New pet rules for tenancies from 1 December 2025
Jo Martin • November 3, 2025
If you are a landlord, make sure you know about the new pet rules for tenants. From 1 December 2025, tenants are permitted to keep pets and landlords must agree.
From 1 December 2025, tenants are permitted to keep pets and landlords must agree. They can only decline if there are reasonable grounds to say no. Reasonable grounds examples include the property isn't suitable ie needs fencing, or the pet is dangerous. Under the new rules, pet bonds can be charged of up to two weeks' rent. Pet bonds must be detailed in the tenancy agreement and lodged with Tenancy Services.
For pets permitted prior to 1 December 2025, the new consent rules do not apply, and pet bonds cannot be charged.
For more information, Tenancy Services has published a guide New Pet Rules for Tenancies. We recommend becoming familiar with the new rules to avoid any unnecessary disputes with tenants.
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