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UK shelters and tenants push for law allowing pets

Renters, pet owners and animal shelters have praised a long-awaited law allowing tenants to keep pets in rented accommodation after the government unveiled legislative changes to the private rented sector earlier this week.

Under the renters’ reform bill, tenants have the legal right to request a pet in their home, which landlords cannot unreasonably refuse. The legal overhaul will also abolish section 21 of no-fault evictions.

The move has been welcomed by pet owners who have struggled to find private accommodation, charities, and shelters that believe the changes will reduce the number of abandoned pets.

About 10% of people contacting Dogs Trust to rehome their dog and more than 10% of requests for intake at Woodgreen Pets Charity last year cited issues with accommodation, including being unable to find somewhere pet-friendly.

Housing campaigners have hailed the bill as a necessary first step to improving the lives of the 11 million renters in England, including pet owners.

For Maeve, 24, who lives in Manchester, the changes mean she can look for a property with her cat, Griffin when her lease ends in October. “All of the ads on Rightmove and [other property websites] either say ‘No pets, sorry’ or say to have a pet, you’ll have to pay £150 extra on your rent or a huge deposit… it just made it really inaccessible,” she said.

Griffin has been living at Maeve’s parents house since their daughter moved out, but Maeve said this was unfair on her and her parents, who did not sign up to be responsible for her cat. She said owning a pet should not be based on whether you own a home, which is becoming increasingly unaffordable.

David Bowles, the head of campaigns and public affairs at the RSPCA, said he believed the charity would see a big reduction in the number of people giving up pets to get a rental property.

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