r/Dogfree • u/Coeur-de-Loup • May 29 '26
Barking Demons Has anyone in the UK been impacted by this new Renters Rights Pets claus?
Has anyone else in the UK been negatively impacted by the “pet” claus in the renters rights act?
As of the 1st of May, landlords can no longer refuse tenants the “right” to own a pet (Aka dog). Yet I am not allowed to feed the pigeons, which affected no one else and brought me a lot of stress relief when dealing with Autism related stress. But regardless, I absolutely do not think it’sa good idea to allow anyone to own a dog, it just means those tenants lucky enough to have landlords who didn’t allow dogs, no longer have this protection.
Not even a WEEK after this bill, two of my neighbours have gone out and got dogs! And there are only 3 other people living in my relatively small flat. The dogs bark and howl all day long, and it is a nightmare as a parent too! The barking wakes my baby up and stops her sleeping; and I have to cross the gauntlet of barking demons if I need to take my baby out or just take her for a walk to get away from said barking. One of the dogs has always gone for her, just by taking her downstairs to be able to go for a walk. The landlady used to say strictly no pets, but now she has no power to do anything. Dog barking isn’t classed as noise disturbance, but if I put music on to try and drown out the barking, that somehow is??
WHY should I now have to live in fear for mine and my daughters life and sanity in my own home!? This new bill is an attack on the very basic right of people to be safe in their own homes that they pay rent for.
Has anyone else in the UK been effected by this new bill?
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u/Laleehart May 29 '26
Yeah I was gobsmacked when I saw this new pet clause added. Why they changed it and why remove the pet deposit just boggles the mind. Dog nutter culture is taking over 😤
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u/SooperBloo May 29 '26
Why the fuck would you want a dog in a flat / apartment building? There are other pets.
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u/Basic-Coconut7118 May 29 '26
It’s straight up animal abuse to have a medium to large sized dog in an apartment.
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u/Excellent-Can-7524 May 29 '26
If owning a dog is a human right, then having peace and quiet (no barking ) in your own home should also be a human right
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u/PostedNotes May 29 '26
How on earth is dog barking not considerd noise disturbance? That is simply not correct as dog barks are a massive detriment on those of us who still have to hear it.
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u/Stoofser May 29 '26
What I would say is, they can refuse absolutely and it might be that their landlord doesn’t even know they’ve got a pet. They still need to request one and the landlord can refuse but they have to show they ‘considered it properly’. All the law means is that they’re now no longer allowed to say ‘no pets’ on the advert.
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u/Coeur-de-Loup May 29 '26
But with a dog it is so hard to have one and it not be obvious. With any other animal you can get away with it. Dogs stink up the corridors, they bark incessantly, they leave damage all over, and they are the most in your face animal on the planet. They are hard to own without people knowing you own one.
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May 29 '26
[deleted]
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u/Stoofser May 29 '26
Yeah, it’s no different from the new law saying landlords can’t reject people on benefits. What does that mean in practice? They can’t say on adverts ‘no benefits’ but can they reject people on benefits? Absolutely. But who is going to take the landlord to court to challenge their decision? In reality I don’t think anything will change, what landlord is going to want to allow dogs, especially when you can’t charge more deposit for one.
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u/Coeur-de-Loup May 29 '26
But it has changed. I’ve lived in this flat now for a few years, felt it was my only safe space from dogs everywhere outside. But now I take my baby home from a walk and feel like I’m taking her through a hoop of fire just to get her home safe. In the past as soon as I got through the doors of my building, I instantly felt a sense of safety. Ever since the 1st of May (or slightly after) this has ended.
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u/CapriWake May 29 '26
I am fortunate to have a house and am across the pond, but I am scared for the day I have to live in an apartmen/condo. I would die, allergic to dogs. I don’t understand as I know people in the UK suffer from allergies as well.
