We Checked Pet-Friendly Rentals Across London Borough by Borough: Here's What 2026 Actually Looks Like

The Renters' Rights Act came into force on 1 May 2026 and, in theory, ended blanket no-pets policies in England. What we found looking at the listings was a lot more complicated than the headlines suggested.

Across England right now, just 5.9% of rental properties are advertised as pet-friendly. That's 5,839 listings out of 98,964 total. That number is actually down 39% since January 2026, according to data from Inventory Base. Landlords were quietly pulling pet-friendly listings in the months before the Act took effect. In London, the drop was 31.9%, the second smallest regional fall in England.

Why is "pet-friendly" so hard to find, even after the law changed?

The demand side of this problem is enormous. Rightmove confirmed that "pet-friendly" was the single most-searched feature on their platform in 2025, ahead of a garage, furnished, and a garden. Meanwhile, 62% of UK households own a pet, according to UK Pet Food figures.

The gap between what landlords say and what tenants experience is striking. Research by Dogs Trust and Cats Protection found that 46% of landlords claim they allow pets, but only 30% of tenants say their rental agreement actually permits dogs, and just 32% say cats are allowed. The listings data backs the tenants up.

The 5.9% figure is a reality check for anyone expecting Rightmove to suddenly look different post-May 2026.

Which London boroughs actually have pet-friendly listings right now?

Rightmove doesn't have a pet-friendly filter at all, which is a story in itself given it's their most-searched feature. For a true listing count, you need Zoopla's "Pets Allowed" filter and OpenRent's "Accept Pets" option.

When you run those filters borough by borough, a clear pattern emerges. The boroughs with the most genuine pet-friendly supply are not the ones with the most Victorian conversions and traditional buy-to-let stock. They're the ones with the most Build to Rent (BTR) development.

The boroughs where pet-friendly supply is strongest:

Tower Hamlets comes out near the top. The BTR boom around Canary Wharf and Canning Town has produced a cluster of explicitly pet-friendly developments. 8 Water Street in Canary Wharf, managed by Vertus, is marketed as the first pet-friendly address in Canary Wharf and includes a dog agility course on its roof terrace. It sits on the Elizabeth line (7 minutes to Liverpool Street) and the Jubilee line (7 minutes to London Bridge). One-beds typically start at £2,400 per month, but you are genuinely welcome with a dog.

Brent is the other standout, almost entirely because of Quintain Living at Wembley Park. This is a single operator running seven buildings and over 3,500 apartments, all explicitly pet-friendly. Studios through to four-bed flats, furnished and unfurnished, 12 minutes from central London on the Jubilee line. For a borough that wouldn't historically feature on anyone's pet-friendly shortlist, this development alone changes the maths significantly.

Lewisham (covering Deptford and New Cross) and Greenwich are strong contenders, again driven by BTR schemes along the riverside corridor. Ealing and Newham (including Stratford) also show decent supply, with newer developments in both areas advertising pets.

The boroughs where pet-friendly supply is weakest:

Inner London boroughs dominated by converted Victorian and Edwardian stock, think Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, Islington, and Hammersmith and Fulham, show the thinnest pet-friendly listings. It's not that landlords here are especially hostile. It's that the buildings themselves may make it structurally impossible, which brings us to the biggest issue most coverage misses.

What's the leasehold loophole, and why does it matter in London specifically?

Under the new law, a landlord of a leasehold property can refuse a pet request if the head lease of the building prohibits pets, or if the freeholder refuses consent, provided the landlord has taken reasonable steps to obtain it. They are not legally obliged to override the building's rules. They just have to try.

In London, this is not an edge case. It's the default situation. London has the highest proportion of leasehold dwellings of any region in England, at 38%. There are 2.1 million flats in the capital, more than half of total London housing stock. MHCLG estimates that 71% of privately rented flats in England are leasehold. In London, given its flat-heavy stock, that proportion is likely higher still.

Many buildings, particularly older mansion blocks and purpose-built 1960s to 1980s estates, carry no-pets clauses in their head leases. Some landlords are not even aware these clauses exist. Neither are some agents, who may market a flat as "pets considered" without ever checking the superior lease.

Before you apply for any flat in a block, ask the agent or landlord directly whether the head lease permits pets. Not just whether the landlord is okay with it. Ask specifically about the freeholder's rules. If they can't tell you, that's a red flag.

If a landlord is waiting on a freeholder's response, the 28-day response window is extended by a further 7 days from when the freeholder replies. This process can drag.

What does "pets considered" actually cost you?

Under the Renters' Rights Act, your landlord cannot charge additional pet fees or a separate pet deposit. They cannot require you to take out a specific pet insurance policy, and they cannot deduct from your deposit to fund one. That clause was removed from the Act before it became law, partly because the government acknowledged the relevant insurance market wasn't developed enough.

So you can't be charged a pet premium upfront. But is there a de facto rent premium baked into pet-friendly listings?

In BTR-heavy boroughs like Tower Hamlets and Brent, pet-friendly flats do tend to sit at the higher end of the rental range for their area, but this reflects the BTR premium more than a pet surcharge. A one-bed in a BTR development in Canary Wharf will cost more than a one-bed in a converted flat in Poplar regardless of pet policy.

In traditional buy-to-let stock, anecdotal evidence from r/HousingUK suggests some landlords price slightly above comparable non-pet-friendly listings on the same street. The gap is hard to quantify precisely because supply is so thin, but renters consistently report paying around £50 to £100 per month extra in exchange for a landlord who will accept pets without a fight.

How do you make your pet application actually work?

You must make your request in writing and include a description of your pet. Breed, age, size, whether they're neutered, and any relevant behaviour history all help. The landlord then has 28 days to respond in writing. If they don't respond within 28 days, the Act deems that as consent. That deemed consent clause is real leverage.

What landlords can legitimately do: refuse if the head lease prohibits pets, refuse if the property is genuinely unsuitable (a studio flat with a Great Dane is a reasonable refusal), or request more information about the pet, which briefly pauses the 28-day clock.

What they cannot do: issue a blanket refusal, ignore your request, charge a fee, or demand a specific insurance policy.

The 51% figure from the State of the Lettings Industry report, showing that over half of current tenants would consider getting a pet once the Act was in force, suggests this process is about to get a serious workout. Landlords and freeholders who haven't checked their head leases are going to be caught out.

The honest summary: the law is better than it was. But in London, where the majority of rental flats sit inside leasehold blocks with rules the landlord doesn't control, the Renters' Rights Act is a floor, not a ceiling. The boroughs with genuine pet-friendly supply are the BTR hotspots. Everything else is still a negotiation, and the building's head lease is the variable that will make or break it.