A last-minute government amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill has removed a proposal that would have allowed landlords to require tenants to hold insurance to cover pet-related damage. The change comes ahead of the Bill’s Report Stage debate in the House of Lords.
The original plan, supported by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, was intended to prevent financial disputes by allowing landlords to request pet damage insurance from tenants – a move which campaign groups argue would help pet owners find rented accommodation more easily instead of being barred from much of the rental market by blanket bans on pets.
Rayner previously said this approach would ensure “no one is left unfairly out of pocket.”
Two-thirds of landlords support insurance as a way to allow more pet-friendly rentals, and that it is often cheaper for tenants than “pet rent” charges
Although landlords will no longer be able to insist on such insurance, the Bill will still introduce a presumption in favour of tenants being allowed to keep pets, unless landlords can demonstrate a valid reason for refusal. Disputes on pet ownership will ultimately be decided by the courts or the planned Ombudsman for the private rented sector.
AdvoCATS, the campaign group behind the Heads for Tails! initiative, criticised the amendment, calling it “ill-thought out” and “a betrayal of tenants and pets.” The group had proposed the insurance option, which was included in the earlier Renters Reform Bill under the Conservative government and remained in Labour’s version of the legislation.
Jen Berezai, founder of AdvoCATS, said, “Heads for Tails! won an unprecedented level of support from across the political spectrum, the private rental sector and the animal welfare world because it’s a common-sense solution for tenants and landlords alike.”
She noted that two-thirds of landlords support insurance as a way to allow more pet-friendly rentals, and that it is often cheaper for tenants than “pet rent” charges, which can reach £300 per pet, per year.
Berezai added, “Pet policies affect over three-quarters of tenants. Pets are part of the family, they are massively beneficial to our mental health and it’s incredibly traumatic for owners if they’re forced to choose between their pets and a roof over their heads. This is more than a U-turn, it’s a complete betrayal of tenants, landlords and most of all, pets. We implore them to have an urgent re-think.”
AdvoCATS, a voluntary not-for-profit group based in the East Midlands, offers free tenant and pet referencing services and launched the Heads for Tails! campaign in 2021. The campaign gained backing from over 80 MPs, Peers and organisations and was presented to the Renters Reform Bill Committee in 2023.
