Fewer searches for pet friendly properties as Renters’ Rights Act kicks in

• New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that there has been a significant drop in searches by tenants for a pet-friendly property
• The number of searches on Rightmove’s platform by potential tenants looking for a rental property which allows pets was down by 54% in May compared with the same month last year and 52% in June 2026
• Searches for pets had been seeing a decline in 2026, however May and June’s sharper drops came after the Renters’ Rights Act came into effect from 1^st May:
  • The Renters’ Rights Act removes blanket bans on pets by landlords, and states that tenants have the right to request a pet and landlords must not unreasonably refuse permission
  • The analysis suggests that fewer tenants are having to proactively seek out ‘pet-friendly’ properties due to the Renters’ Rights Act changes

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that there has been a significant drop in searches by tenants for a pet-friendly property.

The number of searches on Rightmove’s platform by potential tenants looking for a rental property which specifically called out that it allows pets, was down by 54% in May compared with the same month last year.

In June, the number of searches on Rightmove’s platform by potential tenants looking for pet-friendly properties was down by 52% year-on-year.

Searches for pets had been seeing a decline in 2026, however May and June’s sharper drops came after the Renters’ Rights Act came into effect from 1^st May.

The Renters’ Rights Act removes blanket bans on pets by landlords, and states that tenants have the right to request a pet and landlords must not unreasonably refuse permission.

The data suggests that fewer tenants are proactively seeking out ‘pet-friendly’ properties, potentially due to the Renters’ Rights Act changes. While pets remain the most common searched-for term overall, it’s lead at the top is shrinking.

Year-on-year trends for pet searches in 2026

Most searched for key terms by tenants

Colleen Babcock, Rightmove’s property expert says: “This big trend shift is less about a drop in demand for pets, and more about what appears to be a change in renter behaviour due to the Renters’ Rights Act. When tenants feel more confident that they can request a pet in a wider range of homes, they’re less reliant on filtering specifically for ‘pet-friendly’ listings at the early stages of searching for a home. The Renters’ Rights Act only came into effect at the beginning of May, so we’ll be tracking any further behaviour changes as a result very closely.”

Marc von Grundherr, Director of Benham and Reeves, commented: “This is certainly something we’ve noticed, and it reflects a clear shift in tenant behaviour since the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act.

“Previously, applicants with pets would actively seek out pet-friendly properties from the outset. Today, we’re seeing far fewer tenants raise the issue during their property search, suggesting they are increasingly confident that pet ownership is a discussion to be had with the landlord later in the process, rather than a factor that determines where they apply.

“In fact, we’ve seen recent cases where tenants only disclosed a pet after signing their tenancy agreement, while others have only come to light during routine property inspections. This demonstrates just how significantly attitudes have changed following the legislation. The reality is that tenants now understand the balance of power has shifted. As a result, landlords can no longer rely on a blanket ‘no pets’ policy to deter applications and should instead expect conversations around pet ownership to arise much later in the letting process.

“For landlords, the key takeaway is that pet ownership is becoming an increasingly common consideration regardless of whether it is disclosed at application stage, making it more important than ever to have a clear and practical policy in place from the outset.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Comparisons for searches for pets compares terms potential renters use to look for a home that allows pets

About Rightmove

• Rightmove has the UK’s largest selection of properties for sale and to rent, adds more listings than anyone else
• Latest view from Comscore is over 80% of all time spent on property portals is on Rightmove, and latest view from SimilarWeb is over 70% of time spent on property portals in the UK is on Rightmove (two datasets used across the industry to track time spent on portals)
• Rightmove’s vision is to give everyone the belief that they can make their move by giving people the best place to turn and return to for access to tools and expertise to make it happen
• Users can search Rightmove for residential resale, new homes, rentals, built for rent, commercial property and overseas properties. Rightmove also provide an extensive range of tools and information assisting their home moving journey, including but not limited to: local sold prices, online property valuation, agent visit requests, moving guides, mortgage in principle certification, renovation calculator, extension explorer, home services for renters like utilities, media and insurance, school information, moving guides and sustainability information
• Partners (Rightmove’s customers) include the following key groups: estate agents, letting agents, new homes developers, rental operators, commercial property operators, overseas property agents, financial services operators and home services providers for insurance, utilities and media
• Using the UK’s largest housing datasets, we issue a number of regular reports to track housing market indicators: our monthly House Price Index (established 2002), quarterly Rental Trends Tracker (established 2015), weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker (established 2023) and quarterly Commercial Insights Tracker (established 2024). Historical data is available on request
• Founded in 2000, Rightmove listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and is a member of the FTSE 250 index