Tenants in England may soon have the right to a pet in their rental housing, thanks to the new Renters Reform Bill.
According to The Telegraph, part of the Renters Reform Bill changes the law so landlords can no longer have a blanket ban on pets.
Currently, landlords are allowed to determine if pets are allowed in their rental houses or not and if so, they can also determine what type of pets they’ll allow.
Under the Renters Reform Bill, tenants will have a right to own pets as a default and a landlord will have to meet special circumstances to refuse pet ownership to a tenant. Even then, tenants could challenge the landlord and take them to court over having a pet.
According to the Daily Mail, a government source explained:
“Not only will our new deal for renters extend the decent homes standard to the private rented sector, we’ll also give tenants a legal right to have a pet if they wish. Would-be pet owners are being unfairly deprived of the company and companionship of an animal by their landlords – so we’ll change the law to end this unfairness.”
Not having pet-friendly housing is a big issue with pet parents and would-be pet parents. Many animals are surrendered to shelters each year because their families had to move and couldn’t find pet-friendly rentals. It’s a tough situation to be in and it’s something the reform should help change.
On the flip side, landlords may be hesitant to offer pet-friendly housing because of the potential for damages that pets can cause. Soiled carpets, chewed baseboards, and excess noise are just a few of the issues that housing a pet can bring, and often, a security deposit covers very little of the damages a pet can inflict.
As a result, landlords are often forced to cover pet-caused damages out of their own pockets. It’s no wonder they’d largely prefer to avoid renting to people with pets! To help protect landlords as well, the new law will allow landlords to require tenants to get insurance on the property so any damages incurred during their stay will be covered. The insurance would be separate from the security deposit and would provide a little bit of security to landlords.
What do you think of the new housing laws? Do you think tenants should have a right to own pets? Let us know!
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
