The number of pet-friendly rental adverts has barely changed in the last year, despite the incoming Renters’ Rights Act introducing significant changes around tenants’ right to keep a pet.

Inventory Base’s analysis of current rental listings data shows that 8% of properties in England are advertised as being pet-friendly, up just 0.6% compared to January 2025.

The North East is home to the most pet-friendly listings with 11.5% and the region has also seen the biggest annual increase of 2.6%. Meanwhile, the least pet-friendly region of England is the East Midlands where landlords are only welcoming pets in 5.6% of listings. This marks an annual decrease of -0.5%, making the East Midlands the only region where pet-friendly listings are falling.

Legal

From 1^st May, private tenants will have a legal right to ask their landlord’s permission to keep a pet. This will be an implied term in all private tenancy agreements, meaning it applies even if the contract doesn’t currently mention pets.

The ban on Section 21 evictions means it’s going to be harder for landlords to evict tenants even when they are found to be keeping a pet without permission, as they will have to provide solid proof that a pet has been kept in the home. Landlords also won’t be allowed to charge extra rent or fees specifically for having a pet.

Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Inventory Base, says many landlords are either taking a wait-and-see approach or haven’t fully prepared for the changes ahead. However, they need to prepare for the fact that more tenants are going to be pet owners and to protect themselves against any financial costs this might create.

“The best way to do this, given that landlords will not be allowed to take any additional deposit money to cover pet damage specifically, is by ensuring they complete comprehensive, accurate inventories with regular inspections,” advises Hemming-Metcalfe.

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