Dogs Trust appeals for pet rights in social housing
The Renters' Rights Bill passed its third reading on Tuesday, 14 January.
Dogs Trust has called for new pet-friendly rights proposed by the Renters’ Rights Bill to be extended to those that are in social housing.
The Renters’ Rights Bill, which was first introduced in September, passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 14 January. It will now proceed to the House of Lords.
Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, tenants living in private rental properties will have the right to request permission to keep a pet. Landlords will then have to consider this request, and will not be able to unreasonably refuse.
However, these new rules are not extended to tenants who are living in social housing.
Dogs Trust says that the Renters’ Rights Bill will support private tenants to bring a pet into their existing tenancy, however this would not address an overall shortage in pet-friendly properties.
A survey conducted by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection has revealed that 46 per cent of private landlords had said that they would allow pets. However, only 30 per cent of tenants said that their tenancy agreement permitted dogs.
The charities state that, in over a third of cases, landlords that had not permitted pets had relied on generic advice or standard templates. They state that becoming more pet-friendly could also benefit landlords, as 26 per cent of tenants said they’d be more likely to stay at a property if it was pet friendly.
Dogs Trust says that, alongside those in private tenancies, residents of social housing equally deserve the opportunity to request permission to keep a pet and not have that request unreasonably denied.
It has called on supporters to sign a petition to to Angela Rayner, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, to request that social housing tenants are given this right.
Claire Calder, head of public affairs at Dogs Trust, says: ““While some social housing providers are already making positive strides towards being pet-friendly, finding suitable accommodation remains a lottery, with availability often dependent on your location and which provider you’re with.
“This is unfair. We need a baseline in legislation that ensures all social housing tenants can request a pet without fear of unreasonable refusal.”
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Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
