How to Refuse a Pet Request in Writing Without Breaking the Law

Knowing how to refuse a pet request in writing is now one of the most important skills an England landlord can have. Since the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, every tenant has a statutory right to request to keep a pet, and you can no longer rely on a blanket “no pets” clause. You can still say no, but only on reasonable grounds, only in writing, and only inside a tight legal deadline. Get the process wrong and your refusal is unenforceable, leaving you exposed if the tenant takes the animal in anyway and you have no lawful way to object.

This guide walks you through a lawful written refusal step by step, explains exactly what “reasonable” means in practice, gives you a sample letter you can adapt, and shows you the errors that quietly invalidate a refusal so your decision actually holds up.

The new legal position: why you can no longer just say no

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 inserted new sections 16A and 16B into the Housing Act 1988. Together they give every tenant on an assured periodic tenancy the right to request to keep a pet, and they make it unlawful for a landlord to unreasonably refuse that request.

Because the Act also abolished Section 21 and fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies, every tenancy in England is now a periodic assured tenancy. That matters here because the pet-request right attaches to the tenancy itself, not to a particular fixed term. There is no longer a fixed end date you can quietly wait out, and there is no version of an “AST” in which the old no-pets boilerplate still bites. If you want the full background on why the tenancy structure changed, see Can a Landlord Refuse a Pet in England in 2026? The New RRA Rules.

The key rules you must work within when refusing:

• The tenant’s request must be made in writing. Your decision must also be in writing.
• You must respond within 28 days of receiving the request.
• You may extend that window by a further 7 days only where you reasonably need more information (for example, the freeholder’s consent on a leasehold flat).
• There is no “deemed consent” mechanism in the Act. Missing the deadline does not automatically grant permission, but a landlord who fails to respond properly has, in effect, no enforceable refusal and exposes themselves to a complaint or enforcement action.
• You cannot require the tenant to take out pet insurance as a condition of consent. That option was dropped from the final Act, so a refusal “because you won’t pay for pet insurance” is not lawful.
• A refusal must be reasonable. An outright ban, or a vague “I’d rather not have pets”, is not.

You can read the underlying provisions on legislation.gov.uk and in GOV.UK’s landlord guidance. The law is new and fact-sensitive, so treat the principles below as a framework, not a guarantee.

“Refusing” is not the same as “imposing conditions”

It is worth being clear about the difference. A refusal says no to the pet altogether. Conditions say yes, but with reasonable strings attached, such as professional cleaning at the end of the tenancy or keeping the animal to certain rooms. If your real objection can be solved with a condition, you should usually offer the conditional yes rather than refuse outright, because a flat refusal where a reasonable condition would have worked is exactly the kind of decision a tribunal or ombudsman could later view as unreasonable. This guide focuses on outright refusal; for drafting the underlying clause, see How to Word a Pet Clause in a Tenancy Agreement After the RRA.

What counts as a reasonable reason to refuse a pet request in writing?

This is where most landlords slip up. “Reasonable” is judged on the specific property, the specific animal and the specific request, not on a general dislike of pets. The test is objective: would a reasonable landlord in your position refuse this pet for this property? If yes, you are on safe ground. If the only reason is a preference, you are not.

Below is a quick comparison of reasons that are likely to stand up against reasons that will almost certainly fail.

Reasons that need evidence, not assertion

Several “reasonable” reasons only hold up if you can prove them. A head-lease ban is reasonable only if you can produce the clause; “unsuitable property” is reasonable only if you can point to something concrete about the layout, size or facilities. Keep the documents that support your decision, because if the tenant challenges you, the burden is effectively on you to show that the refusal was reasonable, not on the tenant to show it was not.

Reasons that are never enough on their own

• A personal dislike of animals.
• “The last tenant’s pet caused damage” with no link to this animal.
• A blanket policy applied to every tenant regardless of circumstances.
• Insisting on pet insurance or an extra “pet deposit” above the deposit cap (the deposit cap under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 is unchanged, so you cannot bolt a pet premium on top).

