Only for a good reason. Since 1 May 2026 every private assured tenancy in England carries an implied term that the tenant may keep a pet with the landlord's consent, and that consent is not to be unreasonably refused. The request must be in writing; the landlord must answer in writing within 28 days, longer only in defined cases.
By Stevie Hayes · Updated 16 October 2026 · Figures checked against legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK on 16 October 2026 · How we verify · Statutory penalties are maximums; councils and courts decide the amount.
| Fact | Position | Since / status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| In force | 1 May 2026 for private assured tenancies, including earlier ones; later where a pre-May s.8 or s.21 notice was still running | SI 2026/421 reg 2(a); RRA Sch 6 | SI 2026/421: Renters' Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2026 |
| The request | In writing, with a description of the pet | s.16B(3) | Housing Act 1988 s.16B (requests for consent to keep a pet: further provision) |
| The answer | In writing, consent or refusal, on or before the 28th day after the request | s.16A(1)(c) | Housing Act 1988 s.16A (requesting consent to keep a pet) |
| Extensions | The later of day 28 and 7 days after further information or a superior landlord's reply, or a date agreed with the tenant; the latest applies | s.16A(2) to (5) | Housing Act 1988 s.16A (requesting consent to keep a pet) |
| Refusal | Not to be unreasonable; head-lease prohibitions are reasonable grounds | s.16A(1)(b), s.16B(4) | Housing Act 1988 s.16B (requests for consent to keep a pet: further provision) |
| Pet insurance or pet fees | Cannot be required: the Act has no pet-insurance provision and the Tenant Fees Act 2019 prohibits required insurance and payments | TFA 2019 s.1(1) to (3) | Tenant Fees Act 2019 s.1 (prohibitions applying to landlords) |
| Deposit | Any security for pet damage counts towards the single cap of five weeks' rent where annual rent is under £50,000 | TFA 2019 Sch 1 para 2(3) | Tenant Fees Act 2019 Sch 1 para 2 (tenancy deposit cap) |
| Remedy | The court may order specific performance; no council penalty attaches to a pet refusal | s.16B(5) | Housing Act 1988 s.16B (requests for consent to keep a pet: further provision) |
Section 16A of the Housing Act 1988, inserted by section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 and in force for private tenancies since 1 May 2026 (SI 2026/421, regulation 2(a)), makes it an implied term of every assured tenancy other than social housing that:
Section 16B fills in the detail. The request must be in writing and include a description of the pet. "Keeping" a pet means permitting it to live at the property, whether or not the tenant owns it, and the section does not limit what the tenancy can say about pets that merely visit. A "pet" is an animal kept mainly for personal interest, companionship or ornamental purposes (s.45(1)).
Section 16A implies the term into every private assured tenancy, including those that began before 1 May 2026, so a tenant can make a written request whatever the agreement says. The Act does not say in terms that a contrary clause is void (contrast s.13(4A) on rent), but it imposes the term on every such tenancy, and GOV.UK's guidance says a landlord cannot refuse without a fair reason, with no exception for older agreements. A clause requiring the landlord's consent before a pet is kept is consistent with the section. Tenancies with a Section 8 or Section 21 notice served before 1 May 2026 and still running come under the new rules only once the notice lapses or the proceedings end (Renters' Rights Act 2025 Sch 6, paragraphs 3, 4, 16 and 17).
This guide covers England. It describes the law; it is not advice on a particular tenancy.
The default is an answer in writing by the 28th day after the request. Section 16A(2) to (4) allow three extensions, and under s.16A(5) where more than one applies the latest date wins:
| Situation | Landlord's deadline | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| No complication | Written consent or refusal on or before the 28th day after the request | s.16A(1)(c) |
| Landlord reasonably asks for more information about the pet within the 28 days | The later of day 28 and the 7th day after the tenant provides the information. If the tenant never provides it, the landlord is not required to answer | s.16A(2) |
| A superior landlord's consent is needed under the head lease, and the landlord seeks it within the 28 days | The later of day 28 and the 7th day after the superior landlord's consent or refusal arrives | s.16A(3) |
| Landlord and tenant agree a later date | The agreed date | s.16A(4) |
GOV.UK's landlord guidance gives the working example: the tenant asks for a dog; within the 28 days the landlord asks whether it is house-trained and how big it is; once the tenant replies, the landlord has the remainder of the original 28 days or a further 7 days, whichever is later.
The statute names two situations in which refusal is reasonable (s.16B(4)): where keeping the pet would put the landlord in breach of an agreement with a superior landlord, and where the head lease requires the superior landlord's consent and the landlord has taken reasonable steps to get it but it has not been given. A leaseholder landlord should therefore read the lease before answering, and keep the correspondence with the freeholder.
