Renting with Pets in the UK: What Landlords Need to Know
The UK is apparently a nation of animal lovers – so why do landlords force tenants to leave their fur babies behind in order to secure a home?!
A lot of landlords are wary of allowing their tenants to keep pets, due to the potential damage they can do to the property.
Pets in lets
Historically, it’s always been tricky for tenants to find landlords who love their furry friends as much as they do.
And why is that?
Well, first up is potential property damage. From chewed or scratched skirting boards or doors, to stains on the carpets and smells lingering in the soft furnishings. It could mean a lot of work for a landlord to get the property back into rentable condition – and it might go beyond the deposit.
But there’s also the possibility of other issues, including upsetting the neighbours due to noise disturbance or poor behaviour.
It’s understandable if you think that all sounds like more hassle than it’s worth.
A nation of pet lovers
But here’s the thing – around 60% of tenants have a pet and pet ownership peaked at 62% in 2022. If you have a pet, you know that you don’t want to have to give them up in order to secure a roof over your head. And that’s where the government comes in…
Yes, in case you missed the news, the Renters (Reform Bill) 2022-23 aims to amend the Housing Act 1988 to make it an implied term of an assured tenancy that a tenant may keep a pet with the landlord’s consent… unless the landlord reasonably refuses.
There will of course be some exceptions to this rule, including if you, the landlord, have to keep away from animals for religious or medical reasons, or if the accommodation is unsuitable (a large dog in a small flat, for example).
After your tenant has submitted a written request to have a pet, you will have 42 days to give or refuse consent – in writing!
But fear not – there will be conditions for consent!
- You will be able to require the tenant to get insurance that covers the risk of pet damage
- Alternatively, you can ask the tenant to pay your reasonable costs on pet damage insurance
As yet, the Bill has not completed its parliamentary stages, so there is no date on which the changes will come into force, but here are other measures that will impact this change:
- The pet owner must hold a responsible animal guardianship certificate, signed off by a registered vet. This is to show that they are able to take good care of a dog, cat, or any other domestic animal.
- If you as a landlord wish to ban pets in your properties, you will be able to apply for an exemption certificate, for the exemptions I mentioned before.
- However, tenants will be given the power to challenge the landlord’s decision if they do not think it is fair
So definitely watch this space!
Assistant and support animals
Of course, not all animals in families are pets – some people require animals to help in their daily life, like guide dogs for the blind or hearing dogs for the deaf.
This makes things a little more complicated, as under the Equality Act 2010, landlords must not directly or indirectly discriminate against people with disabilities. According to Section 20(3), you need to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ so that a disabled person is not put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person.
Changing your tenancy agreement prohibiting pets to allow a tenant to keep a guide or assistance dog as a reasonable adjustment because, as the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Guidance for social housing providers states: “Failure to do so may risk breaching Article 14 of the Human Rights Act (Prohibition of Discrimination).”
If the legal pressures of landlording keep you awake at night, an agent can relieve some of that pressure – they are professionals in the industry after all, and know the laws landlords need to be on top of. If you’re interested in working with an agent or changing your agent, book a call with us by clicking the link in the description below – we can help you out!
That’s everything you need to know about allowing pets into your rental… or not!
Are you worried about the change in the law regarding pets? Tell us all about it in the comments section below.
