Your Right to Request a Pet
The Renters Rights Act 2025 gives you a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet in your rented home. Landlords can no longer include a blanket “no pets” clause in a tenancy agreement, and cannot refuse all pet requests as a matter of policy.
Your landlord must respond to a written pet request within a reasonable timeframe. They can only refuse if they have a genuine, specific reason — such as the property being genuinely unsuitable for the type of pet, or a restriction in a superior lease (for example, a leasehold flat where the freeholder prohibits pets).
What Is NOT a Valid Reason to Refuse
- Personal preference or disliking animals
- A standard clause in a template tenancy agreement
- Vague concerns about potential damage — insurance now exists specifically to cover this
- Refusing without giving any reason at all
Pet Damage Insurance
Your landlord can ask you to take out a pet damage insurance policy, or to pay their reasonable costs for obtaining one. This replaces the old practice of charging a higher deposit for pet-owning tenants — which is no longer permitted, as the deposit cap still applies.
Protection Against Discrimination
It is now a criminal offence for a landlord or letting agent to refuse to let a property, or to treat a prospective or existing tenant less favourably, because:
- They have children or are pregnant
- They receive housing benefit, Universal Credit, or any other state benefit
Adverts saying “No DSS”, “No children”, “professionals only”, or “working tenants only” are unlawful. Landlords and agents who discriminate can face significant fines, lose their PRS Database registration (which means they cannot legally let property), and face prosecution by Trading Standards.
These rules apply on top of the existing protections in the Equality Act 2010, which make discrimination on grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, and age unlawful.
What to Do if You Are Discriminated Against
The most important thing is to preserve your evidence — screenshots of adverts, copies of emails, and notes of any phone calls with dates and what was said. If you believe you have been unlawfully refused a tenancy or treated unfairly, there are formal routes to report the landlord and potentially claim compensation.
Our members-only guide covers exactly how to gather evidence, who to report to, and how to pursue a claim.
Want the full step-by-step guidance?
Our members-only guide “Anti-Discrimination Protections for Renters” takes you through exactly what to do, letter by letter, step by step. It includes the specific timescales, the forms you need, and how to build your case.
Members also get access to ready-to-use letter templates, priority support from our housing specialists, and — for urgent eviction cases — same-day response.
This is a free awareness guide produced by Renters Rights Act Services. It explains the law in general terms only and does not constitute legal advice. For detailed, actionable guidance specific to your situation, become a member at rentersrightsactservices.co.uk/claude/. We are not a law firm.