Date Published 06 January 2020
There are talks of tenancy agreements being overhauled in order to encourage more landlords to accept pets at their properties. The Government is looking to revise the model agreements which are encouraged for use throughout England, to remove the restrictions on pets.
Only 7% of landlords will advertise their properties with pets welcome and many tenants will have to give up their pets in order to move into a rental. This overhaul is calling for responsible pet owners not to be penalised whilst rental properties still being protected from any damage potentially caused by pets.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government is advising that total bans on renters with pets should only be implemented where there is good reason, such as in smaller properties or flats where owning a pet could be impractical.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: 'Pets bring a huge amount of joy and comfort to people's lives, helping their owners through difficult times and improving their mental and physical wellbeing.
'So, it's a shame that thousands of animal-loving tenants and their children can't experience this because they rent their homes instead of owning property.
'So, I'm overhauling our model tenancy contract to encourage more landlords to consider opening their doors to responsible pet owners. And we will be listening to tenants and landlords to see what more we can do to tackle this issue in a way that is fair to both.
'This is part of this new government's mission to improve life for tenants, recognising that more are renting and for longer in life.
'We've already taken action, banning unfair letting fees and capping tenancy deposits, saving tenants across England at least £240m a year, and I will continue to take more steps to secure a better deal for renters up and down the country.'
The new model tenancy agreement should be published later this year which will be a welcome change for many pet owners looking to rent a property.
