London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Proposed rental reforms to allow pets in properties

Proposed rental reforms to allow pets in properties

Animal shelters have hailed a proposed law that would allow tenants to keep pets in rental properties as a "game changer".

It would give tenants the legal right to request a pet in their home, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse.

The change is a part of a wide-range of proposed rental reforms including the abolition of no-fault evictions.

But one landlord's association wants more information on the circumstances in which landlords can refuse pets.

Housing campaigners have described the Renters (Reform) Bill as a "huge opportunity" to improve the lives of the 11 million renters in England.

And for single mother Charity Micheal, the law change would make it easier to find a place to live.

"My daughter and I have viewed over 50 properties, made offers and were constantly rejected either due to the landlord or the leasehold not wanting pets," said Ms Micheal, who works for the NHS.

She told the BBC most landlords will refuse her applications "once they know I am a single mother with only one income or that I am a dog mum".

"This had been very stressful for me as I have lived in my current area for almost two years and have had to move home three times and this will be the fourth."


Student nurse Kayleigh Berry, in Great Yarmouth, has experienced a similar challenge. She has been looking for a property for about four months, and so far, has had just 10 viewings. None of her three applications have been successful.

She said when prospective landlords hear about her pets - three cats and a dog - they become less inclined to proceed with the application process.

"Pets are the main thing. We can't even get viewings half the time. We either don't hear back or it's a no," she told the BBC.

The Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in south London said the reforms will significantly reduce the number of pets taken in by shelters.

"Not only will this bill bring us one step closer to significantly reducing the number of dogs and cats we see being needlessly separated from their owners, it will also open up the many joys of pet ownership to millions of renters in the future," said Michael Webb, head of policy and public affairs.

They said two elderly Chihuahuas, Harvey and Rosco, were taken in after their former owner's landlord sold the property, and the owner was unable to find a pet-friendly rental.

On their website, the charity Dogs Trust say the main reason for pets being handed over is "change in owners' circumstances, such as being unable to live in a rented property with a pet."

Its chief executive Owen Sharp described the reforms as a "potential game changer".

"We're receiving hundreds of calls each week from desperate owners forced to rehome their dogs due to a lack of pet friendly accommodation," he said.

"The measures announced today as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill will mean that many more dogs can stay living with their loving families."

The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) said the bill could also allow landlords to request their tenants take out insurance to cover any potential damage caused by the pets.

"We welcome the government's plans...which will enable landlords to ask pet owners to have the required insurance to cover such damage," its policy director Chris Norris, Policy Director said.

He also asked the government provide more information on what constitutes unreasonable grounds to withhold consent.

"It still remains unclear as to the exact grounds on which landlords can refuse to let to tenants with a pet, so the government must provide greater clarity on this point," he said.

Mr Norris encouraged a mutual agreement on having pets in rental properties between landlords and tenants.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×