Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has announced an overhaul of model tenancy contracts in a bid to “make it easier for responsible tenants to have well behaved pets in their homes”.
Only 7% of landlords currently advertise homes as suitable for pets, leaving many renters struggling to find homes, says the government.
Some renters have been forced to “give up their pets altogether” due to their inability to find a suitable home.
The government now says model tenancy contracts will be “revised to remove restrictions on well behaved pets”.
It hopes to ensure that landlords are “catering for responsible pet owners wherever possible”, and that pet bans for renters are only implemented “with good reason”, such as with flats or smaller properties.
Jenrick said: “Pets bring a huge amount of joy and comfort to people’s lives, helping their owner’s 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.”
He added: “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.”
