New rules mean landlords can no longer ban tenants from having pets in their property.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has announced new laws around common household pets, effectively banning landlords from blanket bans that could lead to eviction.
The move marks a breakthrough for tenants who face Section 21 notices for bringing animals into their home.
Currently, just 7% of private landlords advertise pet friendly properties, the government said, meaning many people struggle to find suitable homes.
In some cases, this has meant people have had to give up their pets all together.
But, The Ministry of Housing has now introduced a new standard tenancy agreement template which is the recommended contract that landlords should use.
© Getty ImagesIn the long run, it could still cost you more
It effectively stops landlords issuing blanket bans on pets without good reason.
The new rules mean that landlords who object will have to do so writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant.
They'll also have to provide a valid reason, such as the property size or surrounding issues, such as a block of flats where owning a pet could be impractical.
Housing minister Christopher Pincher said: "It can't be right that only a tiny fraction of landlords advertise pet friendly properties and in some cases people have had to give up their beloved pets in order to find somewhere to live.
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"We are bringing an end to the unfair blanket ban on pets introduced by some landlords."
Tenants will still be responsible for their pets and will have to pay for any damage caused to the rented property.
Landlords will also be able to charge higher deposits for tenants with pets as long as it is within the cap of five weeks' rent.
It may also cost more to rent a property if you have a pet.
Research by Generation Rent in 2019 found tenants were being charged up to £600 a year more in rent if they've got pets.