Bristol Landlords Still Reject Pets After 2026 Law Change – Bristol 2026

Key Points

• Only 26.7% of homes currently advertised for rent in Bristol are listed as accepting pets, meaning nearly three-quarters of landlords are still effectively saying “no” to pets.
• The data comes from research by Ranking Atlas, which examined 459 live rental listings in Bristol at the time of analysis.
• Nationally, about 30% of rental listings are pet-friendly, while 70% are not, with Bristol below the national average.
• The figures were released two months after the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026, giving tenants in England a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet.
• Under the new law, landlords must assess pet requests individually and cannot rely on blanket “no pets” clauses, but they can still refuse on reasonable grounds such as property suitability or superior lease restrictions.
• Landlords must respond in writing within 28 days and cannot charge separate pet deposits or fees, though existing tenancy deposits can still cover pet-related damage.
• Industry bodies and lettings agents in Bristol have been advising landlords to review policies, check lease or freeholder restrictions, and set clear written processes for handling pet requests.

Bristol (Bristol Express News) July 18, 2026 – New data suggests that, despite recent legal changes intended to make it easier for tenants to keep pets, the majority of rental properties in the city remain effectively closed to animals. Only just over a quarter of homes currently advertised for rent in Bristol are being marketed as accepting pets, with almost three-quarters of landlords still refusing them, according to figures published this week.

The research underscores how far the private rented sector may still be from the government’s stated aim of normalising pet ownership in rented homes, even two months after the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force on 1 May 2026.

While the legislation gives tenants a statutory right to request permission to keep a pet and removes the validity of blanket “no pets” clauses, early market data indicates many landlords are not yet advertising properties as pet-friendly.

How many Bristol rental listings now accept pets?

According to Ranking Atlas, which analysed 459 live rental listings across Bristol at the time of its survey, just 26.7% of those properties were advertised as accepting pets.

That means roughly three out of four available homes in the city are still being presented to prospective tenants as unsuitable for animals, at least at the advertising stage.

The same research found that, across England as a whole, an average of 30% of current live rental listings would accept pets, while 70% would not.

Bristol’s figure of 26.7% therefore places the city below the national average for pet-friendly rental advertising, suggesting local landlords may be more cautious or that local market conditions differ from the wider picture.

What does the new pet law actually require from landlords?

Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, which applies in England from 1 May 2026, tenants in the private rented sector have a statutory right to make a written request to keep a pet in their home.

This means that standard “no pets” clauses in tenancy agreements can no longer be used to automatically refuse such requests without consideration.

As explained by CJ Hole, a Bristol-based lettings and property management firm, the legislation does not give tenants an absolute right to have a pet, but it does require landlords to consider each request

“individually, fairly and with documented reasoning”.

Landlords must respond in writing within 28 days of receiving a formal written request, and if they ask for further information they must reply within seven days of receiving it or within the remainder of the original 28‑day period, whichever is later.

If permission is refused, the landlord must set out the reasons clearly and base them on reasonable grounds. Permissible reasons for refusal can include properties that are clearly unsuitable (for example, a large dog in a small flat without outdoor space), restrictions in a superior lease or freeholder agreement that prohibit pets, or genuine concerns about property damage, disruption to neighbours or the animal’s welfare.

The BBC has reported that landlords cannot refuse simply because they dislike pets, because previous tenants with pets caused damage, or out of general apprehension about possible harm.

They also cannot deny requests where they know the tenant requires a service animal such as a guide dog. If an agreement cannot be reached, the decision may be contestable through the new housing ombudsman framework.

What are landlords in Bristol being told to do?

In guidance aimed at Bristol landlords, CJ Hole emphasised that having a clear internal process for handling pet requests will be “essential” under the new rules.

The firm advised landlords to review existing tenancy agreements, check any superior lease or freeholder restrictions that might prohibit pets, and establish a written policy for assessing and recording decisions on pet requests.

The Renters’ Rights Act also clarifies what landlords cannot charge. A separate pet deposit or additional pet-related fees are not permitted, although the existing tenancy deposit can still be used to cover damage beyond fair wear and tear at the end of the tenancy.

