Pet damage £300 vs £775: the 28-day pet rule landlords face

Landlords who still have “no pets” in their adverts are running out of road. Propertymark, the body for letting agents, has published new guidance telling agents and landlords to judge every pet request on its merits rather than reach for a blanket ban.

Since 1 May 2026, private tenants in England have had a legal right to ask to keep a pet. You must answer in writing within 28 days and you cannot unreasonably say no. If you get it wrong, the tenant can take you to court.

The guidance also leans on research that may surprise some landlords: where pets did cause damage, the average bill was £300 per tenancy, compared with £775 of non-pet damage reported by landlords who did not let to pet owners. Here is what the law actually says, what you can and cannot charge, and how to handle a request properly.

What Propertymark is telling agents

Propertymark published its updated Renting with pets guide for members on 24 September 2026. The message is simple. Look at the specific animal and the specific home, and don’t apply one rule to every case.

It recommends that agents check:

• Space: whether the property has enough suitable room for the animal.
• Lease or headlease limits: whether a superior lease bans or restricts pets.
• HMO arrangements: how a pet affects the other sharers in a house in multiple occupation.
• Assistance animals: the separate protections that apply to them.
• A pet CV: the animal’s age, breed, behaviour, training and vaccinations, plus references from a previous landlord or a vet.
• A meeting between landlord, tenant and pet to talk through care arrangements.

Once a pet is agreed, Propertymark advises clear written terms covering additional or visiting pets, nuisance to neighbours and responsibility for damage. It also recommends a detailed inventory, regular inspections and a check-out report. It reminds agents that a landlord can require the home back in the same condition and as clean as it was at the start, allowing for fair wear and tear, but cannot make the tenant pay for professional cleaning or flea treatment.

Propertymark also points to its own 2021 member survey, in which 84% of letting agents said they had come across tenants keeping pets without the landlord’s consent. Saying in your advert that suitable pets will be considered gets that conversation out in the open before the tenant moves in.

The law: the 28-day pet request rule

Section 11 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 inserted new sections 16A and 16B into the Housing Act 1988. They put an implied term into every private assured tenancy in England. Social housing is excluded. The government’s information sheet for tenants confirms the right has applied since 1 May 2026.

If more than one extension applies, you get whichever date is latest. Visiting pets that do not live at the property fall outside the request process and can be dealt with in your tenancy terms.

Worked example: a tenant emails a request on 5 October 2026. Your standard deadline is 2 November 2026. On 12 October you ask for vaccination records and a previous landlord reference, and they arrive on 20 October. Your new deadline is 27 October. That date is earlier than 2 November, so 2 November is still the latest you can reply. Had the documents arrived on 31 October, the deadline would move to 7 November.

When you can reasonably refuse

The Act names only two situations where refusal is reasonable. The first is where the pet would put you in breach of an agreement with a superior landlord. The second is where that agreement needs the superior landlord’s consent, you have taken reasonable steps to get it, and they have not given it. The government’s guide to the Act says it will always be reasonable to refuse when a superior landlord prohibits pets.

For everything else, the government says it cannot legislate for every case and that each request must be considered on its own facts. A large dog in a small flat, an animal that clearly does not suit a shared HMO, or a tenant who will not provide basic information are the kind of points to put on record. Write down your reasons. If a refusal is challenged, the decision will turn on the evidence both sides produce.

Assistance animals are a separate question. Under Schedule 4 of the Equality Act 2010, a landlord who receives a request from a disabled tenant must make reasonable adjustments, and that includes the terms of the letting. A no-pets clause is one of those terms. Treat an assistance dog as a disability issue, not a pet request.

Deposits, insurance and fees: what you can charge

The gov.uk guidance on tenancy fees, updated for the Renters’ Rights Act, sets the limits. You can take a deposit of up to 5 weeks’ rent where annual rent is below £50,000, or 6 weeks’ where it is £50,000 to £100,000. The original Tenant Fees Act guidance says there is no exemption for pets: you cannot take a bigger deposit because a tenant has an animal.