How to refuse a pet request in writing: step by step

Follow this sequence exactly and document each stage. The paperwork is what turns a defensible decision into a provably defensible one.

1. Acknowledge the request and record the date

Confirm in writing that you have received the request and record the date you received it. Your 28-day clock starts the day the request reaches you, not the day you get round to reading it. A dated acknowledgement protects you if there is any later dispute about timing, and it signals to the tenant that you are handling the request properly.

2. Decide whether you genuinely need more information

If you cannot reach a decision without further detail, for example because you must approach the freeholder for consent, ask the tenant for the specific information you need and tell them you are extending the window by the additional 7 days the Act allows. Only do this where the need is genuine. Using the extension as a stalling tactic, or extending without telling the tenant why, undermines the reasonableness of your eventual decision.

3. Reach a reasonable, property-specific decision

Weigh the request against the actual property and the actual animal. Ask yourself whether a reasonable condition would solve the problem instead of an outright refusal. Write down your reasoning as you go: this contemporaneous note becomes your evidence trail and is far more persuasive than a justification written after a dispute starts.

4. Put the refusal in writing with clear reasons

Your written refusal should include:

• The tenant’s name and the property address.
• The date of their request and the date of your decision.
• A clear statement that the request is refused.
• The specific reason(s), tied to this property and this pet, not a blanket policy.
• Any supporting evidence (for example, the relevant head-lease clause attached).
• An invitation to discuss alternatives where appropriate (a different animal, or conditions you would accept).

5. Serve it within the deadline and keep proof

Send the refusal so you can prove both delivery and the date: email with a read receipt, recorded delivery, or your tenant portal’s audit log. Then file a copy with your acknowledgement and your decision notes. The timestamp is as important as the wording. A perfectly reasoned refusal served on day 30 is worth less than a clear one served on day 25.

A worked example: refusing a dog in a leasehold flat

Consider a realistic case. On 1 June 2026, your tenant Priya emails to ask if she can keep a medium-sized dog at Flat 4, a first-floor leasehold flat you let in a converted Victorian house.

• Day 0 (1 June): You reply the same day acknowledging the request and noting the date. The 28-day clock now runs to 29 June.
• Day 3 (4 June): You check the head lease and find a clause prohibiting “any dog, cat or other animal” in the flats without the freeholder’s written consent. You email the managing agent to ask whether consent could be given.
• Day 10 (11 June): You write to Priya extending the decision window by 7 days (new deadline 6 July) because you are awaiting the freeholder’s position, and you tell her exactly why.
• Day 24 (25 June): The freeholder confirms in writing it will not grant consent for a dog.
• Day 26 (27 June): You issue a written refusal. You state that the head lease prohibits dogs, that the freeholder has refused consent, and you attach both the lease clause and the freeholder’s email. You add that you would be open to discussing a smaller caged animal that the lease does not cover.

This refusal is likely reasonable because it is specific, evidenced, served inside the (properly extended) window, and leaves the door open to an alternative. Compare that with simply replying “Sorry, no pets in my flats” on day 2: same outcome, but legally hollow.

A sample written refusal

Dear [Tenant name],

Thank you for your written request dated [date] to keep a [animal] at [property address].

Having considered your request carefully, I am unable to grant consent on this occasion. The reason is that [specific, property-related reason, e.g. the head lease for the building expressly prohibits the keeping of dogs, and the freeholder has confirmed in writing that it will not consent; I attach both the relevant clause and the freeholder’s email]. This means I am not in a position to permit a dog at the property.

If your circumstances change, or you would like to discuss [an alternative animal / specific conditions I would be able to accept], please contact me and I will reconsider.

This response is given on [date], within the period allowed under the Housing Act 1988 (as amended by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025).

Yours sincerely, [Landlord name]

Adapt the reason to your actual situation. Never copy a generic line, and never list a reason you cannot back up with evidence.

