Date Published 19 October 2026
Pets have always been one of those subjects that can divide landlords.
Some are perfectly happy to accept a well-behaved dog or indoor cat. Others immediately picture scratched doors, chewed carpets, unhappy neighbours and a garden that may never look quite the same again.
As dog owners ourselves, we understand that a pet isn't simply an animal living at the property—it is part of the family.
We also understand why landlords want reassurance that their home will be properly looked after.
Since the Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026, landlords in England can no longer simply apply a blanket 'no pets' rule without properly considering the request.
That doesn't mean every landlord must accept every animal.
It means tenants now have the right to ask, and landlords must consider each request fairly.
For Upton and Poole landlords, the sensible approach is neither an automatic yes nor an automatic no. It is to look at the pet, the tenant and the property—and make a properly informed decision.
What changed on 1 May 2026?
A tenant or prospective tenant can now make a written request for permission to keep a pet.
The landlord must consider that request and cannot refuse it without a fair reason. A tenant who believes their request has been unreasonably refused may challenge the decision.
The request should describe the proposed pet. This might include:
- The type of animal.
- Its breed, age and approximate size.
- How much space it needs.
- Whether it will be kept in a cage, hutch, aquarium or other enclosure.
- Any other information that could help the landlord make a decision.
Once the request has been received, the landlord normally has 28 days to reply in writing.
That deadline is important. A pet request shouldn't be left unanswered in an inbox while everybody hopes it will disappear.
Does a landlord have to say yes?
No.
The new rules give tenants a right to request a pet—not an unrestricted right to keep any animal they choose.
A landlord can still refuse where there is a fair and property-specific reason.
Government guidance gives examples that may include:
- Another tenant at the property having an allergy.
- The property being too small for the size or number of animals.
- The proposed animal being illegal to own.
- A lease or superior landlord preventing pets.
- The particular property being unsuitable for the animal's needs.
A small, elderly dog in a house with an enclosed garden is a very different proposition from two large, energetic dogs in a compact first-floor flat with no outside space.
The decision should be based on the actual circumstances—not simply on the word 'pet'.
What probably isn't a reasonable refusal?
Government guidance also gives examples of reasons that would usually be considered unreasonable.
These include:
- The landlord simply not liking pets.
- A previous tenant's pet having caused damage.
- General worries that the animal might damage something.
- Concern that accepting a pet could affect future rental prospects.
- Refusing an assistance animal required by a disabled tenant.
This is an important change in mindset.
A landlord may have had a dreadful experience with a previous tenant and their dog. That experience is understandable, but it doesn't necessarily justify refusing a completely different tenant with a completely different animal.
Each request needs to be considered on its own merits.
What if the landlord needs more information?
Landlords don't have to make a decision based on a one-line email saying, 'Can I have a dog?'
If more information is reasonably required, the landlord can ask for it within the original 28-day period.
Once the tenant supplies that information, the landlord has either:
- The remainder of the original 28 days; or
- A further seven days,
whichever gives the landlord longer.
If the tenant doesn't provide the requested information, the landlord may not have to continue considering the request.
At Lewis Dean, we would normally want enough information to understand both the animal and the proposed arrangements before advising a landlord.
That could include:
- A photograph of the pet.
- Its breed, age and size.
- Whether it is already house-trained.
- How long the tenant has owned it.
- Whether it has lived in rented accommodation before.
- A reference from a previous landlord.
- Veterinary and vaccination details where relevant.
- Flea and worming records.
- Details of who will care for the animal while the tenant is at work or away.
- Information about training and behaviour.
- Whether the pet has previously caused damage or complaints.
This is sometimes described as a 'pet CV'.
It may sound a little formal, but it gives the landlord something more useful to assess than a vague request based entirely on emotion.
Should you meet the pet?
Where practical, meeting the tenant and their pet can be extremely helpful.
A meeting may show that the dog described as 'rather lively' is actually calm, trained and perfectly manageable.