Worked example: rent is £1,200 a month. Weekly rent is £1,200 × 12 ÷ 52 = £276.92, so the maximum deposit is £1,384.62. If check-out shows £300 of pet damage (the research average) and £200 of other deductions, you still have £884.62 of cover. In this example even the £775 non-pet average would come out of the deposit with room to spare.

Penalties are not trivial. A council can fine you up to £5,000 for a first prohibited payment and up to £30,000 for a repeat within five years.

The damage data: £300 vs £775

The figures Propertymark quotes come from a study led by the University of Huddersfield with Sheffield Hallam and Brunel universities, published by Battersea in March 2024. Researchers surveyed more than 2,000 private landlords and over 1,000 private renters. The study looked at dogs and cats only.

Key findings:

• 76% of landlords who let to pet owners reported no damage from dogs or cats.
• Where pet damage happened, it averaged £300 per tenancy, against £775 of non-pet damage by non-pet-owning tenants.
• 50% of pet-owning renters had stayed more than three years in their previous home, compared with 31% of renters without pets.
• Over 12 years, the study found the financial benefits of letting to pet owners outweighed the costs.

Treat these as averages from a survey, not a promise. One destructive animal can do far more than £300 of damage. But the data does suggest the deposit will usually cover it, and longer tenancies mean fewer void months.

Calculator: deadline and deposit cover

Enter the request date and any extensions to get your latest legal response date. Then check whether a capped deposit would cover likely pet damage at check-out.

What to do now: step by step

1. Log the request date. It must be in writing and describe the pet. Diary day 28 straight away.
2. Check your lease or headlease. If you are a leaseholder landlord, ask the freeholder for consent within 28 days so the extension applies. Keep the correspondence.
3. Ask for a pet CV, also within 28 days: age, breed, behaviour, training, vaccinations, and references from a previous landlord or vet.
4. Meet the pet if you can, and check the property suits it, including any shared space in an HMO.
5. Decide in writing. If you refuse, give specific reasons tied to this animal and this property.
6. If you consent, set clear terms covering visiting or extra pets, nuisance and responsibility for damage. Do not add an insurance requirement or a cleaning fee.
7. Update the inventory with dated photos, schedule regular inspections and do a thorough check-out.

• Request received in writing with a description of the pet
• 28-day deadline in the diary
• Lease and headlease checked for pet clauses
• Superior landlord consent requested (if needed) within 28 days
• Pet CV, vaccination records and references requested
• Assistance animal? Handled under the Equality Act
• Decision sent in writing, with reasons if refused
• Deposit within the 5-week cap and protected in a scheme
• No pet insurance requirement, pet deposit, or professional cleaning or flea treatment charge
• Inventory updated and inspections booked

Councils are being pushed the same way. The homelessness code of guidance, last updated on 30 September 2026, recommends councils give careful consideration to applicants who want to keep their pets when arranging accommodation, while accepting that this will not always be possible.

FAQ

Can a landlord still refuse pets in 2026?

Yes, but only reasonably and in writing within 28 days. A superior lease that bans pets is a reason the Act itself names. Other refusals must be justified on the facts of the particular animal and property.

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

28 days from the written request. If you ask for more information within that time, the deadline becomes 7 days after it is supplied. If you need a superior landlord’s consent, it is 7 days after they reply. You and the tenant can also agree a later date.

Can landlords charge a pet deposit or make tenants get pet insurance?

No to both in England. The deposit cap of 5 weeks’ rent (6 weeks’ at £50,000+ a year) applies whether or not there is a pet, and requiring a tenant to pay for insurance is a prohibited payment. A tenant can choose to take out insurance.

Can I charge for flea treatment or professional cleaning when a pet owner leaves?

You cannot require the tenant to pay for a professional clean or flea treatment. You can require the property back in the same clean condition as at the start, allowing for fair wear and tear, and deduct for genuine damage with evidence.

Do the pet rules apply in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland?

No. The Renters’ Rights Act pet request right applies to private assured tenancies in England. Propertymark’s guide covers all four nations, as the rules differ in each.