New details regarding the Renters’ Reform Bill have emerged, shedding light on how the provision regarding pets will be implemented. If the Bill is enacted, it will become an implied term of every assured tenancy that tenants can keep pets in the property if they make a written request and receive the landlord’s consent.
Landlords will be required to thoroughly review all pet requests and must grant or deny permission in writing within 42 days of the request. While there are a few exceptions, the majority of requests are expected to be addressed within this timeframe. If tenants believe their request has been unreasonably rejected, they will have the option to raise the issue with the newly established Private Rented Sector Ombudsman or take legal action.
The provisions of the Tenant Fees Act 2019 will be amended to allow landlords or their agents to request pet insurance. Under the reforms, agents and landlords who grant permission for tenants to have pets must inform them in writing that they must either maintain insurance coverage for pet-related damages at a reasonable level or bear the reasonable costs of the landlord’s insurance coverage for such damages.
Propertymark, the trade body for letting agents, released a statement expressing their concerns and intentions moving forward. They emphasized the need to address the impact of removing fixed-term tenancies and advocated for considering the suitability of both the property and the type of pets when granting consent, not just the act of consent itself.
The Renters’ Reform Bill recently underwent its First Reading, which involved the publication of the Bill and provided an opportunity for the government and pressure groups to express their general views on its broad intentions. The Second Reading, scheduled for next month, will be the first opportunity for Members of Parliament (MPs) to engage in debates and discuss the main principles of the Bill. A government minister, likely Housing Secretary Michael Gove or Housing Minister Rachel Maclean, will open the debate, followed by a response from the official opposition, the Labour Party. Backbench MPs from all parties will also have the chance to voice their opinions.
The Second Reading is expected to be a lengthy process, possibly spanning multiple days due to the complexity of the Renters’ Reform Bill. Following the Second Reading, the Bill will enter the Committee Stage, during which a panel of approximately 20 MPs, usually led by an MP with relevant expertise, will scrutinize the Bill clause-by-clause and consider any proposed amendments. At this stage, oral and written evidence can be presented.
Subsequently, the Bill will progress to the Report Stage, where amendments are discussed in the entire House of Commons rather than in committee form. Finally, the Third Reading will involve a general discussion on the amended Bill’s broad terms, without allowing additional amendments.
The same multi-stage process will be repeated in the House of Lords, with minor variations. Once the Bill successfully completes the Third Reading in both houses, it will receive Royal Assent and become an Act.
