Pets in lets: Government makes it harder to impose ‘blanket bans’ on tenants having animals – but landlords want to charge higher deposits
- The Government’s model rental contract now allows pets as the ‘default’
- Landlords using it will need to provide a ‘good reason’ for not allowing animals
- The industry body says they should be able to charge higher deposits
- Valid objections could include a property being too small to accommodate a pet
Renting with a pet may have just become easier, as the Government has moved to prevent landlords from having ‘blanket bans’ on animals in their properties.
The Government has amended its Model Tenancy Agreement, which is the recommended contract for landlords, to make allowing pets the default position.
Under the new rules, which were announced by the housing minister Christopher Pincher, landlords will have to object in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant, and provide a good reason for their objection.
Landlords should not have ‘blanket bans’ on pets in their properties, the Government has said
More than half of Britons now own a pet, according to animal charity PDSA. Currently, only seven per cent of landlords advertise their properties as pet friendly.
Pet ownership has also increased during the pandemic, with insurance companies and pet supply retailers reporting spikes in sales.
However, pets will not be allowed in all circumstances under the Government’s new guidelines, and tenants could still face restrictions.
The Government said that valid objections from landlords could include a property being too small to accommodate a large pet.
In addition, the changes have not been made in law – only to the Government’s model agreement which is optional to use.
Pincher said the changes ‘[Struck] the right balance between helping more people find a home that’s right for them and their pet while ensuring landlords’ properties are safeguarded against inappropriate or badly-behaved pets.’
Dr Ed Hayes, head of public affairs at The Kennel Club, welcomed the move.
He said: ‘Whilst this clause isn’t legally binding, we encourage landlords to adopt this as best practice and put a stop to unfair blanket bans on pets, which clearly the Government now recognises is a problem.
‘It is of course crucial that these owners ensure their pet who is living alongside them in rented accommodation is well-trained and happy in its environment, in order to be a responsible owner and tenant.’
Will renters be faced with higher fees for having a pet?
In the past, landlords usually charged tenants with pets higher deposits to insure themselves against damage to their properties.
However, they have not been allowed to do this since the Tenant Fees Bill was introduced in 2019.
As well as banning letting fees, this capped deposits at no more than five weeks of rent.
Renting campaign group Generation Rent has previously said that landlords were circumventing the rules by charging tenants with pets rent more each month, sometimes known as a ‘pet rent’.
Landlords have have responded to the new guidelines by saying that they should be able to charge higher deposits to reflect the risks pets pose to their properties.
A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association said: ‘We recognise the importance of pets in providing companionship especially to those living on their own.
‘However, pets are not always suitable in certain properties, such as large dogs in small flats without gardens.
‘There is often more a risk of damage to a property where there is a pet.
‘We call on the Government to enable the level at which deposits are set to be more flexible to reflect this greater risk.
‘We are also calling for a tenant to either have pet insurance or to pay the landlord for it to be allowed as a requirement for a tenancy where relevant. At present payments such as this are banned under the Tenant Fees Act.’
