Request permission for a pet

If you want a pet in your home, you will need to make the request in writing. The best way to do this is to complete the online pet permission form.

We will do what we can to give permission, but there are some circumstances where we will say no. We will explain our reasons if we do not give consent.

We will let you know our decision within a month of receiving all the information we have asked for.

This will help us make our decision.

It’s your responsibility to make sure your pet does not cause any nuisance or annoyance to your neighbours.

As a pet owner, it’s important that you:

• be responsible for the health and welfare of your pet

• control the pet within your home, communal areas and the community

• make arrangements for the pet to receive adequate care from a responsible person if you go away.

There are extra responsibilities if you want to keep a dog. You will need to:

• keep your dog on a lead when in public and indoor communal areas

• ensure your dog wears a collar with an identity tag (this is a legal requirement)

• supervise your dog at all times when it is outside your home

• remove dog mess immediately, particularly in areas that may cause a nuisance to others

• microchip your dog (this is a legal requirement).

Other important information:

• kittens and puppies should be at least 8-9 weeks old before being rehomed

• if permission is not granted you will not be able to keep or take in the pet

• consent given for one pet does not give permission for further pets. You would need to seek further permission for any other pet

• keeping a pet without our consent is a breach of your contract

• if you are given consent for a pet and it causes a nuisance or harm to any person, permission may be withdrawn, and you will need to rehome the pet.

We will ask you to agree to these conditions when you make your request, because if we give consent, you will be expected to keep them.

• the home, block and/or scheme is unsuitable for the type of animal requested

• there is evidence that the pet cannot be cared for

• ongoing anti-social behaviour

• the home is within a block of flats that has a communal area

• the animal listed in the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 or the Schedule of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976

• pet permission was previously given but later withdrawn due to a breach of permission conditions or the contract.

It might not be possible to give permission if the pet could cause too much of an impact on other residents, or the running of the scheme. This is especially the case where areas are open plan, like the dining room and communal lounges.

It would be a good idea to talk to a member of the team before making a request.

If you disagree with our reasons you can use our complaints process, or appeal to the county court to ask them to reverse all or part of our decision.

This means that many of the conditions that we’d ask you to agree to, like keeping dogs on leads and clearing up after them, will apply when someone visits you with their pet.

Since the end of 2023 it has been a legal requirement for all XL Bully dogs to be kept muzzled and on a lead in public.

It is also illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, gift, abandon, or let XL Bully dogs stray.

If you own an XL bully, you must provide us with a copy of a Certificate of Exemption when you request permission. You will also need to confirm that the dog has been neutered and provide evidence that you have third party public liability insurance for your dog.

I’m not sure if my dog is an XL Bully

If you are concerned that your dog is an XL bully, you should take a precautionary approach. This means taking precautions as though it is this breed. You should contact your local police force for advice.

A suspected XL bully breed type does not need to fit perfectly into the physical description. If your dog meets minimum height requirements and also has a substantial number of shared characteristics it could be classified as an XL bully type.

This means that a dog could be considered an XL bully breed type even if it was not sold as an XL bully, or if it is a cross breed that looks more like XL bully dogs than any other type of dog.

Will I be refused permission to keep an XL bully?

We will not allow you to keep an XL bully if you do not have and cannot provide us with the required documentation.

Permission to keep an XL bully will not be given in certain properties, for example:

• Extra Care and retirement schemes
• homes with internal and/or external communal areas

Where can I get more information about the XL bully breed?

You can find out more information here:

• XL Bully Ban in UK Explained | Blue Cross
• Ban on XL Bully dogs – GOV.UK