Tenant pet ownership: what’s new? 8 Feb 2021
On the 28th January 2021, Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP announced new rules for tenant pet ownership, in which landlords are no longer allowed to put a blanket ban on tenants owning pets in their properties.
Instead, under the new Model Tenancy Agreement, pets will be allowed by default and landlords will have 28 days to provide a written objection which must contain a good reason for them to do so. Simply not wanting pets in their properties won’t be a good enough reason to deny a tenant from owning a pet.
Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP had this to say:
“We are a nation of animal lovers and over the last year more people than ever before have welcome pets into their lives and homes. But it can’t be right that only a tiny fraction of landlords advertise pet friendly properties and in some cases people have had to give up their beloved pets in order to find somewhere to live. Through the changes to the tenancy agreement we are making today, we are bringing an end to the unfair blanket ban on pets introduced by some landlords. This strikes the right balance between helping more people find a home that’s right for them and their pet while ensuring landlords.”
There’s still a fierce debate raging as to whether or not this is a good thing.
But for tenants with pets who have found finding somewhere to live with their furry friends in the past, it’s great news. Although there are always horror stories of pets destroying properties doing the rounds, they’re actually in a small minority of cases. It’s actually been shown that allowing pets in properties which are suitable, such as those with a good amount of room indoors and access to an outdoor space, is likely to increase the length of good tenancies and have very little effect on the state of the property itself.
For some people, animal ownership has been a godsend during the current times we’ve been living in – especially those who live on their own. This move by the government to encourage landlords to allow pets where possible, will not only make potential tenants’ lives easier when searching for properties, but will hopefully provide landlords with happy tenants who will stay in their properties for longer.
If you’re a landlord with any questions about this, or are looking for more information about the landlord services we offer, please visit our landlord page.
