"No pets" used to be the default line in most Harrow tenancy adverts, and for a long time nobody questioned it much. That's got harder to justify since 1 May 2026, when the Renters' Rights Act gave every tenant in England the right to formally request a pet — and put landlords in a position where refusing one isn't as simple as it used to be. So the question landlords are actually facing now isn't really "should I allow pets," it's closer to "what does saying yes actually cost me, and what does saying no cost me instead."

What the law changed, and what it didn't

Since May, a blanket no-pets clause hasn't been enforceable on its own. Tenants can put a request in writing, and landlords have 28 days to respond, also in writing. A refusal still needs a genuine reason — a superior lease that bans pets, or a property that's genuinely unsuitable for the animal in question — rather than just a general preference. Disliking pets or having had a bad experience with a previous tenant's dog isn't, on its own, enough to meet that bar.

What didn't change is arguably more important for the money side of things. Landlords still can't charge a separate pet deposit, can't require pet insurance, and can't push the rent up because there's an animal involved. That insurance clause was actually in an earlier draft of the Act and got stripped out before it passed. So the old workaround — take pets, but cover yourself with a bigger deposit — isn't available anymore. The standard deposit, capped at five weeks' rent, is what you've got, same as for any other tenancy, and it can still be used against genuine pet-related damage at the end of a tenancy, just not stacked with anything extra.

Why this might actually help your void periods

Here's the part that doesn't get said enough: pet-friendly properties are genuinely scarce. Inventory Base's figures put pet-friendly listings at around 5.9% of rental stock across England — roughly 5,800 out of nearly 99,000 properties tracked. Separate research from Dogs Trust and Cats Protection found that while close to half of landlords say they'll consider pets, only around 30% of actual tenancy agreements permit dogs and about 32% permit cats. There's a real gap between landlords who claim to be open to it and properties that actually go to market that way.

Given how many UK households have a pet — over half of adults, by some estimates — that scarcity means a genuinely pet-friendly Harrow property is competing for tenants against a much smaller pool of comparable listings. If void periods are costing Harrow landlords real money (and as covered elsewhere, they are — lost rent, ongoing mortgage payments, council tax premiums, all of it), a wider applicant pool is one of the more reliable ways to shorten that gap. Pet owners also tend to move less often than renters without pets, partly because finding somewhere new that'll take the pet is such a hassle — which can mean longer tenancies and fewer void periods over the life of the property.

Where the actual cost sits

The honest downside isn't a new fee you have to absorb — it's risk without a dedicated financial cushion for it. Carpet damage, scratched doors, garden wear, the occasional accident that needs professional cleaning: all of that now has to come out of the same standard deposit that covers everything else, and five weeks' rent doesn't stretch as far as landlords might assume once redecoration and cleaning both need paying for. Landlords who've relied on the deposit doing double duty — general damage cover and pet cover together — may find it doesn't cover both if something significant goes wrong.

There's also the administrative side. Every request has to be assessed on its own terms and answered in writing within 28 days, and a refusal needs to hold up if it's ever challenged, which means documenting the reasoning properly rather than firing off a quick no. Missing that 28-day window effectively lets the tenant take it to court. That's not a huge burden for a single request, but landlords running several properties will feel it more than someone with one buy-to-let.

Weighing it up

For most Harrow landlords, the calculation comes down to what the property actually is. A ground-floor flat with a garden near Pinner or Rayners Lane is a fairly easy "yes" — there's genuine demand from pet owners, real damage risk is often modest, and refusing outright now needs a defensible reason anyway. A small, carpeted upper-floor flat with no outside space is a harder case either way, and a documented, property-specific refusal there is more likely to stand up if it's ever questioned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a landlord still say no to pets in Harrow in 2026? Yes, but a blanket refusal isn't enough on its own. Since 1 May 2026, refusals need a genuine, documented reason specific to the property or pet, such as a superior lease banning pets.

Can landlords charge a higher deposit or extra rent for tenants with pets? No. The Renters' Rights Act bans separate pet deposits, mandatory pet insurance and any rent increase tied to a pet — the standard five-week deposit cap still applies to everyone.

Does accepting pets actually reduce void periods? It can. With only around 5.9% of English rental stock listed as pet-friendly, a genuinely pet-friendly property in Harrow is competing for tenants against far fewer comparable listings, which tends to shorten time on the market.

What happens if pet damage exceeds the deposit? Landlords can pursue the difference through the small claims court, but there's no separate pet-specific insurance or deposit mechanism to fall back on beyond the standard deposit process.

How quickly must a landlord respond to a pet request? Within 28 days of receiving a written request, or within seven days of receiving any further information the landlord has reasonably asked for. Missing the deadline can allow the tenant to escalate the matter to court.