Demand from renters with pets looks set to rise again as the Renters’ Rights Act gives tenants a stronger right to request an animal and limits how far landlords can refuse.
Research published with Battersea says one in four renters are now more likely to get a pet following the change, while 31% say rental housing rules have previously stopped them from owning one. Nearly half of pet owners in rented homes said they had moved in order to get or keep a pet.
Landlords face a bigger pet market from day one
The data suggests the policy shift could quickly feed through into the market rather than sit unused in statute. Battersea and Mars said only a small share of rental listings had previously been openly pet-friendly, but the new framework could widen access across millions of homes in England.
For landlords, that does not mean every request must be accepted. It does mean refusals will need to be more defensible, more consistent and better documented than before. That raises the compliance bar for self-managing landlords and for agents handling requests at scale.
This follows Residential Landlord’s recent reporting on the sharp drop in pet-friendly listings before the Act took effect. If renters now test the new rules in large numbers, landlords who pulled back may find they have delayed rather than avoided the issue.
Pet policies now need more than a simple default no
The practical warning is that landlords should review property-specific risks now, not after the first dispute lands. Insurance, furnishing choices, block rules and garden or flooring issues may still justify limits in some homes, but generic refusals will be harder to defend.
There is also a commercial angle. Landlords who can set out a clear and workable pet policy may stand out in a market where many competitors are still reacting to the rule change. That could help with voids, but only if the policy is paired with proper record keeping and a realistic view of wear and tear.
Recent case-building around pet disputes, including Residential Landlord’s coverage of court challenges before the ombudsman launch, suggests this part of the Act will not stay theoretical for long.
More information for landlords and renters is available through Battersea’s pet advice resources.
Opinion
Ministers have made pets an early test of landlord behaviour under the new regime. Some landlords will adapt without much fuss, but others will decide the paperwork and dispute risk are not worth it. If that happens, the law may create more arguments about pets without producing as much extra supply as campaigners expect.
