Renting with a pet in London

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 — London 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.

Ask about the lease early

The most useful sentence you can add to a London pet request is an offer to help with the freeholder: something like ‘if consent is needed from the freeholder, I am happy to provide anything they need’. It converts a wall into a process.

It also flushes out the bluff. A landlord who says ‘the lease doesn’t allow it’ and cannot point to the clause is in a much weaker position than one who can.

Practical notes for London

• Ask which clause of the head lease restricts pets, politely and in writing.
• If there is a managing agent, they usually hold the lease and answer faster than the landlord.
• Mention the building specifically: which floor, whether there is a lift, where the animal is walked.
• London Renters Union and Shelter both run advice services in the capital.

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.