Equally, it might reveal that the proposed arrangement needs considerably more thought.
It also gives the landlord or agent an opportunity to discuss:
- Where the pet will sleep.
- Whether it will be left alone regularly.
- How the garden will be kept clean.
- How barking or other noise will be managed.
- Whether communal areas are suitable.
- How damage will be reported and repaired.
- What will happen if neighbours raise concerns.
A meeting cannot guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong, but it can help everybody begin the arrangement with realistic expectations.
Check the lease before agreeing
This is especially important for flats and leasehold properties.
A landlord may personally be happy to accept a pet but still be restricted by the headlease or superior landlord.
Some leases ban pets completely. Others allow them only with the freeholder's or management company's written consent.
If superior-landlord consent is needed, the landlord should take reasonable steps to obtain it rather than simply assuming the answer will be no.
The tenant should be kept informed while that enquiry is being made.
If the freeholder ultimately refuses or the lease clearly prohibits the proposed pet, that may provide a reasonable basis for refusing the tenant's request.
Check the exact lease wording and keep a copy of any correspondence.
Assistance animals need particular care
An assistance animal should not be treated in the same way as an ordinary pet request.
Refusing an assistance dog or another appropriately trained assistance animal could amount to disability discrimination.
Landlords and agents should therefore be very careful before refusing such a request and should obtain specialist advice if the position is unclear.
Emotional-support animals don't currently have exactly the same formal legal recognition in the UK. However, any medical or professional evidence supplied by the tenant should still be considered properly rather than dismissed.
Can landlords take a larger pet deposit?
No.
The Tenant Fees Act deposit limits still apply.
For most tenancies, the maximum security deposit is:
- Five weeks' rent where the annual rent is below £50,000.
- Six weeks' rent where the annual rent is £50,000 or more.
A landlord cannot take the normal maximum deposit and then add a separate 'pet deposit' on top.
That makes the inventory, check-in report and inspection records even more important.
If a pet causes damage beyond fair wear and tear, the landlord may claim the reasonable cost from the tenancy deposit. If the loss is greater than the deposit, further recovery may sometimes need to be pursued separately.
The landlord cannot recover twice for the same damage—for example, by receiving an insurance payment and also retaining the same amount from the deposit.
Can the rent be increased because of a pet?
A landlord shouldn't simply add an informal monthly 'pet charge' when granting permission.
Since 1 May 2026, rent increases for assured periodic tenancies must follow the statutory Section 13 process using Form 4A.
They must be supported by the open-market rent and can normally only take place once every 12 months.
There is no separate exception allowing the rent to be increased whenever a pet is approved.
If the request is made during an existing tenancy and a formal variation is needed, a permitted variation fee may sometimes apply. This is normally limited to £50 unless higher reasonable costs can be evidenced.
The safest approach is to record the permission and any reasonable conditions clearly, without attempting to create charges that could breach the Tenant Fees Act.
Can you insist on professional cleaning?
A landlord cannot require the tenant to pay for a particular professional cleaning company or automatically insist on professional cleaning at the end of the tenancy.
What the landlord can require is that the property is returned to the same standard of cleanliness and condition recorded at the beginning, allowing for fair wear and tear.
The tenant can choose how they achieve that standard.
This is why a good inventory should record more than whether a room was 'clean'.
It should include clear photographs and descriptions of:
- Carpets and flooring.
- Doors and woodwork.
- Curtains and blinds.
- Gardens and outside areas.
- Upholstery supplied with the property.
- Existing marks or scratches.
- Cleanliness and condition.
- Any existing odours or staining.
If there is no reliable record of the original condition, proving pet-related deterioration at the end of the tenancy becomes much harder.
Put the agreement in writing
If permission is granted, don't rely on a telephone conversation or casual text message.
The written agreement should identify:
- The particular pet being approved.
- Its name, type and description.
- That permission applies only to that animal.
- That permission is needed for any additional pet.
- The tenant's responsibility for avoidable damage.
