Pet request template pack: how to ask, the 28-day clock, and the PRS Ombudsman escalation route (post-RRA, May 2026)
Since 1 May 2026, tenants have a new contractual right to request a pet at the rental property under s.16A Housing Act 1988 (inserted by s.11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025). The landlord must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot unreasonably refuse. This post gives you three plain-text email templates - initial request, 28-day reminder, formal complaint - plus the PRS Ombudsman escalation route if the refusal is unreasonable.
It is the first Tuesday after the Renters' Rights Act 2025 came into force. From this week you have a statutory right to ask your landlord for permission to keep a pet and to receive a written response within 28 days. If your landlord refuses, the refusal has to be reasonable - and if it is not, there is a free escalation route open to you.
This post gives you three plain-text email templates: an initial request, a 28-day reminder, and a formal complaint if the answer is no. Some refusals are entirely valid - a superior lease, a freehold restriction, or a structural issue. The point of these templates is to make a clean request and know the route forward if the refusal does not hold up.
The new pet right
Section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 inserts a new section 16A into the Housing Act 1988. From 1 May 2026, a tenant on an assured tenancy in England can make a written request to keep a pet, and the landlord must give a written response within 28 days. The landlord can refuse, but only on reasonable grounds. This applies to most private renters regardless of what the tenancy agreement says - a blanket 'no pets' clause does not override the new right.
The GOV.UK Information Sheet 2026, which your landlord should give you by 31 May 2026, summarises the same rule. The 28-day window can be extended by up to 7 further days if the landlord reasonably needs more information; it cannot be extended indefinitely or for vague reasons.
Template 1 - Initial pet request
Send by email - the 28-day clock starts on receipt.
Subject: Request for permission to keep a pet at [ADDRESS]
Dear [LANDLORD OR AGENT NAME],
I am writing to formally request permission to keep a pet at the
above property under section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 (inserted
by section 11 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025).
The pet I would like to keep is:
- Type and breed: [PET TYPE AND BREED]
- Age: [AGE]
- Approximate adult size and weight: [SIZE / WEIGHT]
- Previous living situation: [PREVIOUS LIVING SITUATION]
I will take full responsibility for the pet's welfare and for
reasonable measures to protect the property. I am happy to discuss
reasonable conditions, including pet damage insurance.
Please could you provide a written response within 28 days. If you
need further information to make your decision, let me know and I
will provide it promptly. If a superior lease or freehold restriction
affects this request, please share the relevant detail with your
response.
Thank you for considering the request.
Kind regards,
[YOUR NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[DATE]
This states the legal basis once and pre-empts the most common reasonable-refusal ground (a superior lease). Most requests stop here.
Template 2 - 28-day reminder
Use when 21 days have passed with no response - a polite chase that puts the deadline on record.
Subject: Reminder - pet request dated [DATE OF TEMPLATE 1]
Dear [LANDLORD OR AGENT NAME],
I am following up on my pet request dated [DATE OF TEMPLATE 1].
The 28-day response window under section 16A of the Housing Act
1988 (as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025) expires on
[DATE - 28 DAYS FROM TEMPLATE 1]. I have not yet received a
written response.
If you need further information to make your decision, please let
me know by return. If you are waiting on consent from a superior
landlord or freeholder, a brief note confirming that would help.
If I have not received a written response by the deadline, I will
follow up to formally clarify the position.
Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[DATE]
A landlord on the fence usually responds here. If not, the silence becomes useful evidence later.
Template 3 - Formal complaint after refusal (or silence)
Use this when the refusal does not look reasonable, or the 28 days have passed without engagement. This is your formal complaint - the procedural step before Ombudsman escalation.
Subject: Formal complaint - pet request refusal / non-response
Dear [LANDLORD OR AGENT NAME],
I am writing to make a formal complaint regarding my pet request
dated [DATE OF TEMPLATE 1].
[OPTION A - IF REFUSED]
On [DATE OF REFUSAL] you refused, citing: [QUOTE OR SUMMARISE THE
REASON]. With respect, I do not consider this a reasonable ground
for refusal under section 16A, because [SHORT EXPLANATION - e.g.
the property is a self-contained house with no superior lease
restriction, or the reason given is a general 'no pets' policy
which is not itself a reasonable ground].
