Pet requests remain rare for landlords

For most landlords, the new Renters’ Rights Act pet request rules have produced little interest as 93% say they have not received a single formal approach.

However, 58% of tenants say whether a property permits pets is important when deciding where to live, according to LRG’s Summer 2026 Lettings Report.

The findings are based on responses from 717 landlords and 860 tenants across England and Wales following the introduction of pet request rules on 1 May.

Only 6% of landlords surveyed have approved a request, while 0.8% have one under consideration and fewer than 0.3% have refused permission.

Real tenant pet demand

The chief lettings officer of Leaders, which is part of LRG, said: “The formal requests are coming in slowly, and that is to be expected at this early stage.

“But the demand is real, and the legal framework is now in place.”

She added: “What the data shows is that most landlords are not opposed to pets in principle – they want practical reassurance that their property will be looked after.

“That is exactly where agents can add value: helping landlords put the right conditions in place, supporting tenants through the request process, and making sure both sides understand what the new rules actually mean.”

Request to keep a pet

Rightmove recorded a 54% annual fall in searches filtered specifically for pet-friendly properties during May, followed by a 52% drop in June.

However, pets remained the most searched-for rent property keyword in both months.

Under the new framework, tenants can ask to keep a pet at any property rather than limiting their search to homes advertised as pet friendly.

Nearly three in 10 tenants surveyed already own an animal and another 19% are considering getting one or plan to do so within the next 12 months.

Before the legislation took effect, 32% said a landlord’s pet policy had affected them.

This included 15% who decided against getting an animal they wanted and 12% who lost out on a property because they had one.

Pets are important

For 34% of tenants questioned by LRG, permission to keep a pet is essential and they would only consider a property where one was allowed.

Another 24% described it as very or somewhat important, while 42% said it played no part in their decision.

Landlords were also asked what would make them more confident about approving a request.

A professional cleaning requirement at the end of the tenancy was selected by 31%, while 28% favoured pet damage insurance paid for by the tenant.

Another 28% said nothing would change their position.

Pet damage to home

Research commissioned by Battersea, involving more than 2,000 landlords and 1,000 tenants, found that 76% of landlords reported no pet-related damage when a tenancy ended.

Where damage was recorded, the average cost was £300.

Non-pet damage caused by tenants without animals averaged £775.

Pet owners also reported longer stays with half remaining in their previous home for more than three years, compared with 31% of tenants without pets.