Call to extend the right to keep a pet to social housing

Call to extend the right to keep a pet to social housing

0:02 AM, 20th January 2025, About 7 hours ago

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The government is being urged to extend proposed pet-friendly rights to renters in social housing.

The call is being made by Dogs Trust which points to the Renters’ Rights Bill which will include greater rights for pet owners in the private rented sector.

When the Bill becomes law, private sector tenants will have the right to request permission to keep a pet, with landlords unable to unreasonably refuse these requests.

However, these new rights do not extend to tenants in social housing.

Benefits of pet ownership

Claire Calder, the head of public affairs at Dogs Trust, said: “We are pleased that the Renters’ Rights Bill will improve opportunities for tenants in the private rental sector to enjoy the companionship and benefits of pet ownership.

“However, we believe that there should be stronger rights for those renting from social housing providers too.

“While some social housing providers are already making positive strides towards being pet-friendly, finding suitable accommodation remains a lottery, with availability often dependent on your location and which provider you’re with.”

She adds: “This is unfair. We need a baseline in legislation that ensures all social housing tenants can request a pet without fear of unreasonable refusal.”

Request permission to keep a pet

Dogs Trust is calling on people to support its campaign by countersigning a letter to the Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The letter requests that social housing tenants should also be given the right to request permission to keep a pet, with that request not being unreasonably denied.

The organisation is also encouraging the government to work closely with both private and social housing sectors to increase confidence in renting to pet owners.

It wants to ensure tenants are not at a disadvantage when seeking suitable accommodation.

Private landlords say they allow pets

Research by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection shows that while 46% of private landlords say they allow pets, only 30% of tenants report that their tenancy agreements permit dogs.

The same research revealed that in more than a third of cases where pets were not allowed, landlords had not decided based on individual circumstances but rather followed generic advice or used standard templates.

Dogs Trust says that allowing pets in rental properties not only benefits tenants but also offers advantages for landlords.

Studies show that 26% of tenants would be more likely to stay longer in a property if they were allowed to keep a pet, providing landlords with greater tenant stability.

To help increase the availability of pet-friendly rental properties, Dogs Trust has been offering guidance and resources for pet owners, landlords and letting agents through its Lets with Pets scheme.


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