As well as our work with letting agents and private landlords on our Lets with Pets project, we also work to provide advice to social housing providers on pet policies and pet management issues.
There are over 6 million dog owning households and 5 million cat owning household in the UK (PFMA statistics 2009). However, many social housing providers and private landlords do not allow their tenants to keep pets by either banning them altogether or adopting very restrictive pet policies which do not include the keeping of dogs and cats.
There is extensive research which proves that pets are a positive attribute to most responsible households. People can benefit physically, emotionally and often socially from looking after a pet. This is particularly the case for those who are vulnerable (e.g. the elderly, those living alone and the homeless). Pets add so much to our lives and for many are their only companions.
In 2007, as a member of the Pet Advisory Committee’s sub-group on pets and housing, we launched Practical Guidelines on Pet Management for Housing Providers. Below is a link to the latest edition (2010) of this booklet.
Guidelines on Pet Management for Housing Providers (PDF)
Pet Advisory Committee
The Pet Advisory Committee (PAC) was established in 1974 and is unique as it is made up of major animal welfare charities, veterinary organisations, environmental health, local authority and trade associations. A pets and housing sub-group was set up in 2007 to continue work previously carried out by the Pathway group.
Other Resources