Propertymark has called on members of the House of Lords to support a key amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill that would allow landlords to take an additional pet deposit following a last-minute Government reversal on pet insurance requirements.
The Bill, which returns to the Lords for Report Stage today (Tuesday 1 July), originally included provisions for mandatory pet insurance where a tenant is granted permission to keep a pet.
But amendments tabled by the UK Government ahead of today’s debate have scrapped that measure, leaving what letting agents and landlords warn is a significant gap in protection.
The Renters’ Rights Bill, published in September 2024, aims to make it easier for tenants to keep pets by giving them the right to request one, which landlords must not unreasonably refuse.
PET DAMAGE
However, under current legislation, including the Tenant Fees Act 2019, landlords are constrained in how much they can charge tenants to cover the potential cost of pet-related damage.
Since the Act came into force, deposits on new tenancies have been capped at five weeks’ rent (or six for higher-value tenancies), eliminating the ability to charge additional deposits specifically for pets.
Before the cap, many landlords would ask for an extra two weeks’ rent as a pet deposit. In the absence of that option, some landlords have introduced monthly “pet rents,” increasing the overall cost of renting for tenants with animals.
Propertymark points out that pest treatments alone can run into hundreds of pounds – £305 for a standard three-stage flea treatment, for example – while one district council in Essex charges £276 per visit for pest control.
TENANT BARRIER
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, says that the Government’s current position risks creating further barriers for tenants with pets while offering little reassurance to landlords.
“Without allowing pet deposits, the UK Government risk further undermining their efforts to support tenants to rent with pets. We know that the Tenant Fees Act 2019 is a barrier to renting with pets with one in five landlords who previously allowed pets no longer doing since the passing of the Act.
“Furthermore, 57% of landlords and agents said they were unable to recoup the cost of damage caused by pets. Lord Kinnoull’s amendment for an additional pet damage deposit offers a better opportunity to support renters and protect landlords.”
Propertymark first raised the proposal with The Earl of Kinnoull – convenor of the Crossbench group of Peers – during meetings in January. His amendment, now re-tabled for Report Stage, would allow a specific pet damage deposit of up to three weeks’ rent.
