Animal loving London renters may soon be able to have pets in their rentals under newly proposed plans to give private tenants the ‘legal right’ to have a pet.

The new pet-friendly policy is part of the government’s shake-up of the private rented sector, which was revealed in a white paper on June 16.

The Renters Reform Bill, which will also abolish “no fault” section 21 evictions, is expected to stop blanket “no pet” clauses being imposed by landlords.

The white paper published on June 16 outlines what will be contained in the Bill when it is introduced to Parliament before the end of this parliamentary year, so before the end of spring 2023.

If legislated in full, the Bill will mean landlords must have a good reason to refuse permission for a tenant to have an animal in their home.

Measures published in the white paper include making it “easier for tenants to have much-loved pets in their homes by giving all tenants the right to request a pet in their house, which the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse,” according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Why are pets currently not allowed?

As a nation of animal fanatics, there is a huge demand for rentals that let you own a pet, which increased drastically during the pandemic when lots of people wanted furry friends as companions.

Despite this, of the 4.4 million households currently living within the private rented sector in England, just 7 per cent of landlords advertise their properties as being pet-friendly.

The main concern from landlords is damage to their properties. According to the “Heads for Tails” report by campaign group AdvoCATS, landlords became even less likely to allow domestic animals after the Tenant Fees Act in 2019 abolished the provision for landlords to request extra security deposits for pets.

How will the rules change?

At the moment, landlords can impose a blanket ban on pets in a tenant’s contract. Last year, the government took steps towards changing this by introducing its new “model tenancy agreement” which had a section that prevented landlords prohibiting pets.

However, using the contract template is voluntary, meaning landlords who do not want a pet in their property can simply choose not to use it. The new rules, however, would give tenants a “legal right” to own a pet and landlords will have to provide a good reason for saying no to a tenant’s request.

In instances when they do say no, tenants would get the power to challenge their decision. The Government also plans to change the law so landlords can require that renters get insurance so any damage to their property is covered.

The Renters Reform Bill will be introduced to Parliament before the end of this parliamentary year, according to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The white paper (published 16 June) may be debated, with final changes made, before being formally introduced to Parliament.

The current parliamentary year is expected to run until spring 2023. Once the Bill has been agreed by both Houses, it receives Royal Assent and becomes an Act of Parliament.

So it’s important to note that the white paper contains the government’s planned measures for the Renters Reform Bill and these proposals are neither finalised nor law at this stage.

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