Help guides

Social housing tenants - Can I keep pets in my home?

2 min read

It depends on where you live and what your lease or tenancy agreement says. You always need to talk to us about it before you get a pet or an assistance dog.

If you want to keep a pet:

  1. Contact us to ask for a pet permission form

  2. Send the form back to us

  3. Allow us to visit your home to see if it's suitable for the pet you want to keep

If your tenancy allows it and your home is suitable, we'll send you a letter that gives you permission to keep a pet.

You can't keep pets if:

  • Your tenancy agreement doesn't allow it (For example, we don't allow dogs to live in flats without a private garden.)

  • There have been issues with you keeping a pet before.

  • Your home isn't suitable for your pet. We'll ask the RSPCA or another animal organisation for advice on this.

You can't keep a pet that:

  • Wouldn't normally be kept in a home, like a sheep, goat or pig.

  • Is banned under the Dangerous Dog Acts of 1991 and 2006.

  • Is listed under the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act and you don’t have a licence for it.

You may also like...
Help
Can I add or remove someone from my lease?
Leaseholders - Yes, you can usually add or remove a person from your lease. For example, if you get married or you split with your partner.
Help
Building insurance 2025/26 – information for shared ownership and leasehold customers
As a housing association, we’re responsible for calculating building insurance for the homes we manage. If you’re a leaseholder or shared owner, we let you know your estimated building insurance cost for the year within your rent and service charge booklet. We send this to you each February.
Help
Social housing tenants - Can I apply for a mutual exchange (home swap) with someone else?
If you are a social housing tenant, you can apply to swap your home with someone else in a similar home somewhere else in the UK. If you live in supported housing, please contact us for advice on transferring to another home.