Labour’s pet policy is “bizarre choice” says National Landlords Association

Labour’s recent proposals to give tenants greater rights to live with their pets has been questioned by the National Landlords Association. In a podcast covering a wide range of subjects published today, its Head of Policy Chris Norris (pictured above, right) says he thought Labour’s decision to back the right to keep pets for tenants a “bizarre choice”. “I’ve got to say I despair with this sort of announcement from the Labour party,” he says. “The NLA is completely neutral when it comes to party politics but of all the things in housing that really demand attention, whether private tenants have the default right to a pet is a bizarre choice.” Chris went on to say that the policy is puzzling because current legislation and case law means consumers are protected, because landlords cannot refuse a tenant with a pet unless they can give a good reason. “You can’t put a ‘no pets’ clause into a tenancy agreement and if a tenant asks a landlord about pets and the landlord says no, they must put forward a valid argument why not,” says Chris. Deposits He also says the government’s proposals to cap deposits at four weeks will make it more…

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