Landlords across England remain reluctant to advertise properties as pet-friendly, despite impending changes under the Renters’ Rights Act that will strengthen tenants’ ability to keep animals in rented homes.
New analysis from Inventory Base, a provider of inspection and compliance technology, shows that just 8.2 per cent of rental listings currently state that pets are allowed. That represents an annual increase of only 0.6 percentage points compared with January 2025, suggesting many landlords are yet to adjust to the new legal framework.
Regional differences remain pronounced. The North East has the highest proportion of pet-friendly listings at 11.5 per cent and has also recorded the strongest annual growth, up 2.6 percentage points. In the South West, 9.1 per cent of properties explicitly welcome pets, while other regions above the national average include London at 8.8 per cent, the South East at 8.6 per cent and the North West at 8.5 per cent.
At the other end of the scale, the East Midlands is the least pet-friendly region in England, with only 5.6 per cent of listings allowing animals. It is also the only region to see a decline over the past year, with pet-friendly listings falling by 0.5 percentage points.
The findings come ahead of the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act, which will introduce a new implied right for tenants to request permission to keep a pet from 1 May. The provision will apply to all private tenancies, even where contracts make no reference to pets.
Under the new rules, landlords will no longer be able to impose blanket bans or refuse requests without good reason. Any refusal must be reasonable and supported by a written explanation, such as concerns over property size or allergies affecting other tenants. Tenants must submit requests in writing, including details of the animal, and landlords will have 28 days to respond.
The legislation will also make it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants who keep pets without permission, following the ban on Section 21 “no-fault” evictions. To regain possession, landlords will need clear evidence that a pet is being kept, and eviction is likely to be possible only where damage has occurred, using existing grounds relating to property deterioration.
Landlords will not be permitted to charge higher rent or additional fees specifically because a tenant has a pet, increasing concerns about potential damage and repair costs.
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Inventory Base, said the data suggests landlords are adopting a cautious, wait-and-see approach.
“Despite the Renters’ Rights Act significantly strengthening tenants’ ability to keep pets, landlords are yet to meaningfully adapt,” she said. “With only a marginal rise in pet-friendly listings, many landlords appear either unprepared or unwilling to change their approach ahead of the new rules.”
She warned that as refusals become harder to justify and possession more difficult to regain, landlords will need to prepare for a higher proportion of pet-owning tenants.
“Given that landlords won’t be allowed to take additional deposits to cover pet damage, the best protection is robust evidence,” Hemming-Metcalfe said. “Comprehensive inventories and regular inspections will become essential to manage risk and safeguard against the potential costs associated with pet-related damage.”
With the Renters’ Rights Act set to reshape the private rented sector, the analysis suggests a growing disconnect between legal expectations and current market practice — one that landlords may be forced to confront as the new rules come into force.
