How long does my landlord have to respond to a pet request?

The law gives your landlord 28 days from your written request to give or refuse consent in writing. That deadline can be extended if they reasonably ask you for more information about the pet within that window, or if they need a superior landlord's consent, in which case they may wait until 7 days after that response arrives.

Can I go to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman if my landlord refuses unfairly?

Not yet. Government guidance mentions the Ombudsman as a future escalation route, but the government's own implementation roadmap places the Ombudsman's launch in Phase 2, from late 2026 at the earliest, following the rollout of landlord registration from December 2026. As of now, court is the only route that actually exists.

What can a court actually do if my landlord won't let me have a pet?

Under Section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, if a court finds your landlord has breached the implied term about pets, it can order specific performance, meaning it can order the landlord to actually give consent, rather than just award compensation.

Can my landlord charge me extra or demand pet insurance before saying yes?

Landlords can charge higher rent for a property where pets are allowed, and can deduct genuine pet damage from your deposit at the end of the tenancy, but cannot claim for the same damage from both insurance and the deposit. Whether a landlord can require you to hold pet insurance as a condition of consent is not clearly settled in current published guidance, so treat any such demand with caution and ask what rule it is based on.

What counts as a reasonable reason for my landlord to refuse?

The Act specifically names one example: where keeping the pet would breach the landlord's own agreement with a superior landlord, or where that agreement needs the superior landlord's consent and it has been reasonably sought but refused. Beyond that, reasonableness is judged on the specific facts, and a refusal unconnected to the property or the landlord's own obligations is on weaker legal ground.

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You can now ask your landlord for a pet, so what happens if they say no

Since 1 May 2026 tenants can ask to keep a pet and landlords can't unreasonably refuse. Here's what the law says, and why court is your o…