Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Renters Rights Act 2025, whether he is taking steps to extend the right to request permission to keep a pet to people living in social housing.

The government recognises that pets can bring joy and comfort to their owners, as well as supporting their mental and physical wellbeing.

On 12 February 2026, Baroness Taylor wrote to all social housing landlords setting out my Department’s position on fair consideration of requests to have a pet in social housing. Her letter can be found on gov.uk here.

The government is committed to working with the sector to encourage best practice. This includes continuing to promote clear and accessible pet policies and encouraging social landlords to consider requests fairly and reasonably.