What the law says
The 28-day deadline and the 7-day extensions are in section 16A of the Housing Act 1988, inserted by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025. The examples below are from the government’s guidance for landlords and letting agents (updated 20 October 2026). Each request is still judged on its own facts.
Reasons that are likely to be reasonable or unreasonable
| Likely reasonable | Likely unreasonable |
|---|---|
| Another tenant in the property has an allergy to the animal. | The landlord simply dislikes pets. |
| The home is too small for a large pet, or for several pets. | Problems with other tenants' pets in the past, or damage at other properties. |
| The animal is illegal to own. | A general worry about future damage, or about future lettings. |
| The landlord is a leaseholder and the freeholder does not allow pets. | The tenant needs an assistance animal, such as a guide dog. |
A worked example
Nia asks to keep a cat on Monday 9 November 2026. The answer is due by Monday 7 December 2026. On Monday 30 November the agent asks for the cat’s age and whether it is neutered. Nia replies on Thursday 3 December, so the answer is now due by Thursday 10 December, because that is later than 7 December.
What Abide.Rent does
Tenants ask from their free portal, so every request has a date. Abide.Rent counts the days, shows who must answer, sends reminders, and keeps the written answer and reasons on the tenancy. See pet requests, pet requests and the 28-day deadline and responding to a pet request. For the rest of the tenancy’s duties, try the landlord compliance checker.