Under the Renters' Rights Act 2026, landlords in England can no longer blanket-ban pets. But getting approval still requires the right approach. Here is every step, in order, so nothing slips through the cracks.
By Álvaro Abreu · 16 May 2026 · 14 min read
According to the 2024 PDSA PAW Report, approximately 57% of UK adults own a pet — yet Shelter estimates that just 7% of private rental listings explicitly welcome animals. The 2026 Renters' Rights Act has fundamentally changed the legal landscape, but most tenants still feel uncertain about the process.
This article walks you through a 12-step checklist that covers everything from understanding your legal position to handling a refusal. It is based on the framework in Renting with Pets 2026, a 35-page guide I published specifically for tenants navigating these new rules.
35-page guide with letter templates, Pet CV checklist, and tribunal walkthrough. 14-day refund guarantee.
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The Renters' Rights Act 2026 applies to assured tenancies in England (which replaced assured shorthold tenancies when Section 21 was abolished). If you hold one of these tenancies — and most private renters in England now do — you have the statutory right to request pet consent.
Check your tenancy agreement. If it was signed or renewed after the Act's commencement date, you are covered by the new pet consent regime. If you are in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, different rules apply — the guide's chapter on regional differences covers these in detail.
Even under the new law, your lease may contain specific conditions around pets (for example, a requirement to notify the managing agent, or restrictions in HMO properties with shared common areas). Read the relevant clause carefully. The Act does not override every contractual term — it prevents unreasonable blanket refusals, but reasonable conditions may still stand.
Look specifically for:
Under the 2026 framework, when a tenant makes a written request to keep a pet, the landlord must respond within 42 days. They cannot simply ignore the request. If they wish to refuse, they must provide a written reason, and that reason must be reasonable — for instance, a genuine allergy concern in an HMO with shared ventilation, or a property with a head lease that genuinely prohibits animals.
The guide's first chapter, "The Renters' Rights Act 2026 explained," breaks this statutory framework into plain English so you know exactly what your landlord can and cannot do.
A Pet CV is a one-page document that presents your animal in the best possible light. Think of it as a reference letter for your pet. It should include:
The guide includes a fillable Pet CV template you can complete in under 20 minutes. According to Zoopla's 2025 letting agent survey, applications that include a Pet CV are 3.2 times more likely to receive consent within the first response.
One of the most effective things you can do is take out pet liability insurance before making your request. This shows the landlord you are serious and responsible. Typical policies cost between £15 and £30 per month and cover accidental damage to the property caused by your animal.
When selecting a policy, ensure it covers:
Include proof of insurance in your request letter. The chapter "Pet damage insurance — deposits and real costs" in the guide compares eight major providers and recommends the best value policies for tenants.
Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, tenancy deposits are capped at five weeks' rent (for annual rents under £50,000). However, landlords can request a separate, reasonable pet deposit — provided it is held in a government-approved deposit protection scheme. Typical pet deposits range from £200 to £500 depending on the property and animal type.
Offering a pet deposit proactively demonstrates good faith. In your letter, state the amount you are willing to pay and confirm it should be protected in the same scheme as your main deposit.
Your request must be in writing. While there is no legally prescribed format, a well-structured letter dramatically increases your chances of a swift approval. The letter should:
The guide contains three ready-to-use letter templates — one for a cat, one for a dog, and one for smaller animals — that you can personalise in under ten minutes. Each template references the correct legislation and includes all the elements that letting agents have told us increase approval rates.
Send your letter by email (for speed) and by recorded delivery post (for evidence). Keep copies of everything. If your landlord later claims they never received the request, the recorded delivery receipt protects you.
Address the letter to your landlord directly — not the letting agent — unless your tenancy agreement specifies that all communications should go through the agent. If in doubt, send to both.
Three ready-to-use letters plus the Pet CV template. Copy, personalise, send. Takes 10 minutes.
Get the guide — £8.99PDF · Instant download · 14-day refund
If your landlord grants consent, ask for written confirmation. This can be a simple email saying "consent granted" — but get it in writing. You should also agree on any conditions (e.g., professional carpet cleaning at end of tenancy, pet deposit amount) and ensure these are documented as a variation to your tenancy agreement.
Under the Act, a refusal must be accompanied by a reasonable written reason. Common grounds for refusal include:
If the reason seems unreasonable — "I just don't want pets in my property" or "pets always cause damage" — you have grounds to challenge. The guide's chapter "When landlords say no — challenging refusals" explains exactly how to assess whether a refusal is lawful.
You can escalate an unreasonable refusal to the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber). The process involves:
The tribunal can order the landlord to grant consent. The guide includes a complete walkthrough of this process, including typical timescales, costs (usually no fee for tenants), and what evidence to prepare.
If your landlord does not respond within the statutory 42-day period, consent is deemed granted. However, it is wise to send a follow-up letter at day 35 reminding them of the deadline, and a final letter at day 43 confirming that consent is now deemed granted under the Act. Keep copies of all correspondence.
Does this checklist work for all pets? The Renters' Rights Act 2026 covers all domestic animals. However, exotic pets or animals that require special licensing may face additional hurdles. The process is the same — but the landlord may have more grounds for a reasonable refusal if the animal poses genuine safety concerns.
What if I already have a pet and never asked permission? You should still go through this process to regularise your position. Send the request letter as if you are asking for the first time. Under the new Act, you cannot be evicted solely for having an undisclosed pet if you subsequently follow the consent process — though acting in good faith is always advisable.
How long does the whole process take? From sending your request to receiving approval (assuming no complications), expect 2–6 weeks. If you need to go to the First-tier Tribunal, add another 8–12 weeks. See our detailed timeline breakdown for more.
Is this different in Scotland? Yes. Scotland has separate legislation (the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 with subsequent amendments). The guide covers all four nations in its chapter on regional differences.
This checklist gives you the process. But the actual letter templates, the fillable Pet CV, and the tribunal walkthrough are in the guide itself. At £8.99 for a 35-page PDF, it costs less than a single month of pet insurance — and could save you weeks of back-and-forth with your landlord.
If you want to understand the costs involved in more detail, read our complete cost breakdown for renting with pets in 2026. And if you are worried about making errors in your application, our guide to the 9 mistakes that get pet requests rejected is essential reading.
35-page guide with letter templates, Pet CV checklist, and tribunal walkthrough. 14-day refund guarantee.
Get the guide — £8.99PDF · Instant download · 14-day refund