If you rent in England, you can now ask your landlord in writing to let you keep a pet, and the landlord must not unreasonably refuse. That right has applied since 1 May 2026 under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. The bill that was called the Renters Reform Bill during its passage through Parliament is now this Act, and the pet rule sits in section 11, which inserts sections 16A and 16B into the Housing Act 1988.
The rule is a right to make a request and to have it considered reasonably. It is not an automatic entitlement to keep any animal regardless of the landlord’s view.
Who the rule covers
The pet provision applies to assured tenancies under the Housing Act 1988 framework, other than social housing. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s guidance says the private-renting reforms took effect on 1 May 2026 in England. It does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, which have their own rules, and it does not apply to social housing tenancies.
| Situation | Does the statutory request right apply? |
|---|---|
| Private tenancy in England under the Housing Act 1988 framework (assured tenancy) | Yes, from 1 May 2026 |
| Social housing tenancy in England | No, section 16A excludes social housing |
| Tenancy in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland | Not covered by this Act |
| Pet that visits but does not live at the home | Not covered by the request process; any arrangement is a matter for the terms agreed between the parties |
The department’s 30 April 2026 announcement says the new laws gave 11 million renters stronger rights from 1 May 2026. That is a figure for the whole renting population, not a count of pet owners or pet requests. It tells you how many people the wider reforms affect, not how many pet requests have been made.
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For the precise wording of the tenancy and place limits, read section 11 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. The government’s own summaries are in the tenant overview and the landlord overview.
What counts as a pet, and whose animal it is
The Act defines a pet as an animal kept mainly for personal interest, companionship, ornamental purposes, or a combination of those purposes. A dog, cat, rabbit, or small caged animal kept as a companion fits that description. The definition is about the purpose of keeping the animal, so an animal kept for business, such as livestock or working animals, is not what the provision is aimed at.
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The request does not depend on who owns the animal. For the Act’s purpose, a tenant keeps a pet if they permit it to live in the home, whether or not the tenant owns it. A partner’s cat or a family member’s dog that will live with you is a request you can make, and the answer is given to you as the tenant.
How to make a request
The request must be in writing and must describe the pet. The Act does not prescribe a form, so an email or letter works, provided it is in writing and identifies the animal. Use a sequence like this:
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- Name the pet and the home. State the address of the dwelling and the animal’s species, breed or type, approximate size, and age. The statute requires a description; these details are the practical minimum for the landlord to assess the request.
- State that the request is made under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. This makes clear which process you are using.
- Ask for consent in writing. A clear request for the landlord’s written consent sets up the 28-day timeline below.
- Keep a dated copy. Your record of when the request was sent is the start point for counting the 28 days.
The 28-day response period
In the ordinary case, the landlord must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the request. The clock can change in three situations:
| Situation | Effect on the response date |
|---|---|
| Ordinary request, no delay | Written answer due on or before the 28th day after the request |
| Landlord reasonably asks for more information within the 28 days | The response date moves, as set out in section 16A |
| Landlord must seek a superior landlord’s consent within the 28 days | The response date moves, as set out in section 16A |
| Tenant and landlord agree a delay | The response date moves to the agreed point |
The statute sets out how each delay affects the response date. If you are relying on a longer timeline, check the exact wording of section 16A first rather than assuming a particular date.
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When a landlord can refuse
The landlord must not unreasonably refuse consent. The operative wording in section 16A(1)(b) is: “such consent is not to be unreasonably refused by the landlord;”
The Act gives examples of circumstances in which refusal is reasonable. Two are set out in the summary of section 11:
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- Keeping the pet would breach an agreement with a superior landlord.
- The superior agreement requires permission, the landlord has taken reasonable steps to obtain it, and the superior landlord has not consented.
The second example matters if you rent from a tenant who is themselves leasing from a head landlord, sometimes called a superior landlord. In that case your landlord may be unable to say yes until the head landlord agrees, and the statute recognises that the landlord may need to take reasonable steps to ask.
Outside those examples, whether a refusal is reasonable depends on the facts of the case. The government’s official summary describes the change as: “renters can now ask to live with a pet and landlords must reasonably consider it.” Use the statute, not that summary, for the legal test.
Pets that visit rather than live with you
The statutory request process concerns a pet living at the dwelling. It does not limit the terms that can be agreed about pets that visit but do not live there, such as a grandchild’s dog staying for weekends. Those arrangements are governed by whatever you and your landlord agree, not by the request process.
Practical next steps
- Confirm your tenancy is an assured tenancy under the Housing Act 1988 framework and that you are not in social housing.
- Confirm the home is in England.
- Make the request in writing, with a clear description of the animal, and date it.
- If the answer is late, or the refusal relies on a superior landlord, ask the landlord to explain the steps they have taken and when they expect a response.
This is general information rather than individual legal advice. Where a refusal or delay is disputed, the facts of your tenancy and the wording of section 16A will decide the outcome.
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