The Renters Rights Bill has returned to the House of Lords. The Government has seen off a renewed bid to ensure tenants keeping pets pay an extra deposit to cover any damage to the rented property. The move was rejected in the House of Lords by 239 votes to 192, with a majority of 47.

David Smith, Property Litigation Partner at Spector Constant & Williams, said: “The Government’s decision to reject the proposal for a separate pet damage deposit is disappointing but unsurprising. The original Lords amendment recognised a genuine gap in protection for landlords that has now been left unaddressed.

“While the drive to make renting more pet-friendly is understandable, removing both the dedicated insurance requirement and the option of an additional deposit leaves landlords exposed to potential losses that cannot easily be recovered under the existing five-week cap.

“A modest, refundable pet deposit would have struck a sensible balance between encouraging responsible pet ownership and protecting property owners from avoidable risk. As it stands, landlords will need to rely on clear tenancy agreements and robust referencing to manage the additional liabilities that pets inevitably bring.”

In addition, a fresh push to cut the time landlords would be barred from re-letting a property after taking possession to sell it from 12 months to six was defeated by 215 votes to 204, with a majority of 11.

David Smith adds: “In my view it was the most useful amendment because it stopped properties that had been taken out of the market to sell, but had not then sold, from sitting empty when they are desperately needed to house people.”