Beyond that the test is reasonableness, decided case by case. GOV.UK's guidance says it may be reasonable to refuse where another tenant has an allergy, the property is too small for a large pet or several pets, the animal is illegal to own, or the freeholder does not allow pets. It says it would usually be unreasonable to refuse because you do not like pets, have had problems with previous tenants' pets or damage in the past, have general worries about future damage, think a pet might affect future lettings, or know the tenant needs an assistance animal such as a guide dog.
Assistance animals sit partly outside this framework. An assistance dog may not be a "pet" within the s.45(1) definition at all. Separately, a landlord must make reasonable adjustments for a disabled tenant on request, which can include changing a term of the letting (Equality Act 2010 s.36 and Sch 4 para 2), and must not discriminate in managing the premises (s.35).
Whatever the decision, give it in writing, and if it is a refusal, say why. GOV.UK adds two consequences of saying yes: consent, once given, cannot be withdrawn or the agreement changed to remove it, and a further pet needs a further request.
The Act as passed contains no pet-insurance provision: section 11 inserts sections 16A and 16B and the definition of "pet", and nothing else. The general law therefore applies.
The Act does not deal with conditions on consent. A condition requiring a prohibited payment or contract would breach the Tenant Fees Act; whether other conditions are reasonable has not been tested in the courts.
There is no council financial penalty for a pet refusal: the penalty sections of the Act (Housing Act 1988 ss.16I to 16K) cover the written statement of terms and the duties in s.16E, not s.16A. The remedy is contractual. A tenant who says the implied term has been breached can apply to the court, and s.16B(5) expressly allows the court to order specific performance, for example an order that the landlord consent; damages remain available. GOV.UK tells tenants they can complain to the landlord or apply to the court. The landlord redress scheme the Act provides for, the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, is not yet in force.
The other side of the coin: GOV.UK says a tenant who keeps a pet without permission "may be breaking the terms of the tenancy agreement". The implied term gives the tenant a permission and imposes no obligation, so there is a breach only where the tenancy has a term against keeping animals without consent. Where it does, keeping a pet after a reasonable written refusal may breach that term. Breach of a tenancy obligation is Ground 12, a discretionary ground: the court must also find it reasonable to order possession (s.7(4)) and could consider whether the refusal itself was reasonable.
The written statement of terms for a new tenancy must itself say that the tenant may keep a pet with consent that is not to be unreasonably refused (SI 2026/324, Schedule paragraph 17).
Government changes that bear on this duty. Where the status says in force the rule already applies; everything else is not yet law for private landlords. Dates are quoted as the government has published them, checked on 15 October 2026.
| Change | Status today | Published timing | Sensible preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory membership of a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman scheme | announced, dates to be confirmed | Government roadmap: landlords required to join "in 2028", after the Database launches; scheme conditions set during Phase 2 from 2026 | Keep a written complaints process and records of how tenant complaints were handled; the scheme will expect both. Source |
Only for a reasonable reason, and only in writing. Since 1 May 2026 every private assured tenancy in England includes an implied term that consent to a pet is not to be unreasonably refused (Housing Act 1988 s.16A). GOV.UK's guidance says general objections to pets are usually not a reasonable reason.
In writing by the 28th day after the written request. Where the landlord reasonably asks for more information within the 28 days, or seeks a superior landlord's consent within them, the deadline becomes the later of day 28 and the 7th day after the reply arrives; the parties can also agree a later date (s.16A(2) to (5)).
Any sum held as security counts towards the single deposit cap of five weeks' rent, so there is no extra pet deposit above it, and the Tenant Fees Act 2019 s.1(3) prohibits requiring a tenant to take out insurance in connection with the tenancy. The Act as passed contains no pet-insurance provision.
Yes. Section 16A is an implied term of every assured tenancy other than social housing, and existing private tenancies became assured periodic tenancies under the new rules, for most on 1 May 2026 and later where a pre-May Section 8 or Section 21 notice was still running. A no-pets clause in an older agreement does not stop the tenant making a written request that must be considered reasonably.
A pet is an animal kept mainly for personal interest, companionship or ornamental purposes (Housing Act 1988 s.45(1)). Keeping it means permitting it to live at the property, whether or not the tenant owns it (s.16B(1)); the section does not limit what the tenancy says about animals that only visit (s.16B(2)).
Yes. Section 16B(4) says it is reasonable to refuse where keeping the pet would put you in breach of an agreement with a superior landlord, or where the head lease needs the superior landlord's consent and you have taken reasonable steps to obtain it without success. Keep the lease clause and the correspondence.
GOV.UK says the tenant may be breaking the tenancy terms. Where the tenancy has a term against keeping animals without consent, a pet kept after a reasonable written refusal may breach it, which is Ground 12: a discretionary ground on which the court must also find possession reasonable and could weigh whether the refusal was reasonable.
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