Part of the Renters Rights Act includes new rules on renting with pets. Landlords are no longer able to ban renters with pets from their properties, and will no longer be able to include this in property listings. Landlords now need to consider each request, and need a justifiable reason if they refuse. 

Government guidelines suggest refusal is reasonable in circumstances such as:

Having a bad experience in the past, or concerns about damage are not treated as reasonable refusals.

Tenants will have the right to challenge a refusal if they believe it is unfair. If disputes are not able to be resolved informally, they will be able to take their complaint to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, however this is not due to launch until late 2026 so this may not initially be an option.

Under the original proposals of the Renters’ Rights Act, landlords would have been allowed to require tenants to take out pet damage insurance. This insurance would have covered damage caused by pets, including scratched flooring, chewed furnishings, broken windows, or stained carpets.

However, during the report stage in the House of Lords, the Government introduced an amendment removing this requirement. The rationale was that a tenant’s existing deposit should be sufficient to cover any pet-related damage. In exceptional circumstances where the cost of repairs exceeds the deposit, landlords may still be able to pursue the tenant through legal action to recover the outstanding amount.

Some landlords view this change as a bad-faith decision that undermines the landlord–tenant relationship in favour of tenant rights. While most landlords are expected to comply with the new legislation, the removal of pet damage insurance may encourage some to look for ways to avoid renting to tenants with pets altogether.