Pet requests under the Renters’ Rights Act
A pet request needs an answer, and a reason if it’s no
A tenant or prospective tenant can ask to keep a pet, and you must consider it.
A request needs an answer
A tenant or prospective tenant can ask to keep a pet, and you must consider it.
Refusal needs a valid reason
You can only refuse where you have one — a blanket ’no pets’ is no longer a reason on its own.
The record matters later
If the refusal is challenged, what you were asked, when, and what you replied is the whole case.
Log the request with its date
In the tenancy’s case record, the day it arrived and how.
Consider it on its facts
The property, the lease if it is leasehold, the animal.
Reply in writing, with the reason
And log the reply with its date beside the request.
Where it sits
Rules summarised from the government’s Renters’ Rights Act overview for landlords (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/renters-rights-act-an-overview-for-landlords), published 1 May 2026. This is not legal advice; where a tenancy is unusual, take advice. The time allowed to respond, and what counts as a valid reason, are set by the Act and its guidance; check the current wording before refusing.
LetBuddy keeps the dated record — request, reply, reason — in the tenancy’s case record and exports it as a PDF. Whether a reason is valid is not something it decides.
Common questions
Can I still say no to pets?
Yes, with a valid reason. What you cannot do is refuse without one.
Does this apply to prospective tenants?
Yes. A tenant or potential tenant can ask.
What should I keep?
The request, the date it arrived, your reply and its reason, with dates. That is what a complaint or tribunal will ask for.
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