A lettings industry service claims landlords have been slow to accept pets in properties.
Although the Renters Rights Act will from May introduce significant changes around the rights tenants have to keep a pet in their home, there has still only been a marginal increase in the number of pet-friendly rental listings.
Inventory Base’s analysis of current rental listings data shows that an estimated 8.2% of properties in England are advertised as being pet-friendly. This marks an annual increase of just 0.6% compared to a year ago.
The North East is home to the most pet-friendly listings at 11.5%. The region has also seen the biggest annual increase of 2.6%.
In the South West, pets are explicitly welcome in 9.1% of all listings, while the other regions that have an above-average proportion of pet-friendly listings are London (8.8%), the South East (8.6%), and North West (8.5%).
Meanwhile, the least pet-friendly region of England is the East Midlands, at just 5.6% of listings. This marks an annual decrease of -0.5%.
What the Renters Rights Act says
From May 1 private tenants will have a legal right to ask their landlords consent to keep a pet. This will be an implied term in all private tenancy agreements, meaning it applies even if the contract doesn’t currently mention pets.
Landlords won’t be able to refuse every request automatically or simply because they don’t like animals, so any refusal must be reasonable and justified with a proper written response.
This may include situations where the property is too small to accommodate a large pet, or if another tenant is allergic to the proposed animal.
The tenant’s request must also be made in writing, including a description of the animal in question, and landlords will have 28 days to formally respond.
And due to a ban on Section 21 evictions, it is also going to be harder for landlords to evict tenants even when they are found to be keeping a pet without the required permission.
This is because landlords will have to provide solid proof that a pet has been kept in the home, which could be easier said than done.
If a pet has caused damage to a property, the landlord might be able to use grounds 13 or 15 to force an eviction (these grounds cover where there has been deterioration in the property and/or its furniture).
Finally, landlords will not be allowed to charge extra rent or fees specifically for having a pet.
