For the government to announce a date for the second reading of the Renters (Reform) Bill so that the pet-friendly policies it includes can complete their passage through parliament quickly and become law – helping millions of pets and their owners live happily together. [Note: since our original publication in November 2023, the bill has received a second reading.]

The reform has long been supported by Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. The charity says in a statement to Wunderdog Magazine: “In May 2023, the government introduced a bill to parliament which, if passed into law, will make it significantly easier for pet owners who rent to find places to live, while opening up the possibility of pet ownership to millions more people. 

Among a wider set of protections for renters, the proposed “changes mean that landlords will no longer be able to unreasonably refuse requests from tenants to keep a pet – effectively preventing them from enforcing blanket ‘no pet’ policies on their properties. To help give landlords peace of mind, it will also offer them the right to request a tenant take out insurance to mitigate against possible pet-related damage.

“The government’s move comes as the rented sector fails to keep pace with growing demand for more pet-friendly rental accommodation. Currently, just 7% of landlords advertise their properties as ‘pet friendly’, despite over three-quarters of tenants telling Battersea in a recent survey that they either currently own or would like to own a pet. It is therefore unsurprising that the renter reform announcement was so warmly welcomed. 

“At Battersea, staff see first-hand the negative impact of widespread restrictive pet policies in the rental sector. In fact, approximately one in ten animals are brought to the rescue for rehoming by owners who, having exhausted all avenues, tell Battersea they simply cannot find anywhere to live where both they and their pet are welcome. This picture is the same at rescues up and down the UK. 

“Having borne witness time and time again to the heartbreak this causes, Battersea has been leading the charge for meaningful change for many years through its Pet Friendly Properties campaign.”