Renters Reform Bill
Pets are part of the family too – are you ready for renters reform?
We're supporting the Renters Reform Bill to:
- Make it easier for tenants with pets to rent a home by ensuring landlords can’t unreasonably say no when a tenant requests to keep a pet. No family should be separated and have to choose between a roof over their head and a loved fur family member.
- Increase the number of homes available to responsible pet owners and help relieve the strain on animal rescue centres. We’re in a ‘perfect storm’ and pets are suffering in this crisis, together we can help.
Why do things need to change?
Rescue centres are over capacity
The COVID pet purchase boom, followed by a sharp rise in the cost of living created the “perfect storm”- a heart-breaking crisis of pet abandonment. Animal rescue centres that we have been speaking to throughout the UK are typically over capacity with pets struggling to find new homes.
With 4.6 million households currently classed as rented accommodation2, only 7% of rental properties actively advertised as suitable for pets in 20213. As things stand, a massive 45% of landlords are unwilling to rent out their property to tenants with pets.3 The implementation of the Renters Reform Bill could open the door to a wave of potential new pet parents becoming eligible to rehome an animal in need, which sadly today there are many in need of our help.
We want to help increase the number of homes available to responsible pet owners and in turn this can help relieve the strain on our amazing animal rescue centres across the UK.
Mental and physical wellbeing
There is also increasing evidence that owning a dog or cat can benefit a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, meaning that sharing your life with a pet could help tackle issues such as loneliness and isolation, and improve mental wellbeing.
