Renting with a pet in Nottingham
The local picture
Nottingham City Council has run selective licensing across a large part of the city’s private rented housing for several years, so a Nottingham landlord is more likely than most to hold a licence, to have conditions attached to it, and to be used to putting things in writing.
The city also has two universities and a big student market concentrated in Lenton, Radford, Dunkirk and the Arboretum, which means a lot of shared houses, short tenancies and landlords who plan around a summer turnover.
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, Nottingham 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.
A licensed landlord has something to protect
Licence conditions are about managing a property properly, and a landlord who holds one has an interest in being seen to act reasonably. A calm, written request that cites the Act and gives them enough to say yes to is easy for that landlord to grant and awkward for them to ignore.
If you cannot get a written answer at all, the council’s private rented housing team is a real place to turn, because it already has a relationship with the landlord. That is a last resort, and saying so politely in a follow-up is usually enough.
Practical notes for Nottingham
- Ask whether the property is licensed; the council publishes a public register of licences.
- In a shared house, get your housemates’ agreement first and say so in the request.
- Most of the city’s older housing is terraced with a yard rather than a garden. Describe the yard honestly, and where the walks are.
- Citizens Advice and Shelter both advise renters in Nottingham, and the council’s housing team deals with licensing.
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, current for 18 months. 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.