Tenant pet requests: a 28-day workflow for letting agents

When a private tenant in England asks to keep a pet, the agency should open a dated case on the day the written request arrives. Check that it describes the pet, decide what information is genuinely needed, identify any headlease consent and obtain the landlord's reasoned decision. The usual deadline is a written answer within 28 days. A request for further information or consent from a superior landlord changes that timetable only in the specific ways set out in the legislation.

This right has applied to relevant private assured tenancies since 1 May 2026. The request does not by itself allow the tenant to keep a pet. The landlord still has to decide, and must not refuse unreasonably. A blanket “no pets” reply does not show that the request was considered.

First confirm that the statutory request has arrived

Section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserted the pet-request rules into the Housing Act 1988. The tenant's request must be in writing and include a description of the pet. Email, a portal message or a letter can give the agency a stable received date; retain the original request rather than copying only a summary into notes.

If a phone call starts the conversation, ask the tenant to follow it up in writing and explain what description is missing. Do not quietly start the statutory clock from a date nobody can later evidence. Equally, do not insist on a long agency form before recognising a written request that already identifies the pet.

The provision applies to assured tenancies other than social housing tenancies. The 2026 commencement regulations brought the first-phase tenancy measures into force for private-sector assured tenancies on 1 May 2026. Lodgers, holiday accommodation and other arrangements outside that scope need a separate assessment; the label used in a property system does not decide the legal status.

Set the 28-day deadline before asking questions

Record day zero as the date the request was received and set the normal response deadline for day 28. Allocate an owner and a review point early enough to obtain the landlord's instruction. A reminder on day 27 is not a workflow if the agency still needs to read the headlease or speak to the owner.

Ask only for information that is reasonably needed to decide this request. Depending on the animal and property, that might include its species, number, adult size, whether it will use shared areas, or a clarification of who will care for it. The Act says a reasonable request for further information must be made on or before day 28. If the tenant supplies it, the decision can be delayed until the seventh day after the further information arrives. If the tenant does not supply it, the landlord is not required to give or refuse consent.

Keep the question, why it mattered and the tenant's answer together. Repeated requests for marginal information should not be used to create an open-ended timetable.

Check the property and any superior landlord route

Review the dwelling rather than relying on a portfolio-wide pet flag. Note the layout, outdoor space, shared entrances, other occupants and any concrete feature relevant to the animal described. The task is to give the landlord a property-specific decision record, not to produce a list of assumptions about a species or breed.

Leasehold and rent-to-rent arrangements need an extra check. If the headlease requires a superior landlord's consent, seek it on or before day 28 and retain the request. The Act then allows the decision to be delayed until the seventh day after the superior landlord gives or refuses consent. Its explanatory notes also identify a statutory example of reasonable refusal: the superior agreement prohibits the pet without consent, the landlord took reasonable steps to obtain consent, and consent was not given.

A headlease clause is not a reason to leave the tenant waiting. Record who was contacted, when consent was sought, any follow-up and the response. If the superior landlord asks for more detail, route that request back to the tenant promptly.

Put the decision and its reasons in writing

The landlord owns the decision even where an agent manages the correspondence. Present the relevant facts, any superior-landlord response and the response date. If consent is given, identify the pet clearly and record any conditions that have actually been agreed. Update the tenancy and property record so a later inspection, complaint or staff handover does not begin from scratch.

If consent is refused, state the factual reasons. “Owner policy” or “we have always said no pets” does not show why this pet at this property was considered reasonably. The Government's landlord overview says a landlord may refuse only when there is a valid reason. Where the facts are borderline, the tenancy type is uncertain or the proposed reason has not been tested, obtain legal advice instead of turning a guess into a standard template.

Do not treat silence as consent. The Act requires the landlord to give or refuse consent, and the tenant's right is to keep the pet when consent has been given. A missed deadline creates a compliance problem for the agency to escalate; it does not approve the request.

Use extensions only when the Act permits them

There are three practical routes beyond the ordinary 28 days: a reasonable request for further information, a timely request for required superior-landlord consent, or a later date agreed between landlord and tenant. If more than one applies, the Act allows the latest of the applicable dates. Record which route applies and how the revised deadline was calculated.

A tenant-agreed extension should be explicit. Keep the agreed date and the communication in the case. An internal delay, annual leave or a slow owner response is not itself one of the statutory extension routes.

Keep a pet-request case that can survive a handover

The audit trail should answer four questions without reconstructing a mailbox: when the valid request arrived, what checks were necessary, who made the decision and when the written reply was sent. Add a short reason for every deadline change. Keep the tenant-facing message and proof of delivery with the decision.

Agencies can link this case to their wider Renters' Rights Act guide and use the tenant communication guide to keep messages clear. The landlord compliance checklist helps place the request alongside the rest of the property's evidence.

Make the workflow visible without automating the judgement

A useful portfolio view shows requests received, day-28 deadlines, information awaited, superior-landlord consent pending and decisions overdue. Templates can gather facts and draft a response. Before it is sent, a person should check the tenancy scope, property evidence and proposed reason.

Tekniti's letting agency workflows are designed around owned tasks and traceable decisions. Landlords managing directly can start from the landlord view. To check the wider first-phase reforms, use the free Renters' Rights Act readiness check.

This article covers private assured tenancies in England. This operational guide does not replace advice on a disputed refusal, an assistance animal, a headlease or a tenancy whose legal status is unclear.