How should I respond to a pet request in a no-pets tenancy?
3 weeks ago | 34 comments
Government hints at allowing leaseholders to keep pets
8:03 AM, 22nd May 2026, 3 weeks ago
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The government has confirmed it is considering giving leaseholders the right to keep a pet.
In response to a written question, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said the government was considering the issue as part of its wider leasehold reforms.
The news comes as, under the Renters’ Rights Act, tenants now have the right to request a pet and landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.
Considering the rights of leaseholders to keep pets
In a written question, Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding asked: “Whether the government plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent leasehold agreements from imposing blanket bans on pet ownership”.
In response, Mr Pennycook said: “The government recognises that pets can bring joy and comfort to their owners, as well as supporting their mental and physical wellbeing.
“At present, the ability of a leaseholder to keep a pet will depend on the terms of their lease. Where a given lease restricts the keeping of pets, variation of the lease to enable leaseholders to have a pet may only be made by agreement with the freeholder.
“The government is considering the rights of leaseholders to keep pets as part of its leasehold and commonhold reform agenda.”
Right to request a pet
The news comes as the Renters’ Rights Act, which is now in force, gives tenants the right to request permission to keep a pet.
Tenants must submit their request in writing, outlining the type of pet they wish to keep, while landlords have 28 days to respond.
Landlords may only refuse on reasonable, evidence-based grounds, such as the property being unsuitable because of its size.
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Member Since January 2023 - Comments: 152
12:39 PM, 22nd May 2026, About 3 weeks ago
As ever, the Government get it wrong. The restriction will be in the lease with their immediate landlord, which might be a residents’ controlled management company or head lease. The freeholder is unlikely to be bothered as the presence or otherwise of pets is unlikely to affect its reversion. Not all landlords are freeholders. The Government’s grasp of things is barely elementary.
Member Since January 2015 - Comments: 1496 - Articles: 1
4:37 PM, 22nd May 2026, About 3 weeks ago
If a leaseholders cat/dog/pet introduces fleas to the communal areas and to other residents flats who will be responsible for eradicating the infestation?
Actually similar if Leaseholders cannot reasonably refuse pets.
It cost £1000s including having to hire a freezer trailer to kill the eggs and fleas from bedding, books, clothes for the landlord of my daughter’s student 10 bed HMO to eradicate the infestation brought in by the cat owned by the resident of the flat next door who shared the communal landing.
Member Since October 2013 - Comments: 1662 - Articles: 3
8:23 PM, 22nd May 2026, About 3 weeks ago
Leaseholders are renters.
Member Since October 2024 - Comments: 214
6:31 PM, 24th May 2026, About 3 weeks ago
If the freeholders have blanket ban then the tennats will not be allowed to have pets in the property. Currently this is an acceptable reason for the landlords to give. If the law changes for the freeholder to allow pets, then there will be problems.
Some of this apartments are very small in central London, whether it is a studio, 1 bedroom or 2 bedrooms. I just cannot see how a pet can live in such small space. It would need to be 1 person with a pet in a 2 bedroom apartment. A pet needs to be considered as another person.