Landlords Will Be Forced To Allow Tenants To Have Pets

Landlords will soon be forced to allow tenants the legal right to have pets in their rented homes.

Dog and cat lovers - brace yourselves - as this could be an absolute game changer.

Having a pet in your home can massively lift your mood after a stressful day at work and, all in all, can provide the best company while being a wonderful household companion.

And now, the Telegraph has reported that the major shakeup on allowing landlords to have blanket bans on pets is set to change tomorrow (16 June) as part of the Renters Reform Bill.

The so-called 'no fault' Section 21 evictions are also set to be abolished, which allow property investors to remove tenants without reason.

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A Government source told the Daily Mail: "Not only will our new deal for renters extend the decent homes standard to the private rented sector, we’ll also give tenants a legal right to have a pet if they wish.

"Would-be pet owners are being unfairly deprived of the company and companionship of an animal by their landlords – so we’ll change the law to end this unfairness."

However, Housing Secretary Michael Gove is set to give landlords the power to request insurance to cover any potential damage caused by pets.

The National Residential Landlords Association claim that the insurance would help protect landlords, who are limited in how much deposit they can hold.

The Tenant Fees Act 2019 capped the maximum deposit at five weeks' rent.

Chris Norris, of the NRLA, said: “Our biggest concern has always been that the law, as it currently stands, prevents landlords requiring insurance to cover the significant risk of pets creating damage to a property.

“We welcome reports that the Government has listened and responded positively to our concerns.”

Mr Norris also stressed that a 'common-sense approach' is needed when taking into account what sort of housing conditions are suitable for a pet.

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He added: “Likewise, in shared homes the rights of those to have a pet need to be balanced with the rights of fellow tenants who might have concerns, especially those with certain allergies.”

MP Andrew Rosindell, sponsor of the Dogs and Domestic Animals Accommodation Protection Bill, says: “For most people, being separated from their dog is no different from being separated from their brother or sister”

“Sadly, pet owners who move into rented accommodation face the reality that their family could be torn apart, because most landlords in Britain have unnecessary bans or restrictions on pets ownership.”