Common mistakes that void a refusal

• Relying on an old “no pets” clause. Blanket bans are no longer enforceable in England, even if the clause is still printed in a pre-2026 agreement.
• Missing the 28-day deadline, or misusing the 7-day extension by failing to tell the tenant you are extending and why.
• Giving no reason, or a reason that is just a preference. “I’d rather not” is not a reason.
• Trying to impose pet insurance as a condition, which the Act does not permit, or demanding an extra pet deposit above the cap.
• Refusing verbally. If it is not in writing, it does not count, and you will struggle to prove what was decided or when.
• Refusing when a reasonable condition would have done. Going straight to no, where a cleaning condition would have solved the issue, can itself look unreasonable.

What happens if you get it wrong

There is no automatic deemed consent, so a botched refusal does not instantly grant the tenant a pet. But the practical consequences still bite. An unreasonable or out-of-time refusal is unenforceable, which means that if the tenant keeps the pet, you have no sound basis to object or to treat it as a breach. Once the new PRS Landlord Ombudsman scheme is operating (expected to be phased in from around 2028) it is likely to become a route for pet-request disputes too. In short: a clean, evidenced, on-time refusal protects you; a lazy one does not.

How this connects to your wider pet policy

A clean refusal is only one part of handling pets lawfully. It helps to have a consistent process and the right tenancy wording in place first, so that every request is acknowledged, assessed and answered the same way. See our companion guides:

• A Landlord’s Pet Policy Checklist for 2026
• How to Word a Pet Clause in a Tenancy Agreement After the RRA
• Can a Landlord Refuse a Pet in England in 2026? The New RRA Rules
• Can a Landlord Say No Pets in the UK? What Changed on 1 May 2026
• How to Write a Tenancy Agreement in England: Step-by-Step (2026)

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to refuse a pet request?

You have 28 days from the date you receive the written request. You may extend that by a further 7 days, but only where you genuinely need more information to decide (for example, awaiting a freeholder’s consent), and you should tell the tenant in writing that you are extending and why. Aim to serve your decision well before the deadline so a delivery delay never pushes you over it.

Does the tenant automatically get the pet if I miss the deadline?

No. There is no “deemed consent” rule in the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, so missing the deadline does not automatically grant permission. However, a refusal that is late or unreasonable is unenforceable, which leaves you with no sound basis to object if the tenant keeps the pet anyway. The safe approach is to treat the 28-day window as a hard deadline.

Can I refuse simply because I don’t want pets in my property?

No. A personal preference or a blanket “no pets” policy is not a reasonable reason and will not hold up. You need a specific, property-related or animal-related reason, such as a head-lease prohibition, a genuinely unsuitable property, or a particular animal that poses a real, evidenced problem.

Can I require pet insurance or a larger deposit as a condition?

No. The final Act does not allow you to require the tenant to take out pet insurance, and the deposit cap under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 is unchanged, so you cannot charge an extra pet deposit on top. You can, however, attach other reasonable conditions, such as end-of-tenancy professional cleaning, where they are proportionate to the risk.

Does the refusal have to be in writing?

Yes. Both the tenant’s request and your decision must be in writing. A verbal refusal is effectively no refusal: you cannot prove what was said or when, and the tenant could reasonably treat the request as unanswered. Always put it in writing and keep proof of the date you sent it.

Can I refuse one type of pet but allow another?

Yes. The right is to request a particular pet, and you assess each request on its own facts. It is entirely reasonable to refuse a large dog in a small upper-floor flat while indicating you would consent to a caged small animal, provided your reasoning is genuine and specific. Offering an alternative also strengthens the reasonableness of any refusal.

Coming soon

Tenancy Pilot is launching soon with a pet permission generator that produces a dated, properly worded decision document, including a refused decision PDF that records your specific written reasons, attaches your supporting evidence, and sits safely inside the 28-day window with deadline alerts in your dashboard. It is designed to make a lawful refusal a one-click task with a built-in audit trail, so timing and wording can never let you down. Join the waitlist to be first to use it at launch.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Pet rules under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 are new and fact-sensitive. Always check the current guidance on GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk, and consult a solicitor before refusing a request you are unsure about.