The UK Government’s Renters Rights Bill has moved a step closer to becoming law after completing its second reading in the House of Commons.
The Bill proposes a number of new protections for tenants, including giving them the legal right to keep a pet in rented accommodation. Landlords can currently impose blanket bans on keeping pets, but under the proposals laid out in the Bill they would have to provide a good reason for withholding permission.
The Bill will now proceed to the committee stage, where the fine details of the legislation will be poured over by MPs.
The RSPCA welcomed the progress of the Bill, saying that it could help alleviate pressure on animal rescue centres.
Public Affairs Manager Harriet Main said: “Pets should absolutely be allowed to live with their owners in suitable, rented accommodation – unless there is a justifiable reason not to do so. The RSPCA hopes this new law will not only help keep loving owners and their pets together; but open up pet ownership to millions of people living in the private rented sector.
“We know, if passed into English law, countless renters will now get the chance to rehome a rescue pet, and pets will get the legal recognition they deserve – so this really is good news for animal welfare.”
Cats Protection, which claims to be the UK’s largest cat charity, says it currently takes in at least three cats a day due to landlords not allowing them in their properties.
Senior advocacy & government relations officer Annabel Berdy said: “There is a shocking lack of pet-friendly rental properties available to the millions of people who live in rented housing. This means far too many people will never be able to experience the many joys of owning a pet.”
Landlords’ representatives largely oppose the new legislation, claiming that elements of the Bill, such as the scrapping of fixed-term tenancies, risk destabilising the market and reducing the number of properties available to rent in the long term.
