Renting with a pet in Birmingham
The local picture
Birmingham’s rental market has a much higher share of houses than London or Manchester, particularly in the outer wards. If you are renting a house with any outside space, the most common reason to refuse a dog — an unsuitable property — largely falls away.
A lot of Birmingham landlords are individuals with one or two properties rather than companies. That means the decision is personal, and a letter that reads like a person talking to a person does better than one that reads like a legal notice.
The law, which is the same everywhere in England
The right applies across England
Since 1 May 2026, section 11 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 gives every tenant in England — Birmingham included — the right to formally request consent to keep a pet. Your landlord must give or refuse that consent in writing within 28 days, and must not refuse unreasonably.
They cannot require you to take out pet insurance, and they cannot take a larger deposit. The full explanation of how the right works applies anywhere in England.
Lead with the property, not the law
Where the property genuinely suits the animal, say so early and concretely: the garden, the fencing, the park at the end of the road, who is home during the day.
The legal paragraph still belongs in the letter — it is what makes the request a request rather than a favour — but it should sit under a description that has already answered the landlord’s real question.
Practical notes for Birmingham
- Describe the outside space specifically: size, fencing, whether it is shared.
- If it is an HMO, other tenants’ views are a legitimate consideration — address it first.
- Birmingham has a selective licensing scheme in some wards; a licensed landlord is usually a more responsive one.
- Citizens Advice Birmingham and Shelter both help locally.
What there is to buy
The letter, written on the Act, with a one-page summary of your pet an agent can file. Or copy our free template and write it yourself — we would rather you sent a good letter than no letter.
One payment, no renewals. England only.
Not a legal document. UK ESA Register is a private service, not a government body, and no official UK register of emotional support animals exists.
Not a legal document. UK ESA Register is a private service, not a government body, and no official UK register of emotional support animals exists. This page is general information about renting in England, not legal advice.