Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the availability of pet-friendly emergency, temporary, and supported accommodation in England.

Local authorities must ensure that temporary accommodation is suitable for applicants and members of their household, taking account of their needs, requirements, circumstances and the location of the accommodation. Applicants may ask for a review on request of the housing authority’s decision that the accommodation offered to them is suitable.

The statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance encourages housing authorities to be sensitive to the importance of pets to applicants, particularly people sleeping rough and elderly people who may rely on pets for companionship and to give careful consideration to this aspect when making provision for applicants who wish to retain their pet. Local authorities do their upmost to try and accommodate this, however not all types of temporary or emergency accommodation are suitable for pets, as there may be limited facilities and space available.

Recognising the importance of pets, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduced an implied term into private sector assured tenancies, that enables tenants to ask the landlord for permission to keep a pet, and when they do so consent cannot be unreasonably refused.

No specific assessment has been made of the impact on mental health and wellbeing when people experiencing homelessness are separated from a companion animal in order to have access to accommodation, or the impact that pet policies have on levels of rough sleeping.