As a London and UK Pets & Property Specialist, the Government is Making a Right Dog’s Dinner of the Rental Market
Rather than helping, current proposals are piling on barriers for pet owners, while private landlords, fed up with constant changes, are selling up. This reduces supply and pushes rents even higher, making it even harder for people renting with pets, especially in London.
Unlike Government officials, I’m on the ground, seeing firsthand how their ludicrous proposals play out. I work daily with people relocating to the UK with their cats and dogs, which is why I founded the Relocating to the UK with Pets Facebook Group, because travelling here with pets is already complicated and expensive before you even start the search for a pet-friendly home. That’s also why I launched Pets Lets in 2019.
Politicians are ‘Pawsitively’ Clueless About Renting with Pets
Over three years ago, I was invited by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to a House of Commons meeting about renting with pets.
Back then, the focus was all on pet damage insurance . But decision-makers have completely missed a trick.
When the 2019 Tenants Fees Act came in back in 2019, it capped security deposits to just 5 weeks’ rent for most properties. Landlords and agents I spoke to were worried that wouldn’t cover potential damage from pets.
My simple suggestion? Make tenants with pets an exception: allow an 8-week security deposit. If there’s no damage, they get their money back.
The Latest Pet Insurance Proposal: A Bigger Dog’s Dinner Than Ever
The newest twist in the Renters Rights Bill takes this mess even further. Initially, landlords could ask tenants to have pet insurance, but the latest amendment suggests landlords must pay for it themselves , and can’t pass on the cost to tenants!
How crazy is that? It’s just another reason for landlords to avoid renting to people with pets entirely. Yes, landlords can’t “unreasonably” refuse a pet, but when they have other applicants without pets, why choose a tenant that could cost them more?
Advanced Rent Capped at One Month
Another way tenants with pets, especially those relocating with multiple animals, used to secure a property was by paying several months’ rent upfront. Under the new rules, that’s no longer allowed, closing yet another route for responsible pet owners to secure a home.
Self-Employed or Overseas with a Pet? Good Luck!
For self-employed tenants, particularly those moving from overseas, credit referencing in the UK is brutally rigid.
One client missed the affordability criteria by just £8 a month due to currency fluctuations and had to pay the entire shortfall upfront for the tenancy. Another US client, fully self-employed with IRS returns in order, was rejected because the UK credit referencing company wouldn’t accept foreign tax documents.
Luckily, I’d already advised his partner to become a UK employee of her current US company, anticipating this hurdle.
So Who’s the Winner?
Easy: the corporate landlords. Build-to-Rent giants like Blackrock and Lloyds Bank, who are investing billions in Europe over the next decade. They can charge extra pet rents, creating a lucrative revenue stream, while small private landlords face a growing list of prohibitive rules and restrictions.
Summary: A Pet-Friendly Rental Market? Think Again.
The Renters Rights Bill has clearly been written by people who don’t have pets and don’t understand the property market.
- Buildings with no-pets clauses in their headleases are exempt.
- Management companies in larger blocks can still say no to pets, regardless of the new rules.
These proposals won’t make the rental market more pet-friendly, they’ll do the opposite. Landlords will still say no. Agents won’t challenge them, especially when those landlords own multiple properties and represent ongoing business.
Despite the Government’s best intentions, tenants with pets will, sadly, continue to lose out.
Russell Hunt is a leading UK pets and property expert, and founder of Pets Lets, specialising in helping people rent and buy homes in London and across the UK with their cats and dogs. He also founded the Relocating to the UK with Pets Facebook Group, where he offers advice to pet owners. For a no-obligation chat, you can book a call here.
