The search for pet-friendly rental properties will fall after the law change

Data from Rightmove suggests that fewer tenants are actively looking for pet-friendly properties when looking for a home. While pets remain the most common searches overall – ahead of gardening, garage and furniture, the top lead is shrinking.

Searches for properties that allow pets fell by 54 percent in May and 52 percent in June, according to data shared with the BBC. Falls accelerated during this year as the changes were approached and then introduced.

Mark von Grunder, director of the agency Benham & Reeves, said some tenants disclosed pets only after signing the tenancy agreement, while others were found during property inspections.

“The reality is that tenants now understand that the balance of power has shifted. Landlords cannot rely on a blanket ‘no pets’ policy to deter applications and should instead expect discussions about pet ownership to arise much later in the letting process,” he said.

Now, in the UK, you may be able to ban a pet if another tenant has allergies, the property is too small for a large pet or multiple pets, the pet is illegal, or the landlord owns a lease and the freeholder doesn’t allow the pet.