The Renters Rights Act, which will give all tenants in the private rented sector the legal right to request to keep a pet, comes into force today (May 1).
Under the new legislation, tenants can formally ask their landlord to keep a pet, and this request cannot be refused without a good reason. A landlord can require owners to take out pet insurance as a condition of approval, but a blanket no-pets policy is no longer legal, and any refusal considered to be unreasonable can be challenged in court.
The new law signifies a major shift in access to pet ownership. According to research by Mars, just 7% of rental properties have been advertised as ‘pet friendly’, but now more than 4 million additional homes across England could potentially be open to pets. The research also indicated that almost a third (31%) of tenants say housing rules have previously stopped them owning a pet, while almost half (48%) of pet owners in rental properties have had to move in order to get or keep their pet due to rental housing restrictions.
To help raise awareness among renters and landlords, Mars and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home have joined forces to release a Renting With Pets Guide, designed to offer both renters and landlords support and guidance to navigate the new legislation.
Further support is being provided by pet specialist insurer Animal Friends, which has created a dedicated Renters’ Rights checklist, designed to support responsible pet ownership in rented homes.
According to the company’s research, up to 37% of renters have been unable to live with their pet or needed to give them up for adoption due to restrictions. In over a quarter (28%) of cases, pets had to be rehomed with friends and family, while others placed their pets in shelters or rescue centres (8%).
The company added that two thirds (65%) of renters plan to apply to keep a pet under the new rules, while 58% of renters separated from their pet say they will apply to bring them home.
The RSPCA called the introduction of the new law “a historic day for pet ownership”.
Head of Public Affairs David Bowles said: “For too long, renters in England have been unfairly denied the potential joy of pet ownership. That ends thanks to this new law.
“This change is a lifeline – not just for families wanting to add a loving pet to the household, but for the many thousands of animals currently stuck in many full to bursting centres, who will now have many new opportunities to find loving adopters.
“There are gut-wrenching examples of people having to surrender their pets to access somewhere to live, because their tenancy agreement will not allow pets. Thankfully, those situations too will soon be a thing of the past.”
