Leading animal welfare charity, Battersea, is celebrating an important victory for renters and their pets across the country today, as the Renters' Rights Bill receives Royal Assent. The new legislation will finally put an end to blanket pet bans, allowing more renters than ever to open their doors to dogs and cats.
The Bill’s passage into law follows years of campaigning by Battersea and its supporters, who have long advocated for fairer rental policies to keep families and their pets together and help renters hoping to welcome a pet into their home.
Peter Laurie, Chief Executive at Battersea, said: "Today marks a very significant milestone for pets and their owners across England. The passing of the Renters' Rights Act ensures that blanket pet bans will no longer be an obstacle to pet ownership, opening homes to millions of responsible tenants and their animals.
"At Battersea, we've long campaigned for this change. We've seen firsthand the heartbreak caused by restrictive housing policies, of families forced to choose between keeping a home and keeping their beloved pets. Now, more people will be able to enjoy the companionship and wellbeing benefits pets bring, regardless of whether they rent or own their home.”
With an increasing number of households renting across the UK, today's result could not have come soon enough for the countless owners who have been forced to give up their pet due to restrictive rental policies.
Three-year-old Shadow, a Labrador Greyhound mix , arrived at Battersea's London centre in September after her previous owners' landlord decided they no longer wanted any pets in the house. Shadow has now found a home, but, with the new legislation in place, cases like hers should hopefully become far less common.
Battersea recognises that, despite the new Act, there is more work to be done to ensure the rental market becomes truly inclusive for pets and their owners.
Peter Laurie said: "While the Bill marks real progress in creating a fairer rental sector for tenants, landlords, and pets, there is still more to be done to strengthen the legislation's pet provisions. Battersea remains committed to working with the government to see these improvements through and ensure a future where every tenant can experience the joys of pet ownership."
To find out more about the Renters' Rights Act, and for guidance on renting with pets, please visit: https://www.battersea.org.uk/
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About Battersea
- At Battersea we offer our love and expert care to dogs and cats who need us by rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals at our centres, and by sharing our knowledge and resources with rescue organisations around the world. We do this because we want to help every dog and cat, everywhere.
- In 2024 Battersea directly cared for 2,766 dogs and 2,454 cats at our three centres. We also helped thousands more through campaigning work, supporting other rescues and animal welfare advocates, and sharing knowledge and advice with pet owners.
- In addition to the site in South West London, Battersea also has two other centres based at Old Windsor, Berkshire and Brands Hatch, Kent.
- To find out more visit Battersea’s website or follow Battersea on Instagram @battersea or facebook.com/Battersea and TikTok @battersea.