rest of the post-RRA framework
The pet right sits inside the wider RRA reform package: assured periodic tenancies (Part 1 of the Act), the rent-in-advance and bidding restrictions (sections 6 and 8), the abolition of Section 21, the Section 8 grounds (see the Section 8 grounds explainer), and Awaab's Law (see the Awaab's Law explainer, in force from 2027). It is one of the parts of the Act that comes into force on the same day as the periodic-regime switch (1 May 2026), so all assured periodic tenancies in being on or after that date are subject to it.
For the broader regulatory framework that drives all of the above, see The Renters' Rights Act 2025. For the landlord operational position, see Landlords. For the tenant lifecycle, see Tenants. For terminology, see the Glossary. For specific questions, see the FAQ.
Useful contacts and registers
- Pet requests on managed properties: lettings@harveywjames.com, 020 3865 1500
- Landlord and tenancy management: 020 3865 1500, landlord@harveywjames.com
- General enquiries: info@harveywjames.com
- Aftercare and complaints: aftercare@harveywjames.com
- Property Redress Scheme (agent redress): membership PRS010914 — verify here.
- Propertymark Client Money Protection: membership M0243538 — verify here.
- Information Commissioner's Office (data protection): registration ZA312485 — verify here.
This page describes Harvey W James' operational approach to pet requests under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (in particular section 11) and the Housing Act 1988 (in particular sections 16A and 16B as inserted by the RRA), together with the Tenant Fees Act 2019 (as amended), the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, and the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. This is not legal advice. The statutory framework set out above is the framework as published; the operative provisions are those in the Acts of Parliament and any supporting regulations. For your specific situation seek independent legal advice. Last reviewed against Essential Terms and Charges v2.1.5 (22 May 2026).