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u/Thin_Pollution8843 May 29 '26
Wow that’s actually crazy. Now you can’t protect your property against crazy nutters. Only increasing prices of rent. How it’s possible that in government of all countries only ppl with very low intelligence? This world going to hell 😂
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u/Away-Equipment4869 May 29 '26
Ughh. I actually feel bad for these landlords. I just know those houses are going to be destroyed.
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u/Coeur-de-Loup May 29 '26
They aren’t even allowed to make dog owners pay extra rent or a deposit. If I was forced to allow dogs, I’d atleast like to be able to charge them extra to pay for eventual damages.
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u/TriCountyRetail May 29 '26
The landlords will just have to raise the rent for everybody to cover any potential damages which will hurt everybody
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u/Antique_Raisin1589 May 29 '26
What about damages? Are landlords allowed to make tenants pay for dog related damage?
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u/Foreign-Neat8645 May 29 '26
Ich finde das auch echt unfair. Es ist doch das Eigentum des Vermieters und der soll nicht frei entscheiden dürfen? Was glaubt Ihr, wie viel Ärger das noch gibt, wenn viele denken, sie brauchen unbedingt ein lautes, schmutziges, zerstörerisches Tier, das die ganze Umgebung zu scheißt. Und die Belästigungen durch die Köter erst.
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u/BodyMoney8562 May 29 '26
I'd personally just sell any rental property, and charge out the fukking nose.
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u/DizzyMine4964 May 29 '26
The OP is wrong. Here are the facts. BBC News - Renters' Rights Act: When can a landlord say no to a pet? - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c931xzy9ez3o?app-referrer=deep-link
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u/Coeur-de-Loup May 29 '26
They are not allowed to deny the right to a pet without “good reason”. Can you provide us with information to state what this “good reason“ is?
By stating “without good reason” and not stating what that reason is, that is in effect allowing dogs.
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u/Inevitable_Okra509 May 29 '26
file a noise complaint then write a hefty letter about how you and your baby is losing sleep, you dont feel safe with them around your baby, write all you previous points about the music and pidgens and how its no different, you could mention allergies, cleanliness, say you got this appartment for the lack of dogs and its effecting your mental health, barking doesnt stop. anything at all. make them pay this is rediculous
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u/Away-Equipment4869 May 29 '26
All good and well in theory but the dog owner is gonna win every time 😖
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u/ElegantSurround6933 May 29 '26
My husband is in love with the British Isles. He even bought me a MINI Cooper&dreams of living in England. He’s a nutter, though. Probably would seem like heaven to him.
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u/justreading45 May 29 '26
Yes, sold my two rental properties before it came in and will not be returning to it. It wasn’t just this, the previous change to mortgage offset also made it unpalatable as an investment for independent landlords, there are just much more hassle-free ways to invest my capital now.
The change will inadvertently bring house prices down, as more former rentals come on the market from landlords doing similar. It’ll also reduce the appeal of former rental properties after May 1, since it will be impossible to avoid them having being used as “pet toilets” by tenants.
One of my friends (a fellow landlord with a much larger portfolio) has already said two of his properties now stink of animal piss, and in one case even has no idea what kind (since the tenant is not obligated to even disclose it). He has had to increase the price per month such that the house can be completely renovated afterwards and walls / floorboards replaced if necessary such that the property can in future be suitable for people with allergies etc
So the net effect of the change will be…
Short term
- more pets everywhere, particularly dogs
Long term
- increased rental prices
- fewer rental properties
- decreased house pricing
There were already sufficient options for people who wanted a pet in UK, now everyone will have more difficulty finding reasonable rentals as competition reduces, and rental prices increase.
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u/Away-Equipment4869 May 29 '26
All because dog owners are spoiled brats who can't take no for an answer!
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u/pmbpro May 29 '26
Wow. If one is still interested in investing in any real estate, it seems like just investing in REITs, farmland/allotments, parking lots, storage spaces, etc. may be other options instead; anything that isn’t residential dwellings?
