Can a landlord refuse a pet in 2026? The 28-day reply rule for letting agents, with dates and reply letters

Yes, but only for a fair reason, and only in writing within 28 days. Since 1 May 2026 every private assured tenancy in England carries an implied term: the tenant may keep a pet if they ask in writing and the landlord consents, and consent is "not to be unreasonably refused".

For an agency the hard part is the clock. The request usually lands in your inbox, the decision belongs to the landlord, and in a flat a freeholder may have a say as well. The 28 days run the whole time.

Free tool

Pet request reply letter maker

Fill in the tenant, the animal and the date the written request arrived. The tool works out the 28th day and writes the reply: a request for more information, the consent or the refusal.

Which letterAsking for more informationConsentRefusal Tenant's name Property address Date the written request arrivedThe day of the request is not counted. The reply is due on or before the 28th day after it, which the letter works out. The pet, as the tenant described it What you need to know (first letter only)the breed and adult size of the animal, whether it is house trained, and where it will be kept while you are out.Ask everything in one message, not several. Date consent starts (consent letter only) The one reason for refusing, with the facts (refusal only)the lease of the building does not allow cats or dogs, and the freeholder confirmed in writing that it will not make an exception.A fair reason, such as another tenant's allergy, a property too small for the animal, an animal that is illegal to own, or a freeholder who does not allow pets. Who will look at it again if the tenant disagrees (refusal only) Your name, agency and phone numberDan Whitlock Harbour Lettings 01632 960000

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• The reply is due on or before the 28th day after the request. For a request made on 1 October 2026 that is 29 October 2026. The letter adds 28 days to the date you enter.
• If you ask for more information on or before the 28th day, the deadline becomes the 7th day after the tenant answers, if that is later. Where the landlord and tenant agreed a later date in writing, correct the date by hand.
• A refusal needs one fair reason with the facts. The landlord not liking pets, a past tenant's pet, or general worry about damage is usually unreasonable.
• For a flat, read the head lease first. If the freeholder's consent is needed, ask for it on or before the 28th day and keep a copy of the letter.
• Consent cannot be taken back, so check the description matches the animal before you send it.

The rule this rests on: Housing Act 1988, sections 16A and 16B; GOV.UK, Assured periodic tenancies: a guide for landlords. A draft to check and adapt, not legal advice.

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What counts as a request

Section 16B says the request must be in writing and must "include a description of the pet". GOV.UK suggests the description covers the type of animal, its size and how much room it needs. A remark at an inspection is not a written request, so ask the tenant to put it in an email or a letter, and note the date it arrives.

The rule covers private assured tenancies. Social housing is excluded.

The clock, worked through

The Act says the landlord must give or refuse consent "on or before the 28th day after the date of the request". The day of the request is not counted. Three things can move the deadline: a reasonable request for more information, a freeholder whose consent is needed, or a later date agreed with the tenant.

For a request received on Thursday 1 October 2026:

Two conditions sit behind those rows. The request for more information and the letter to the freeholder must both go out on or before the 28th day. And GOV.UK describes the extra time as "the remainder of the original 28 days or an extra 7 days", whichever is later, so asking a question never shortens the time you have.

What is a fair reason

GOV.UK gives examples on both sides.

The Act adds one more reasonable ground. If the head lease bars pets without the superior landlord's consent, and the landlord has taken reasonable steps to get that consent and has not been given it, refusal is reasonable.

An office routine

1. Log the request the day it arrives, with the date and the tenant's exact words.
2. Send it to the landlord that day with the reply date in the first line.
3. For a flat, read the head lease the same week. If the freeholder's consent is needed, ask for it at once and keep a copy of the letter.
4. Ask the tenant any questions in one message, not several.
5. Chase the landlord at day 14 and day 21.
6. Send the written decision on or before the due date and file it with the tenancy.

Three replies to copy

Asking for more information:

Dear [name],

Thank you for your request of [date] to keep [description] at [address]. So that the landlord can decide, please tell us: [the breed and adult size / whether it is house trained / where it will be kept while you are out].

We will give you the decision within 7 days of your reply, or by [28th day] if that is later.

Consent:

Dear [name],

The landlord consents to you keeping [description] at [address] from [date]. This consent is for this animal only. If you would like another pet, please ask us in writing first.

Refusal:

Dear [name],

The landlord has considered your request of [date] to keep [description] at [address] and does not consent. The reason is: [one reason, with the facts. For example: the lease of the building does not allow dogs, and the freeholder confirmed on 20 November 2026 that it will not make an exception].

If you think this is wrong, reply to this email and [name or role] will look at it again.

GOV.UK says a refusal has to be in writing and should explain why.

After the answer

Consent cannot be taken back. GOV.UK tells landlords: "Once you agree to your tenant having a pet, you cannot change your mind or change the tenancy agreement." A second pet needs a new request.

Damage is dealt with through the deposit or an insurance policy, never both for the same damage. The deposit cap is still five weeks' rent (six where the yearly rent is £50,000 or more), so a separate pet deposit on top of a full deposit would break it; our deposit cap calculator gives the figure. GOV.UK's list of fees you can charge, updated 7 July 2026, contains no pet fee.

A tenant who thinks a refusal is unreasonable can complain to you or go to court, and section 16B lets the court order the landlord to comply.

A blanket "no pets" line in an advert or a template is now out of date; our website audit lists it with eleven other phrases to fix. The duty to reply also sits on the 2026 compliance checklist.

Overlyft can set up an AI assistant that passes any pet request it receives to the negotiator with the date it arrived, and never refuses one itself. The landlord decides.

This is general information for England, not legal advice.