Tenant Pet Requests Under the Renters' Rights Act
Since 1 May 2026, tenants in England with an assured tenancy have had a legal route to ask to keep a pet, and landlords have a fixed time to answer. For a self-managing landlord the interesting part isn't the principle. It's the clock: a written request, a 28-day deadline and a written answer. That's an exchange you may later need to show you handled properly.
This post is a practical checklist, not a legal explainer. It is general information, not legal advice. Check section 11 of the Act on legislation.gov.uk and GOV.UK for your own situation, or speak to a solicitor or a landlord association.
What the Act says about pet requests
Section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserts new sections 16A and 16B into the Housing Act 1988. In summary:
- The request must be in writing and describe the pet (s.16B(3)).
- The landlord must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the date of the request (s.16A).
- Consent must not be unreasonably refused.
- The 28 days can move if you reasonably ask the tenant for more information by day 28 (you then have until 7 days after they supply it), if you need a superior landlord's consent and have sought it by day 28 (7 days after their response), or if you and the tenant agree a later date.
- A superior landlord's restriction can be a reasonable ground for refusal where you have taken reasonable steps to get consent (s.16B(4)).
- A court can order the landlord to comply if a tenant brings a claim for breach of the term (s.16B(5)).
- It doesn't apply to social housing tenancies.
The provisions came into force on 1 May 2026. Secondary sources, including some letting agents, mention automatic consent or civil penalties if you miss the deadline. We couldn't find either in the text of section 11, so don't rely on them without checking.
The 28-day pet request clock
| Day | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0 | Request arrives in writing. Record the date and how it came in. |
| 1-7 | Check it describes the pet. If not, ask for details in writing. |
| By 28 | Give or refuse consent in writing, or ask for more information or seek a superior landlord's consent. |
| After a request for information | Decision due 7 days after the tenant replies. Record the date of the reply. |
If the tenant never supplies the information you asked for, the Act says you need not decide. Keep the record of your request and any reminders.
A paper trail for each step
Every step above produces a date that matters, and most of them start on a phone:
- The tenant mentions a pet by phone or text. That may not be a valid request, but it's the start of the story. Note the date and ask them to send the request in writing, describing the pet.
- The written request arrives. This is day 0. Record the date it was received, not the date you read it.
- You ask for more information. Do this in writing and well inside the 28 days, and record the date it was sent.
- You decide. Send the decision in writing: consent (with any conditions you and the tenant agree) or a refusal with your reasons. Reasons for a refusal aren't something every source agrees are strictly required, but they're what you will want to point to if it's challenged.
- You follow up. Note any later conversation about the pet, such as a complaint from a neighbour or a change of pet.
A tenant who says "I asked you weeks ago" and a landlord who says "I never got it" is the dispute a dated log settles. It's the same point we made in why landlord records matter under the Renters' Rights Act.
Where requests get lost
Pet requests rarely arrive as a formal letter. More often it's a text while you're at work, a voicemail, or a comment at the end of a repair call. If those land on your personal phone among everything else, it's easy to miss that a clock has started. Keeping tenant contact on a dedicated number, separate from your personal one, means calls and messages for each property end up in one dated place. See also the landlord-tenant communication guide for what to log and how long to keep it. TenantCall is built for that kind of per-property log.
Checklist
- Ask for pet requests in writing, describing the pet.
- Record the date each request arrives and diary day 28.
- If you need more information or a superior landlord's consent, ask in writing before day 28.
- Give your decision in writing, with reasons if refusing.
- Keep the request, your reply and any related calls together, and review them from time to time.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a landlord have to respond to a pet request?
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, a landlord of an assured tenancy in England must give or refuse consent in writing on or before the 28th day after the tenant's request. The deadline can be pushed back if the landlord reasonably asks the tenant for more information by day 28 (the decision is then due 7 days after the tenant replies), if the landlord needs a superior landlord's consent, or if landlord and tenant agree a later date. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does a pet request have to be in writing?
Yes. Section 16B(3) of the Housing Act 1988, inserted by the Renters' Rights Act 2025, says a request to keep a pet must be in writing and must describe the pet. The landlord's decision must also be given in writing. A phone call or a passing comment is not a request that starts the 28-day clock, though it is sensible to ask the tenant to put it in writing and to note the date you did so.
Can a landlord refuse a pet request?
A landlord cannot unreasonably refuse consent. The Act gives one clear example of a reasonable refusal: keeping the pet would breach a superior landlord's or head lease restriction, and the landlord has taken reasonable steps to get consent without success. Other reasons, such as the size of the property, are judged on their facts. A tenant who thinks a refusal was unreasonable can go to court, which can order the landlord to comply. Take advice from GOV.UK, a landlord association or a solicitor on your own situation.