Just 8% of rental properties listed on the current market are pet-friendly, months before the Renters’ Rights Bill is expected to become law.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that 51% of adults own a pet.

The Bill is the latest attempt to increase pet-friendly properties in the rental sector. 

The former Conservative government under Theresa May revised its model tenancy agreement to encourage the acceptance of ‘well-behaved’ pets, while the Renters Reform Bill – under former Tory PM Rishi Sunak – wanted a default pet-friendly status for properties unless landlords could provide a reasonable reason to exclude the, 

The incoming Renters Rights Bill takes a similar line, and is expected to insist that landlords cannot ‘unreasonably’ refuse tenants pets into the home.

Yet of the 101,908 rental properties currently on the market, ad listed on major portals, just 7,788 are described as pet-friendly.

On a regional level, tenants with pets in the North East have the best chance of securing a home with 9% of listings currently marketed as pet-friendly.

In London, the South West, South East, and North West pet-friendly properties account for 8% of the market, followed by the East of England (7%), East Midlands (6%), Yorkshire & Humber (6%), and West Midlands (5%).

Sam Reynolds of Zero Deposit – which commissioned the survey – comments: “There’s a natural reticence for landlords to open their property to pets for fear of the damage they can potentially cause. Many will have experienced pet damage to their properties which has shaped this preference. But these landlords are swimming against an increasingly fervent tide.

“The UK government is attempting to satisfy tenant demand for pet-friendly homes and when the Renters’ Rights Bill is finally introduced, landlords will find it increasingly difficult to deselect lets with animal companions.

“While public opinion is naturally in favour of improving accessibility for pet-owners, landlord concerns do hold weight. Property damage costs money to repair. This spend can be challenging to recoup and can eat into profit margins. And while the Renters’ Rights Bill disallows the blanket banning of pets, it also limits the amount of money landlords are allowed to take from their tenants for security deposits, further exposing landlords to the risk of property damage and, therefore, to loss of income.

“It is possible that the Bill will give landlords the right to insist that specific insurance is taken out to protect against pet-related damage, thus providing greater security.”