Pets, the 28-Day Rule and a Deposit That Hasn’t Grown

Since 1 May 2026, tenants have had a statutory right under the Renters’ Rights Act to request permission to keep a pet, and landlords must respond within 28 days — or within 28 days plus a further 7 if more information is reasonably requested. What hasn’t changed is the deposit cap, and that gap is causing confusion.

The 28-day rule — and the myth that comes with it

A landlord who lets the 28-day window pass without responding is often assumed to have automatically granted consent by default. That is not correct. Missing the deadline does not create deemed consent — it simply puts the landlord in breach of their statutory obligation to respond, which is a different problem with different consequences. Reasonable grounds for refusal are narrow: the most clear-cut is where a superior lease (for a leasehold property) prohibits pets outright. Genuine unsuitability of the property, relevant licensing conditions, and legal restrictions on certain animals are also valid grounds. Assistance animals sit outside this framework entirely — they are governed by the Equality Act, not the pet request process.

The financial gap nobody has closed

This is where landlords often assume protection exists that simply doesn’t. There is no such thing as a pet deposit under current law — the Tenant Fees Act 2019 prohibits it, and the standard deposit cap has not moved: five weeks’ rent where annual rent is under £50,000, or six weeks where it is above. Landlords also cannot require tenants to take out pet damage insurance as a condition of granting consent — that requirement was explicitly withdrawn from the Renters’ Rights Bill before its Report Stage in the Lords. Propertymark continues to campaign for a separate, permitted pet damage deposit, but as things stand this is not law and there is no announced timetable for it to become one.

In practice, this means the standard deposit is the only financial protection a landlord has against pet-related damage — which makes the quality of the check-in and check-out inventory the real safeguard, not the deposit cap.

What to record differently when a pet is present

A standard inventory checklist doesn’t go far enough where pets are concerned. For any tenancy involving an approved pet, the inventory should pay particular attention to:

• Flooring, in detail — carpets, hard flooring and any transitions between rooms
• Doors, door frames and skirting boards, which take the brunt of scratching and chewing
• Staircases and banisters
• Garden and outside spaces, including fencing and lawn condition
• General odour and condition of the property as a whole
• Window sills and soft furnishings

None of this replaces the need for a fair, evidence-based approach at check-out — ordinary wear from a well-behaved pet is no more deductible than wear from children or normal daily life. But a thorough, pet-specific check-in report gives both landlord and tenant a clear, agreed starting point, which is exactly what prevents a dispute from happening in the first place.