Pet Consent Letter — RRA 2025-Compliant Template
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A pet consent (or reasonable refusal) letter for English landlords. Handles consent / consent-with-conditions / refusal in one document, with the correct 28-day-rule wording and no unenforceable pet-insurance clauses.
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When you need this document
Under Section 11 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, blanket "no pets" clauses in English tenancy agreements are gone. Tenants have the right to make a written pet request, and landlords must respond within 28 days. If the landlord requests additional information from the tenant, the deadline extends to 7 days after the tenant provides it (or the original 28 days, whichever is later). A parallel extension applies when the landlord needs superior landlord consent.
Refusals must be on reasonable grounds. The Act doesn’t enumerate reasonable grounds, but Government guidance and the Sections 16A/16B framework make clear that the property’s genuine unsuitability for the size or type of pet, allergies of other building occupants, illegal pets, freeholder restrictions, and HMO licence conditions all qualify. "I don’t allow pets" is not a reason. "Your property is a top-floor one-bedroom flat with no outdoor space" is.
This template handles all three outcomes — consent, consent with conditions, refusal — in one document, with the correct legal wording for each. It also explicitly excludes the unenforceable pet insurance demand and the prohibited "pet rent" / additional deposit, both of which the Act removed before enactment or are blocked by the Tenant Fees Act 2019.
Who needs this document
- A tenant has asked to keep a pet
- You have 28 days to respond in writing. Silence is a breach of an implied term, not a refusal.
- You want to say yes with conditions
- Conditions have to be lawful. Professional cleaning at the end is arguable; pet insurance and an extra deposit are not.
- You need to refuse
- The refusal must state a reasonable ground tied to this property and this animal, and it has to be in writing inside the 28 days.
- A superior landlord or freeholder prohibits pets
- That is a reasonable ground, and the deadline extends while you seek their consent. Document the request you made.
Mistakes that invalidate it
The errors that turn a document you thought was compliant into one that gives you nothing.
Ignoring the request
Breach of an implied term. The tenant can seek specific performance under Section 16B(5) or, once the scheme is live, complain to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman.
Refusing because the agreement bans pets
Blanket bans have no effect. Citing one as your reason is a refusal with no reasonable ground behind it.
Requiring pet damage insurance
A prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. The provision was removed from the Bill at Lords Report Stage and did not become law.
Asking for an additional pet deposit
Not permitted. The five-week cap is the whole of your protection, which is exactly why a thorough inventory matters more where there is a pet.
Assuming consent is deemed granted if you miss the deadline
It is not, despite what several summaries say. Missing the deadline creates a remedy for the tenant rather than automatic permission.
What’s included
- Consent, consent-with-conditions, or refusal in one template
- 28-day response with extension wording built in
- Reasonable-grounds refusal wording aligned with statutory framework
- No unenforceable pet insurance demand
- No prohibited "pet rent" or additional pet deposit
- PDF or DOCX export, free to preview before you buy
RRA 2025 context
RRA 2025 — the pet consent framework. Section 11 of the Act inserts Sections 16A and 16B into the Housing Act 1988. Headline rules:
- 28 days to respond to a written pet request (Section 16A(1)(c))
- 7-day extension if landlord requests further information (Section 16A(2))
- Parallel extension if landlord needs superior landlord consent (Section 16A(3))
- Reasonable grounds required for refusal (Section 16A(1)(d))
- Pet insurance demand prohibited — provision removed at Lords Report Stage; pet insurance is a prohibited payment under the Tenant Fees Act 2019
- No "deemed consent" — missing the deadline is a breach of an implied term; the tenant’s remedy is specific performance (Section 16B(5)) or, once the scheme is live, escalation to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman
The 5-week deposit cap remains the only landlord protection against pet damage. Both the pet damage insurance provision and a separate pet damage deposit amendment were rejected.
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View templateFrequently asked questions
What happens if I don’t respond within 28 days?
Can I require pet damage insurance as a condition of consent?
What counts as reasonable grounds for refusal?
Can I take a higher deposit to cover pet damage?
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Sources
Every statute, form and scheme named above, linked to the primary source.
- Renters' Rights Act 2025 — legislation.gov.uk
- Tenant Fees Act 2019 — legislation.gov.uk
- Housing Act 1988 — legislation.gov.uk
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