Government pressures landlords to allow well-behaved pets

The Government is putting pressure on landlords to permit responsible tenants to have well-behaved pets, in a major change in policy.

The model tenancy contract, used as the template for many rental agreements, will be reworded to remove restrictions on pets and encourage landlords to allow them. 

The current default tenancy agreement states that “the tenant must not keep any pets or other animals at the property without the prior written consent of the landlord which must not be unreasonably withheld.”  

A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said total bans on pets “should only be implemented where there is good reason, such as in smaller properties or flats where owning a pet could be impractical”.