We believe that all responsible pet owners should be able to enjoy the benefits of living with companion animals – regardless of the type of tenancy you have. Pets offer extensive benefits to our mental health and wellbeing, as well as our physical health, but restrictive tenancies in the UK have made it increasingly challenging for tenants to find suitable and high-quality housing that allows pets. 

Since 2020, NOAH has worked to raise awareness of this issue – engaging extensively with different groups of people impacted by renting with pets, collaborating with like-minded organisations, discussing the topic with political stakeholders, and undertaking research to identify appropriate solutions that would enable more responsible pet owners to keep pets in rental properties, without negatively impacting landlords or exposing them to additional risk. 

NOAH is therefore proud to welcome the Government’s Rental Reform White Paper – ‘A Fairer Private Rented Sector’ – launched in June 2022 which confirms a change in legislation to improve access to pets in rental properties, whilst introducing better protections for landlords who rent to tenants with pets. 

The proposals set out in the Government White Paper will be transformative for renters across the UK, who can now enjoy the benefits of pet ownership without compromising the quality or availability of suitable housing.