Pet charities and pet owners alike are rejoicing at the introduction to Parliament of the Renters’ (Reform) Bill, which features several policies designed to give renters’ rights for owning pets and banning landlords from enforcing ‘no pet’ rules on their properties.
The barrier renting imposes on pet ownership
According to Statista, it is estimated that 19% of households are currently occupied by private renters in England, which is more than double the number of private renters over 20 years ago (rising from 2 million in 2000 to 4.61 million in 2022).
However, despite the colossal rise of people renting (mainly due to the rising cost of living and lack of affordable housing available in the UK) landlords still have the final say on whether their tenants can keep pets. This has always been a disheartening blow to pet lovers, given that only 7% of residential landlords are willing to allow animals as part of their rental agreement.
Mars Petcare recently reported that because of existing restrictions, 1 in 10 pet-owning tenants are currently hiding an animal from their landlord, and of those that were eventually caught out, 22% were evicted.
Not being able to find a rental property that allows pets has been cited by major charities as one of the most common reasons why people give up their pets for rehoming. The latest statistics from such as the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and Dogs Trust suggest that this is the case for approximately 1 in 10 animals they receive.
This problem has been further exacerbated in 2023 by the increasing rent rises occurring nationwide, which are forcing renting pet owners out of their now too-expensive homes and causing them to make difficult choices between keeping their pets or a roof over their heads.
What does the Renter’s Bill plan to accomplish for pet owners?
This new Bill features a range of policies designed to enable access to pet-friendly rental properties. Landlords will be banned from enforcing a blanket ‘no pets’ ban on their rental accommodations, whilst tenants will have the legal right to request that a pet be allowed to live in their property with them.
To prevent the concerns for pet-related damage to rental properties, the Bill also proposes that tenants will be legally required to arrange insurance to protect landlords from costly animal accidents to furnishings or other property features.
Paul Gwynn, Managing Director for Johnson’s Veterinary Products, commented:
“We welcome the proposal within the new Bill, which if written into law will allow many more people to enjoy a homelife with their pets. There is also the potential that renters who have previously been denied the opportunity to own a pet, will now be able to now enjoy the benefits of pet ownership.
“Johnson’s has been caring for the nations pets since 1921 and we recognise the numerous benefits pets bring to their owners’ health and mental wellbeing. We believe the changes proposed in this Bill will not only improve the general health of the nation but could potentially help combat loneliness in older people, who despite renting their property could share it with a pet, which will help improve their quality of life.”
Interested readers can follow the progress of this bill on the UK Parliament website here.
