Minister insists tenants will have pick of pet insurance policies

The government has rejected calls to introduce an additional pet damage deposit and says specific insurance products are emerging in response to the Renters’ Rights Bill.

During a House of Lords debate, Lord Trees told peers it appeared extremely unlikely there would be a product on the market which a tenant could buy to insure against damage. “A landlord could debar a tenant by the simple act of requiring that they provide insurance to cover pet damage, their failure to find which would legitimately allow a landlord to bar them access with a pet to rental accommodation,” he said.

Opportunity

However, Housing Minister, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (right), said removing the requirement to have pet damage insurance risked undermining the balance of ensuring that tenants had a fair opportunity to rent with pets, while also protecting landlords from unnecessary financial risk.

“Adding another upfront cost would make securing a home harder, disproportionately impacting those in financial difficulty…and could create unnecessary administrative complexity for deposit protection schemes.”

She added: “Once the law is in place and landlords begin accepting more tenants with pets, we think the insurance market will adapt to meet the demand.”

Negative

Other rejected amendments included allowing landlords to refuse a pet request where they reasonably believe that the pet may have a negative impact due to allergens and ensuring that a landlord could not review or withdraw consent, once given.

Shadow Housing Minister, Baroness Scott of Bybrook, argued: “As it stands, the Bill creates a huge risk for landlords: they could enter a contract with a tenant who could bring an unsuitable, untamed or even dangerous animal into their property without the capacity to refuse.”

Consent

Baroness Taylor said landlords could not withdraw their consent to keep a pet in case of anti-social behaviour, but they could seek to evict anti-social tenants for a broad range of anti-social behaviours under ground 14, which could include behaviour related to noisy, disruptive or aggressive pets.

The government will amend the Tenant Fees Act so landlords could require their tenant to get insurance to cover the risk of property damage caused by a pet.

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