- Expectations regarding noise, nuisance and fouling.
- The tenant's responsibility for keeping the property reasonably clean.
- Arrangements concerning communal areas.
- The need to comply with animal-welfare legislation.
- Any lawful arrangements agreed for inspections.
- What the tenant should do if the pet is no longer living at the property.
The conditions must be reasonable. They should be there to clarify expectations, not to make keeping the pet practically impossible.
Once permission has been granted, the landlord cannot simply withdraw it later because they have changed their mind.
Inspect the property sensibly
Regular inspections become particularly valuable where a pet is living at the property.
They can identify early signs of:
- Scratched doors or flooring.
- Damage to carpets.
- Persistent odours.
- Flea problems.
- Damage to lawns, fencing or plants.
- Excessive fouling in the garden.
- Chewed fixtures.
- Noise or nuisance affecting neighbours.
- More animals living at the property than were approved.
The aim isn't to look for an excuse to cause a problem.
It is to spot smaller issues before they become expensive ones.
If something is found, a calm conversation and a written plan are usually far more productive than waiting until check-out and presenting the tenant with a large deduction.
What if the tenant already has an unauthorised pet?
If a tenant brings an animal into the property without permission, they may be breaching the tenancy terms.
However, the first step should normally be to establish the facts.
The landlord or agent should contact the tenant, explain the requirement to request permission and ask them to make a proper written application.
That application can then be considered under the same fair process.
There may still be situations where action is necessary—particularly if the animal is causing serious damage, nuisance, danger or a breach of the superior lease—but landlords shouldn't assume that discovering an unauthorised cat automatically means rushing towards possession proceedings.
Keep a written record of the report, communication, request, decision and any agreed action.
Pets can benefit landlords too
It is easy to focus entirely on risk, but accepting a suitable pet can have commercial advantages.
Pet-friendly homes may attract more interest, and tenants who find a suitable home for themselves and their animal may be more likely to remain for longer.
Longer tenancies can mean:
- Fewer empty periods.
- Lower reletting costs.
- Less frequent referencing and administration.
- A more settled tenant.
- A stronger landlord-tenant relationship.
That doesn't mean landlords should accept an arrangement that clearly isn't suitable.
It means the decision should balance the genuine risks against the potential benefits.
A practical pet-request checklist
When you receive a request, we recommend the following process:
1. Record the date the written request was received.
2. Check that it describes the proposed animal.
3. Review the tenancy agreement.
4. Check the headlease, freeholder rules and any restrictive covenants.
5. Consider the size, layout and outside space at the property.
6. Consider the individual animal—not simply its species.
7. Ask for reasonable additional information promptly.
8. Consider any references, veterinary information or pet CV supplied.
9. Discuss practical arrangements with the tenant.
10. Check your landlord insurance.
11. Make the decision within the correct timeframe.
12. Give the tenant the decision and reasons in writing.
13. Record any permission and reasonable conditions properly.
14. Update the property and tenancy records.
15. Make sure the inventory and inspection arrangements are sufficiently detailed.
The Lewis Dean view
At Lewis Dean, we don't believe the answer is to accept every pet without question.
We also don't believe landlords should refuse every request because something might go wrong.
The sensible answer lies in the middle: ask the right questions, look at the particular property, understand the animal and put a clear agreement in place.
A responsible tenant with a suitable pet may make an excellent long-term occupier.
The landlord's protection comes from careful assessment, good documentation, a detailed inventory, regular inspections and somebody keeping a proper eye on the tenancy.
If you own a rental property in Upton, Hamworthy, Creekmoor, Canford Heath or the wider Poole area and have received a pet request, speak to us before responding.
We can help you assess the request, check the practical risks and make sure your decision is properly recorded.
No automatic yes and no automatic no—just a fair, sensible decision based on the tenant, the pet and the property.
The guidance was checked against Propertymark's September 2026 Renting with Pets guide, the current GOV.UK guidance for landlords and the Renters' Rights Act 2025.
