Yes, but not automatically anymore. Since 1 May 2026, tenants in England have a statutory right to formally request permission to keep a pet, and a landlord can no longer rely on a blanket “no pets” clause to refuse without reason. Any refusal now has to be reasonable, specific to the property, and given in writing.
Here’s exactly how the process works, and where a landlord can and can’t say no.
The Legal Right, in Brief
Under section 11 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which inserts new sections 16A and 16B into the Housing Act 1988:
- A tenant can make a written request to keep a pet at any point during an assured tenancy, including a description of the animal
- The landlord must respond in writing within 28 days
- Consent must not be unreasonably refused
- If the landlord needs more information (breed, size, training, insurance), they can ask for it within the 28 days, and then have a further 7 days after receiving it to give a final decision
- Failing to respond within the deadline is generally treated as consent, so silence doesn’t work in a landlord’s favour
This applies to private assured tenancies. Social housing is excluded, since most social tenancies already have their own pet policies built in.
What Counts as a Reasonable Refusal
The Act specifically sets out that it’s reasonable to refuse where keeping the pet would put the landlord in breach of an agreement with a superior landlord, for example, a head lease that itself bans pets. Beyond that specific example, refusals are assessed case by case, and a landlord is expected to consider factors like:
- The type and size of the property (a large dog in a small flat with no garden raises different questions than the same dog in a house)
- The size, breed, and nature of the specific animal
- The likely impact on neighbours or other tenants, particularly in shared or HMO settings
- Any genuine, evidenced concerns specific to that property
What a landlord can’t do anymore is refuse simply by pointing to a standard “no pets” clause, or refuse without giving any reason at all. Courts and tribunals are expected to scrutinise whether a landlord genuinely followed the process and gave real, property-specific reasons, a generic policy dressed up as a reason isn’t enough.
Can a Landlord Charge More for a Pet?
This is one of the most confused areas, partly because a lot of pre-reform content is still circulating online. As of the current rules:
- A separate “pet deposit” is not allowed. The standard tenancy deposit cap (5 weeks’ rent for annual rent under £50,000, 6 weeks’ above that) applies regardless of whether there’s a pet, and a landlord can’t add an extra pet-specific deposit on top.
- An ongoing, separately labelled “pet rent” or pet surcharge added to an existing tenancy is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, a landlord can’t tack on an extra recurring charge for a pet outside the fixed list of permitted payments.
- Pet damage insurance can be required as a condition of consent. A landlord can ask the tenant to take out and maintain a pet damage insurance policy, or in some cases arrange it themselves, this sits outside the ordinary fee restrictions specifically because the reform carved out an allowance for it.
- A higher headline rent, set from the start of a new tenancy, is technically permitted since rent itself is a permitted payment, but this has to be the agreed rent from day one, not a bolt-on charge added later.
If you’re negotiating a pet request and money comes up, insurance is the legitimate lever a landlord has, not a separate fee or inflated deposit.
What About Assistance Dogs?
Assistance dogs, including guide dogs, hearing dogs, and other trained disability-support dogs, aren’t treated as ordinary pets at all. Under the Equality Act 2010, refusing a disabled tenant’s assistance dog can amount to unlawful discrimination, separate from and stronger than the ordinary pet-request process above. A landlord generally can’t rely on a “no pets” clause to exclude a genuine assistance dog, and must consider reasonable adjustments instead.
Emotional support animals sit in a genuine grey area, they don’t carry the same automatic Equality Act protection as trained assistance dogs, though a landlord may still need to consider a tenant’s circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
What to Do If Your Landlord Refuses Unreasonably
If you believe a refusal doesn’t meet the “reasonable” standard, it’s generic, unexplained, or just restates an old blanket policy, you don’t have to simply accept it. Disputes over pet requests can be taken to the First-tier Tribunal, which can assess whether the landlord’s refusal was genuinely reasonable. For the practical steps to take before it gets to that point, see our guide on how to ask a landlord for permission to keep a pet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my landlord still say no to a pet? Yes, the Act doesn’t create an automatic right to keep a pet, only a right to have a request properly considered. A landlord can still refuse, but the refusal has to be reasonable and specific to the property, not a blanket policy.
What happens if my landlord doesn’t respond to my request? If the landlord doesn’t respond within the 28-day window (or the extended window if they’ve asked for more information), this is generally treated as consent.
Can a landlord charge a bigger deposit because I have a pet? No. The standard deposit cap applies regardless of pets, and a separate “pet deposit” on top isn’t a permitted payment.
Does this apply to existing tenancies, or only new ones? The right to request applies during an existing assured tenancy too, you don’t need to wait for a renewal or a new tenancy to make a request.
This article covers the law in England as of September 2026, following the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. It’s general information, not legal advice for your specific situation. Last reviewed: September 2026.
What to Read Next
- Renters’ Rights Act Pet Rules Explained — the legislation in more depth
- Landlord Refusing Pets Full Guidance — Detail guide on what to do
- How to Ask a Landlord for Permission to Keep a Pet — practical steps and a request template