Private Rented Housing: Pets

(asked on 31st January 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the white paper entitled A Fairer Private Rented Sector, published on 16 June 2022, whether he has had recent discussions with landlord groups on the potential impact of allowing landlords to require that pet-owning tenants have pet insurance.


Answered by
Felicity Buchan Portrait
Felicity Buchan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
This question was answered on 9th February 2023

Pets can bring joy, happiness and comfort to their owners, supporting mental and physical wellbeing.

The Government has committed to giving the right to tenants to request a pet that the landlord must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. We will amend the Tenant Fees Act 2019 so that landlords can require insurance to cover damage to their property caused by pets.

The Government has engaged a wide range of stakeholders from across the sector, including landlords, while developing these proposals and will continue to do so.

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