28-Day Pet Request Deadline for Landlords in England

When the Clock Starts

The 28-day statutory deadline under Section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 starts when you receive your tenant's valid written pet request: you must respond in writing by the 28th day after receipt. The request must be in writing and include a description of the pet. Government guidance says this could include the type of animal, its size, and how much room it needs. A casual text mentioning "we might get a dog" does not start the clock. An email with "I'd like to keep a medium-sized Labrador retriever" does.

Calendar days count, not business days. If the request arrives on a Friday evening, day one is Saturday.

Three Ways the Deadline Can Extend

The baseline is 28 calendar days, but three statutory extension mechanisms can push it later:

Requesting further information. If you reasonably need more details about the animal (vaccination records, microchip number, house-training status), request them on or before day 28. Put the request in writing to document when you made it. Your new deadline becomes the later of day 28 or seven calendar days after the tenant provides the information. If the tenant never provides it, you are not required to give or refuse consent at all.

Seeking superior landlord consent. If you own a leasehold flat and need the freeholder's permission, seek that consent on or before day 28 to trigger the statutory extension. Put the request in writing to document when you sought consent. The deadline extends to the later of day 28 or seven days after you receive the freeholder's consent or refusal.

Agreement with the tenant. You and your tenant can agree to a specific later date. Put the agreement in writing so the agreed deadline is clear.

When multiple extensions overlap — you requested further information and applied for freeholder consent — your deadline is whichever calculated date falls latest.

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

Silence is not consent, and silence is not a refusal. Missing the deadline is a breach of the implied statutory term in your tenancy agreement. The tenant gains a cause of action to apply to the County Court under Section 16B(5) of the Housing Act 1988.

In practice, a court will ask what happened. Because you failed to give a written response within the statutory timeframe, your position is severely weakened. The court may order specific performance — meaning you must grant permission — and may award costs against the non-responding landlord.

You cannot retroactively extend the clock by sending an information request on day 29. Late queries carry no statutory force.

How to Track the Deadline

Log the date you receive the request. Calculate day 28 from that date and diarise it. If you trigger an extension (information request or superior consent application), log that date too, then recalculate.

A simple dated log is enough: date received, day 28 calculated, extension triggered (yes/no), extension request sent (date), new deadline calculated. Keep the log with the correspondence in your compliance file.

The Tenant Pet Requests compliance guide includes a deadline calculator worksheet and pre-drafted extension letters that handle all three scenarios, so you can track dates and issue the right notices without drafting from scratch.

The Practical Takeaway

The 28-day clock is unforgiving but manageable. Log the request date immediately, diarise the deadline, and decide within the first two weeks whether you need an extension. If you do, send the written request early — waiting until day 27 leaves no margin for postal delays or missed emails.

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