Detailed analyses of the Renters Reform Bill has thrown up more information about how the provision promoting pets will be operated.

If the Bill becomes law it will be an implied term of every assured tenancy that a tenant will be able to keep a pet in the property if they ask for consent in writing and receive the landlord’s consent. 

Landlords will be required to fully consider all requests and must grant, or deny, permission in writing on or before the 42nd day after the date of the request. There are a small number of exceptions to this, but it is expected the vast majority of requests will have to be dealt with within this timeline. 

If the tenant believes the request has been unreasonably refused, they will be able to raise it to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman which is to be set up as part of the Bill or through the courts.

The provisions of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 will be varied to allow a landlord, or their agent, to request pet insurance. 

Under the reforms, agents and landlords who consent to the tenant keeping a pet must inform the tenant in writing that either the tenant maintains insurance to cover the risk of pet damage to a reasonable level; or that the tenant must pay the landlord’s reasonable costs of maintaining insurance that covers the risk of pet damage.

A statement from Propertymark, the letting agents’ trade body, says: “We will continue to raise the impact of the removal of fixed term tenancies and seek to find a solution with policy makers. Furthermore, whilst amendments to the Tenant Fees Act to allow for insurance when tenants rent with pets is welcome, we’ll be making the case that it’s not simply about consent but suitability of the type of property and pets.”

Last week the Renters Reform Bill had its First Reading – merely the publication of the Bill, and used by the government and pressure groups as the opportunity to give general views on the Bill’s broad intentions.

Next month’s Second Reading – at a date to be confirmed, but likelt to be in the week beginning June 5 – will be the first opportunity for MPs to actually debate the main principles. The debate will be opened by a government minister, most likely either Housing Secretary Michael Gove or Housing Minister Rachel Maclean. 

Labour, as the official opposition, then responds to the Bill and backbench MPs from all parties are invited to give their opinions.

This Second Reading takes at least several hours and possibly more than one day, given the complexity of the Renters Reform Bill.

After the Second Reading there is then the so-called Committee Stage, when a panel of around 20 MPs – usually chaired by an MP with experience in the subject – has the power to examine the Bill clause-by-clause, including consideration of relevant amendments from MPs. 

At Committee Stage in the Commons, MPs can take oral and written evidence on the Bill. 

Then the Bill proceeds to the Report Stage, taken in the whole House of Commons and not in committee form: at this stage only amendments are discussed.

Finally, the Third Reading is another general discussion on the broad terms of the amended Bill: no additional amendments are permitted. 

The same multi-stage process then goes on in the House of Lords – with minor variations – and once the Bill has been through the Third Reading in both houses, it goes to receive Royal Assent and becomes an Act.