Shelter and parliamentary guidance similarly note that landlords cannot impose extra fees for agreeing to a pet request and must stay within the deposit cap set by the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

Bristol City Council has published information for private tenants explaining the new rights and how the Act may affect them, indicating that the local authority expects the legislation to change practice in the city’s private rented sector over time.

Lettings specialists such as Bristol Residential Lettings have also produced guides for landlords on the Act, focusing on what is changing and what it means for rental properties in Bristol.

Why are so many listings still not advertising as pet‑friendly?

The Ranking Atlas data highlights a gap between the legal framework and current advertising behaviour. While tenants can now request pets even where an agreement previously discouraged them, landlords retain the right to refuse on reasonable grounds and many appear reluctant to signal openness at the marketing stage.

Historically, Bristol has ranked poorly in national assessments of pet-friendly renting. A 2024 league table produced for a pet food manufacturer placed Bristol near the bottom, with only 3.6% of homes allowing pets at that time.

The new figures of 26.7% suggest some movement, but also indicate that a large proportion of the market remains cautious.

Lettings professionals have noted that the new law changes the starting point from “no unless agreed” to “request must be fairly considered”, but it does not force landlords to advertise properties as pet-friendly.

Some may prefer to assess requests case by case rather than widen their pool of applicants to include pet owners from the outset, particularly where properties are small, in blocks with restrictive leases, or where landlords are concerned about potential damage.

Background of the rental pet policy development in Bristol

The push to make renting more pet-friendly in England has been part of a wider government agenda on renters’ rights that developed over several years.

Prior to the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, the legal position was largely governed by individual tenancy agreements and general contract principles, with some use of a government-drafted model tenancy agreement that encouraged landlords not to unreasonably withhold consent for pets.

Under that model agreement, landlords were expected to consider requests on their merits and could only refuse with good reason, such as large pets in smaller properties or flats where keeping a pet might be impractical.

However, in practice many tenancy agreements included blanket bans or very restrictive clauses, and enforcement depended on tenants challenging refusals, often without clear statutory backing.

The Renters’ Rights Bill was introduced in the House of Commons in September 2024 and, after parliamentary passage, became the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, with key provisions including the statutory right to request a pet coming into force on 1 May 2026.

The Act was designed to shift the default position so that tenants could formally ask to keep a pet and landlords had to assess each request fairly, with written reasons required for any refusal and a 28‑day response deadline.

In Bristol, the local impact of these changes is being monitored by councils, lettings agents and tenant organisations.

Bristol City Council has published guidance for private tenants on the Act, while local letting firms have produced advice for landlords on compliance, reasonable refusals and protecting investments while operating within the new rules.

The Ranking Atlas data released in July 2026 represents one of the first quantitative snapshots of how the market has responded so far.

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Prediction: How could this development affect Bristol tenants, landlords and the wider housing market?

If the current pattern persists, with only around a quarter of listings openly accepting pets, Bristol tenants with animals are likely to continue facing a narrower choice of homes than those without pets, despite the new legal right to make a request.

This could mean longer search times, more competition for the relatively small number of pet-friendly properties, and potentially higher rents for those homes that are explicitly marketed as suitable for animals.

For landlords, the pressure to comply with the 28‑day response rule and to provide reasoned refusals may lead to more formalised processes and greater reliance on written policies and documentation.

Over time, some landlords may choose to adjust their advertising to indicate willingness to consider pets on a case‑by‑case basis, particularly if they find that refusing reasonable requests leads to disputes or ombudsman challenges.

Others may tighten their initial tenant selection, focusing more heavily on applicants without pets or on properties where they can point to clear objective reasons for refusal, such as lease restrictions or property size.

In the wider Bristol housing market, the gap between the legal framework and advertising practice could gradually narrow as agents and landlords become more accustomed to the new rules and as case law or ombudsman decisions clarify what counts as a “reasonable” refusal.

If more landlords begin to accept that pet requests will be a normal part of tenancies, the share of pet-friendly listings could rise, improving access for pet-owning households and potentially stabilising tenancy lengths where tenants are able to stay in homes that accommodate their animals.

However, if concerns about damage, insurance and lease restrictions remain prominent, the change may be slow, and Bristol could continue to lag behind the national average for pet-friendly rental advertising for some time.