Pet Requests and the 28-Day Rule
The blanket “no pets” clause is no longer enforceable. A written request now starts a clock, and silence is treated as a refusal you cannot defend.
Under the Renters’ Rights Act a tenant can ask, in writing, to keep a pet, and the landlord must receive and consider it, respond within 28 days, and give a reason for any refusal. The old catch-all clause carries no weight.
What counts as a request
It has to be in writing: email, text, or letter all qualify, and any of them starts the 28-day clock. A verbal request does not, but if a tenant asks in person you should invite them to put it in writing and give them a clear way to do so. A good request names the type of pet, how many, and where it will be kept.
When you can reasonably refuse
Refusal is allowed on reasonable, evidenced grounds. The Act points to several:
- A head-lease prohibition you can produce, where the freehold or superior lease forbids pets
- A genuinely unsuitable property, such as a small bedsit or an upper-floor flat a large dog could not reasonably use
- Risk to other occupants, for instance a documented serious allergy
- A dangerous or illegal animal, including breeds prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
“We don’t allow pets as a policy” is not a reason the Tribunal will accept.
What happens if you miss the 28 days
Silence can be treated as an unreasonable refusal. The tenant can take it to the First-tier Tribunal, which can order you to reconsider, find the refusal unreasonable, and award costs against you.
Approving, with conditions
If you say yes, you can attach reasonable conditions: pet damage insurance, approval limited to the specific animal described, flea and pest treatment at the end of the tenancy, or professional carpet cleaning at checkout. Record them in writing and attach them to the tenancy as a signed rider.
Why the record decides it
If a refusal is challenged, your defence rests entirely on documentation: was the request in writing, answered within 28 days, refused for a reason you can evidence, and were any approval conditions signed? A stray email chain is not enough. You need a permanent, timestamped record tied to the specific tenancy.
A durable record, not an email chain
Compliance tracked, evidence ready
STEMHQ keeps certificates, arrears, and the court paper trail in one place, so the next rule change is a checklist, not a scramble.