[OPTION B - IF NO RESPONSE]
The 28-day response window under section 16A expired on
[DEADLINE DATE]. I have not received a written response despite
my reminder of [DATE OF TEMPLATE 2].
I would like to resolve this directly. Please could you:
1. Provide a written decision with the specific reasonable ground
relied on, plus any supporting evidence (e.g. the relevant
clause in any superior lease).
2. Confirm whether you are willing to consent subject to reasonable
conditions such as pet damage insurance.
If we cannot resolve this within 8 weeks of this complaint, I will
refer the matter to the Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, as set out
in the GOV.UK Information Sheet 2026.
Thank you,
[YOUR NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[DATE]
Naming this a 'formal complaint' starts the 8-week clock for Ombudsman escalation. Keep all sent and received emails in one folder - the Ombudsman will want the chronology.
What 'reasonable refusal' actually looks like
'Reasonable' is a legal test, narrower than 'the landlord prefers not to'.
Likely reasonable: a superior lease prohibiting pets where the landlord has sought freeholder consent and been declined; a freehold restriction or restrictive covenant; a specific structural or safety feature that genuinely makes the property unsuitable; a pet that is a poor fit for the property (e.g. a Great Dane in a small studio).
Likely not reasonable on its own: a generic 'no pets' clause; landlord preference or personal dislike; the age or value of furnishings; damage caused by a previous tenant's pet; vague concerns about noise or smell.
If the refusal sits in the second list without evidence from the first, it is a strong candidate for escalation.
The PRS Ombudsman escalation route
The Private Rented Sector Ombudsman is a free service for tenants. Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, all private landlords in England must be members, and the Ombudsman can direct landlords to take action and award compensation. The order matters:
- Make a formal complaint to the landlord first (Template 3)
- Wait up to 8 weeks for the landlord to resolve it
- If unresolved, refer the case to the PRS Ombudsman with the chronology, the original request, and the refusal or non-response
- The Ombudsman investigates and decides - outcomes can include directing the landlord to reconsider, compensation for time and inconvenience, or in rarer cases directing specific action
Most pet disputes are resolved at stage 1 or 2. The Ombudsman is the backstop, not the first port of call.
Court route (rarely worth it)
A county court declaration is technically possible but almost always disproportionate for a pet request - fees, time, and cost-order risk make it the wrong tool. The Ombudsman route is free and faster. Reserve court for cases that escalate into something larger, with proper legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Does the new pet right apply to my tenancy?
It applies to assured tenancies in England from 1 May 2026, which covers most private renters. It does not apply to lodgers, most company lets, or social housing under separate regimes.
+Can the landlord charge me extra for keeping a pet?
The landlord can ask for reasonable conditions, and pet damage insurance is the most common. They cannot impose a separate 'pet rent' on top of the existing rent, or demand a deposit beyond the statutory cap.
+What if my tenancy agreement has a 'no pets' clause?
Section 16A overrides it. The landlord still has to consider the request and respond within 28 days, and a generic 'no pets' clause is not itself a reasonable ground for refusal.
+When does the 28-day clock start?
When the landlord receives the request. For email, that is the day it lands in their inbox. Send to the address the landlord or agent uses for tenancy correspondence.
+My landlord is in a leasehold flat and the freeholder bans pets. Now what?
This is one of the cleanest examples of likely-reasonable refusal - but only if the landlord has actually asked the freeholder. A reasonable landlord asks, gets the answer in writing, and shares it. If they have not, your formal complaint can ask them to.
+Can the landlord retaliate by trying to evict me?
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished section 21 'no fault' evictions, so a landlord cannot simply serve two months' notice for asking. A retaliatory section 8 attempt on weak grounds would be poorly received at the Ombudsman, and your paper trail would be direct evidence in your favour.
+What if I already have a pet without permission?
Make the request now using Template 1, disclosing the existing pet. Most landlords engage on a forward-looking basis when the request is calm and well drafted.
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