Is Your Tenant Keeping Pets Without Permission?

Many landlords are wary of pets in their rental properties, but the rules around tenants being allowed to keep pets could soon change under Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill. If you are a landlord in central London areas such as Hampstead or Notting Hill, you might be wondering where you stand in terms of what you can do about tenants keeping pets in your property.

Discovering your tenant is keeping a pet without permission is a familiar scenario, even for experienced landlords. You visit your tenant to repair their fridge – and find a half-empty tin of cat food in there. Add to that the long white hairs on the curtains, and you don’t need to be a detective to realise that your tenant has a pet – without your permission and contrary to a clause in your tenancy agreement.

What you do next depends on a few factors – we investigate your options…

Why don’t landlords like pets?

Many landlords are wary of animals on the premises – in fact, it’s thought that only 7% of UK properties for rent are currently advertised as suitable for pets. Landlords tend to be suspicious of the damage pets can cause to furniture, carpets and paintwork. Issues with fleas, smells and allergies are also a concern. However, the therapeutic benefits of pets are well-documented and pet bans can be seen as discriminatory to people in the private rented sector.

Can a landlord ban pets?

Say you’ve added a no-pets clause to your contract or specified that your tenants must seek permission first. If your tenant goes ahead and brings home a cat or dog, it might seem a clear case of a breach of tenancy. However, things aren’t quite that simple.

Unfair clauses

According to the Consumer Rights Act 2015, blanket bans on pets aren’t enforceable. The act says that tenants should have the right to ask permission to keep a pet – a request which a landlord can’t refuse without a good reason. Good reasons could include allergies, conditions in the building’s lease, or the landlord’s insurance policy.

In addition, the government has recently announced moves to make it easier for tenants to have pets in their rental homes. The Renters’ Rights Bill that Labour is set to introduce, makes it illegal for landlords to unreasonably refuse a request to have pets in the property.

Which pet?

Whether you allow pets could also come down to the animal your tenant is proposing they bring onto the premises. A large dog would be unsuitable for a small flat – a hamster, less so. An older dog or cat with a calm temperament is less likely to cause damage than an energetic puppy or kitten. The important thing is to consider whether the proposed pet is right for the property.

Getting permission

If your tenant asks for permission to keep a pet, there are plenty of reasons why you should give the request consideration. Tenants who take care of the place, always pay their rent on time and are generally settled in the home are worth hanging onto. Allowing a well-behaved pet may be the price you need to pay to keep a good tenant long-term.

Even if your tenant has already brought the animal onto the premises, think seriously before taking action. Evicting the tenant could be a long and uncertain process, which will cost you money. You may also be faced with a void period while you find new tenants.

Given that the Renters’ Rights Bill is on the horizon (which we cover in the next sections), it is a good idea for landlords who don’t currently allow pets to start to become more flexible and pet friendly.

Want to find out more? Explore the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 and how to get good tenants.

The consequences of keeping pets without permission

Currently, if your tenants have pets without permission, you can bring eviction proceedings using a Section 8 notice, under the Housing Act 1988, for breach of the tenancy agreement – but a judge may reject your case if your wish to restrict pets is deemed unfair. In these circumstances, you may need to demonstrate that the pet has caused damage to the home.

If your tenant’s fixed-term tenancy period has ended, you may be able to use a Section 21 notice to evict them. Bear in mind, however, that there are government plans to end these no-fault evictions under the Renters’ Rights Bill.

You could tell your tenants to get rid of the pet. According to the charity Cats Protection, a fifth of the animals brought to rehoming centres are put up for adoption because of clauses in tenancy agreements. Allowing pets could save an animal from this uncertain fate and take the pressure off rescue centres too.

Another alternative is to come to an arrangement with your tenants. You could agree to a pet if they pay an additional deposit to cover damage – but bear in mind the rules about deposits in the Tenant Fees Act 2019, which limit them to five weeks’ rent. You could also suggest a rent increase at the appropriate time. Take advice on either of these options and be mindful that there are plans to change rent increase rules in the future.

Future changes to pets in rental property

It is estimated that around 57% of UK households currently own a pet and many pet owners have struggled to find rental properties that allow them to keep pets. Consequently, the government has been looking to strengthen the rights of tenants to have pets in rented homes.

Under the Conservative government, the Dogs and Domestic Animals Accommodation Protection Bill and Renters’ Reform Bill were both set to be introduced to increase tenants’ rights to keep pets. While these bills were not passed in time to come into effect, Labour’s Renters’ Rights Bill will bring significant changes to prevent landlords from unreasonably refusing a tenant’s request to keep a pet.

The Renters’ Rights Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on 9 October 2024, with the legislation expected to come into effect in spring 2025. The current draft of the bill indicates that landlords will be able to demand that tenants take out pet insurance cover to protect their property from any damage caused by pets. Alternatively, landlords will be able to arrange their own insurance and charge tenants a fee to reimburse the costs of pet insurance cover.

Under the proposed new legislation, tenants will need to send requests to keep a pet in writing, and landlords will be required to respond within 28 days.

Conclusions and advice

While your gut instinct may be to not allow pets on your premises, it’s worth giving the issue some thought. Currently, rental homes that allow pets are not easy to find, but this could change with the new Renters’ Rights Bill, so allowing pets before the bill comes into force, could help you to attract a larger pool of tenants.

Want to know more? Discover our landlord inventory template and flexible tenancies.

Find out more

If you are a new landlord, we can advise you further about your legal responsibilities – when it comes to pet clauses and any other issues. To find out more about the services we offer landlords, contact us today.

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