UK government highlights need to protect rights of pet-owning tenants

The new British government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to reform the private rental sector with a new law that would ban no-fault evictions and offer pet-owning tenants more protection.

During the King’s Speech, a part of the State Opening of Parliament setting out the government’s priorities for the coming parliamentary session, King Charles III mentioned the Renters’ Rights Bill as one of the 39 potential new laws that the legislative power wants to pass within the next 5 years.

“Legislation will be introduced to give greater rights and protections to people renting their homes, including ending no-fault evictions and reforming grounds for possession,” says the Monarch.

The previous government’s Renters Reform Bill was put on hold in the House of Commons due to the General Elections. The new Labour government is expected to revive it and possibly change or update some clauses.

Industry reactions

The UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) welcomed the Bill, calling it a “potentially positive move for the welfare of pets and their owners.”

“We believe that the Renters’ Rights Bill will give tenants a legal right to have a pet unless there is a justifiable reason not to do so – ending blanket bans that exist at present on the keeping of beloved companion animals in rental homes,” RSPCA Head of Public Affairs David Bowles tells GlobalPETS.

The association has long campaigned for this change as it has the potential to stop owners from having to choose between suitable accommodation and keeping their pets.

Earlier this year, a manifesto by UK Pet Food urged lawmakers and enforcement authorities to “value the benefits of pet ownership and support policies and protocols to ensure people (and pets) can benefit from this unique bond.”