Permission for pets and service animals

Whether or not you’re allowed to have a pet where you live, will be decided on a case-by-case basis. It will depend on a number of things, including:

• Your tenancy agreement or lease, or any management agreement that may be in place for a neighbourhood or blocks of flats
• Any management and lease agreements we might have on the building itself
• Our pet and animal permission criteria.

In order to decide whether you’re allowed to have a pet, your tenancy agreement or lease will be reviewed, if you live in a block of flats, any managing agent agreement, conveyance or lease for the block will also need to be reviewed by us.

In a block of flats the tenancy agreement and the building lease will be looked at.

Sometimes, even if your agreement allows pets, the agreements we have on the whole building might not.

Some managing agents will have their own pet policy which has to be adhered to, so if a building lease or management agreement does not allow for pets, then we will not be able to give you permission.

Where a managing agent does allow pets, but we feel the design, size or location of the property, block of flats or retirement scheme is not suitable for pets, we can decide not to allow them.

Permission to have a pet will only be given if all of the following criteria are met:

• You have, and continue to, conduct your tenancy satisfactorily
• You are not in arrears and have not been for the past three months and can show that
  you can afford to look after a pet
• The pet is suitable for the size of the property and there is adequate space in the home
  and/or garden for the type of pet
• Space needed to keep the pet does not detract from the primary use of the property
• You or a member of your household has not been found guilty or been suspected of causing cruelty and neglect to a pet in the past or has history of inadequate or detrimental animal ownership
• You can demonstrate that you are able to care for a pet. In the case of an assistance animal, an emergency care plan, for the welfare of the animal, should be available in the event the owner is absent
• The pet does not pose any risk or danger to residents
• The pet is/will be micro chipped (if appropriate). If the pet is a dog, then it is a legal
  requirement for it to be micro chipped
• The pet is/will be registered with a vet
• The pet is neutered, or will be neutered by a qualified vet, as it reaches an appropriate age
  for neutering
• The pet is/will be insured.

• Small caged pets such as hamsters, mice or gerbils (this does not include guinea pigs or
  rabbits)
• Small caged birds such as finches, budgies or canaries (this does not include chickens or
  cockerels).

Maximum of three of these pets in total, is allowed without permission.

Domestic pets such as:

• Cats
• Dogs
• Rabbits
• Guinea pigs
• Larger domestic birds
• Reptiles and amphibians
• All other domestic animals not included in ‘No permission needed’ or ‘Not allowed’.

Permission will not be granted for any of the following pets:

• Livestock such as sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, cockerels, pigeons etc
• Poisonous or venomous creatures
• Wild animals, as defined under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 such as venomous snakes or certain types of spider
• Dogs as specified in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, including animals granted a certificate of exemption under the Act. This Act is now updated by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Dangerous dogs include Pitbull Terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino, and Fila Brasileiro
• Any other animal that is not listed above but may be unsuitable for the property, block of flats or retirement scheme
• We are currently updating our pets and assistance animals policy to allow customers to keep their XL Bully dog in their home, provided all current law is followed. 

We also won’t allow residents to have an excessive number of pets.

In order to decide whether a number of pets is excessive, we will refer to your tenancy agreement/lease and consider:

• Property type and size
• Type and number of pets
• The ability of the resident, and the amount of disposable income they have, to look after the welfare of the pets.

You can apply for permission by filling in a pet Request/Agreement Form and emailing it to info@bpha.org.uk or by posting it to us. You can also send the form your Housing Officer, Extra Care Scheme Manager, Visiting Support Coordinator or Independent Living Manager.

Your request will be reviewed and if your agreements allow it, and you and your pet meet our acceptance criteria, then permission will be granted.

In some cases, bpha may seek to consult with residents of a block of flats, or a retirement living scheme, to reach a consensus on whether to allow pets to be kept where residents have not had permission to keep pets previously.

Please download and complete an Pet Request Form here if you’d like to get permission to keep a pet.

if you are unable to download or print a copy of the form then please contact us and we will post a form out to you.

As a bpha resident, we expect you to be a responsible pet owner. Both ensuring the pets welfare and that you’re respectful and considerate to the residents around you.

The welfare of pets is hugely important to us, but as a bpha resident the welfare of your pet is your responsibility. bpha cannot take responsibility for a pet’s welfare while in a bpha property, or after it’s been removed from a property.

If we receive concerns about an pets’s welfare, we will refer the matter to the relevant organisation, such as the RSPCA.

As a responsible pet owner residing in a bpha property, you must ensure:

• The pet receives regular treatment to avoid the infestation from fleas and other insects
• The pet does not cause threat or harm to anyone including other residents, employees,
  volunteers or contractors working for or on behalf of bpha
• The pet does not cause a nuisance
• The pet is kept under control at all times
• The pet does not foul in communal areas
• You immediately and properly clear up after your pet and discard of mess appropriately
• The pet does not cause unpleasant odours for neighbouring properties
• The pet does not damage the property
• Pets are not being bred or sold from the property
• The pet is not to be kept or bred for any commercial purposes.

Yes. Your permission can be withdrawn if you fail to keep to any of the responsibilities above.

We may also withdraw your permission if we receive justified complaints about a pet that you’re responsible for. Or if the pet is mistreated in anyway.

If permission is withdrawn, bpha will ask for the pet or pets to be rehoused within a specified timescale.

If this is not done, then we will take legal action and apply to court for an injunction to have the pets removed.

Further legal action could be taken and may include action against a tenancy/lease as appropriate, up to and including possession action.

If you’re disabled and need the support of an assistance animal, you can apply for permission by submitting an Assistance Animal Request/Agreement Form. If you are unable to download or print a copy of the form then please contact us and we will post a form out to you.

Alongside this form, you will also need to provide medical evidence that you, or the resident concerned, has a protected characteristic, and confirmation that an assistance animal will help and support the disability.

What’s a protected characteristic?

Disability is a protected characteristic, which is defined in the Equality Act 2010 as “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day to day activities.”

Once evidence is provided, permission can be granted unless the property is not suited for an
assistance animal.

What if my home isn't suitable for an assistance animal?

If your current property is not suitable for an assistance animal, bpha will support you to find an alternative solution.

Emergency care plans

An emergency care plan for the welfare of the animal should be available in the event the owner is absent.