Dear Secretary of State,

In 2023, 1 in 7 of those who contacted Dogs Trust about relinquishing their dog stated that a change in housing status was a key reason.
We are pleased that the Renters’ Rights Bill will help to give more tenants in the Private Rental Sector the opportunity to experience the joys and life-changing benefits of pet ownership.
But it’s not a silver bullet…

Social housing
Across the country, pet owners who are seeking to access social housing, and those already in social housing who would like to get a pet, are facing innumerable barriers and even having to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their beloved family member to get a safe place to live. For some pet owners, their dogs represent the only family they have.
Some social housing providers are already making fantastic strides in becoming pet friendly. However, finding pet friendly social housing is a lottery. It depends entirely on where you live and whether you can get a place with a provider which allows dogs.
This must change. We need a baseline for all social housing providers, enshrined in legislation, which allows all tenants the opportunity to request a pet without that request being unreasonably refused by their landlord/social housing provider.
We urge the Government to commit to giving tenants in social housing the right to request a pet without that request being unreasonably refused as soon as possible.

Prospective tenants
For those already in tenancies, the Renters’ Rights Bill will be instrumental in allowing them the opportunity to experience the joys of pet ownership. However, we are concerned that pet owners who are looking for a new rental property will still face discrimination.
We urge the government to work with animal welfare organisations, landlords and estate agents to increase confidence in renting to pet owners.

Having a pet can be life changing. They provide companionship, improve your mental health, and can even benefit your physical health. The Renters’ Rights Bill is a fantastic step in the right direction, but together we can go further and ensure that nobody has to endure being separated from their beloved pet because of a lack of pet-friendly housing.

Yours,

Owen Sharp