Free Pet Request Letter Builder

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 gave tenants on assured periodic tenancies in England a new statutory right: you can ask your landlord in writing to keep a pet, and the landlord cannot refuse without a fair reason.

How the process works:

• Ask in writing — your request must describe the pet: what type of animal it is, how big it is, and how much room it will need (for example, if it will be kept in an enclosure)
• 28 days to respond — the landlord must respond in writing within 28 days of your request
• Additional information — if the landlord asks for more detail and you reply, they then have the remainder of the 28 days or an extra 7 days from your reply, whichever is later. If you do not reply, they do not have to consider your request
• Refusals must be explained — if the landlord refuses, they should tell you why
• Approval sticks — once agreed, the landlord cannot change their mind. A new pet needs a new request

Keeping a pet without permission may breach your tenancy agreement — the written request route is both your right and your protection.

It may be fair for a landlord to refuse if:

• A person in the household has an allergy
• The property is too small for a large pet or several pets
• A freeholder owns the property and does not allow pets
• The pet is illegal to own

It would usually be unreasonable to refuse because the landlord:

• Does not like pets
• Had issues with previous tenants' pets, or previous tenants' pets damaged the property
• Has general concerns about potential damage in the future
• Thinks a pet might affect future rentals
• Knows the tenant needs an assistance animal, such as a guide dog

If you think a refusal is unreasonable — or the landlord simply does not respond within 28 days — you can complain to the landlord or letting agent. A well-drafted written request with a full description makes an unreasonable refusal much harder to sustain.

Everything a proper written request needs:

• ✓ Formal request statement citing the 28-day written-response requirement
• ✓ Deadline calculator — the exact date the landlord's response is due
• ✓ The full pet description the law asks for — type, size and the room it will need, including enclosures
• ✓ Optional supporting information — training, temperament, rental history, references
• ✓ Method-of-service record — how and when the request was sent
• ✓ Print, PDF download and Word export — plus your details save locally in your browser

Both the Smart Interview and Classic Editor produce the identical letter. Need the wider paper trail too? See our full property & tenancy library for tenancy agreements, notices, and compliance templates.

• Asking verbally — the right only works through a written request; a chat at the door starts no clock and creates no record
• Missing the pet description — the request must say what the animal is, how big it is, and how much room it needs. Leave it out and you invite a request for more information, which extends the landlord's deadline
• Ignoring the landlord's questions — if they ask for more information and you do not respond, they do not have to consider your request at all
• Getting the pet first — keeping a pet without permission may breach your tenancy agreement and weakens your position
• No record of sending — keep a copy of the request and note how and when you sent it; the 28-day deadline is measured from it
• Assuming one approval covers future pets — each new pet needs a new request