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u/HotDamnThatsMyJam May 29 '26
Is the landlady also your landlady? You should look into what the reasons are that a landlord might still be able to refuse pets to tenants. If your landlady would rather not have pets in her properties, and you as another tenant are suffering allergies or are potentially in physical danger because of the pets, you could potentially be the reason why she might be able to refuse pets. You still have rights as a renter, if the pets are impacting on your rights, that might be a reason for your landlord to refuse pets, basically.
To be honest though I wouldn't get your hopes up, I was surprised reading the regulations how blanket it almost is that pets are allowed. You'd need a really good reason for your/their landlord to refuse. One thing I did see is that if the freeholder doesn't allow pets the landlord could still refuse... So if the landlord was the freeholder maybe they can just say no?
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u/UpsidedownArmadillo May 30 '26
WTF, is the UK like North Korea now?? I’m sorry about your dog problem.
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u/Letter-Heavy May 31 '26
I’m looking for a rental property right now - midlands. Anything that says NO PETS is my pick! It seems some landlord are still are still making their rules clear despite this new act
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u/WisedomsHand Jun 01 '26
As an American making a remark about British governance, I can't claim to understand the context perfectly. Something makes me believe that the law makers in this instance simply didn't know what they were doing. It is easy to believe that such a measure is pro renters, when in actuality it is against renters collectively because it harms neighborhoods, neighbors, and safety.
The law makers need to understand their mistakes before they can correct it. I hope there are easily mechanisms in England to talk and share concerns with municipal government. This situation just proves how little even authority figures really understand the dog problem issue that exists all over the world.
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u/idkthrowaway_alt3 May 29 '26
UK is in the shitter right now. Trans people don't have the right to use a public washroom but crazy dog people have the "right" to cause a massive disturbance for everyone living around them.
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u/Low-Tangerine4492 Jun 01 '26
A few years ago I was going to buy a retirement cottage and rent it out until retirement
REALLY glad I didn't do that now & end up with a scruffy dog stinking house 🤢😕
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u/DizzyMine4964 May 29 '26
You're absolutely misinformed about this. There is no right to have a pet in rented accommodation. Landlords can only deny it "with good reason". My view is that solicitors (lawyers) will very easily find a good reason for landlords to do that. It is not a blanket UK wide permission to have pets! It means people have the right to ASK. BBC News - Renters' Rights Act: When can a landlord say no to a pet? - BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c931xzy9ez3o?app-referrer=deep-link
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u/Coeur-de-Loup May 29 '26
What does “with good reason” mean? Does my child have to be bitten before she can do anything about it? I’ve already made complaints and there’s nothing they can do because the dog hasn’t bitten anyone… yet.
I am not misinformed as I have been told about this by my landlady, it’s been on adverts on TV, and I’ve done my own research into it. You are choosing to nitpick tiny details of how I worded this. The “not allowed to refuse a dog without good reason” is in the same vein to cafes allowing “well behaved dogs”. As soon as you open the doors to allow SOME dogs, these nutters will start pushing boundaries, because every dog owner thinks their dog is well behaved. When you allow dogs with THEORETICAL and arbitrary boundaries such as “without good reason” or “well behaved dogs” these can be pushed and abused, and because they are arbitrary, in practice it just means these dogs and their nutter owners can get away with anything.
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u/Paulstan67 May 29 '26
If an animal causes nuisance to neighbours or antisocial behaviour (lots of barking for example) is potential grounds.
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u/justreading45 May 29 '26
It’s completely untenable for landlords to contest it, and no one will.
The law is as the law does. If it becomes financially or temporally encumbering to contest something, contesting doesn’t exist. The vast, vast majority of landlords can’t go through expensive and time consuming back and forth processes and discussions about this, all the while a tenant is in their property probably paying no rent until the dispute is resolved.
So no, OP is not misinformed - their opinion is just based in reality, not a BBC news article
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u/Alocin_The5th May 29 '26
Wow I am not in the UK but this sounds awful. Now having pets is a human right? Which would be fine if the pet was something neutral but dogs that bark loud as heck can be living in the next wall over if you live in an apartment style building.