# OpenRent Tenancy Agreement - Pet Damage Insurance **URL:** \ **Category:** Landlord Discussion\ **Created:** [12 October 2026 16:45 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776 "2026-10-12T16:45:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amanda1026](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/amanda1026/32/33676_2.png) [@amanda1026](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/amanda1026)\ **Post date:** [12 October 2026 16:45 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776/1 "2026-10-12T16:45:15Z")
OpenRent’s sample tenancy agreement includes the following clause: _“9.30. Not to keep a pet unless requested in accordance with Section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 and the Landlord has provided their consent in accordance with that section. Where the Landlord consents to the Tenant keeping a pet, the Tenant may be required to obtain and maintain pet damage insurance if reasonably requested by the Landlord. The Tenant remains responsible for any damage caused by a pet to the Premises, fixtures, fittings or contents (fair wear and tear excepted).”_ My understanding is that the pet-insurance provisions were removed from the RRA 2025 before it became law. Does anyone know the legal basis for this clause remaining in the agreement? Is there a legal distinction I’m missing, or is it an oversight by OpenRent? Interested to hear others’ thoughts, particularly from anyone with legal knowledge or who’s contacted OpenRent about this. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![David240](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/david240/32/29827_2.png) [@David240](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/David240)\ **Post date:** [12 October 2026 17:45 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776/2 "2026-10-12T17:45:02Z")
@amanda1026 Think this has been discussed before. @David122 may recall ‘Think’ the key be was that the wording ```auto 'may' be required ' ``` doesn’t itself constitution a requirement as part of the tenancy agreement. It does feel like an oversight as RRA say (if I’ve understood right) that LLs can’t actually require pet insurance at least as part of permission for having a pet and the clause maybe wrongly suggests to LLs that they could @Dan4 or @mod_emma may be able to comment for OR Best ---
**Author:** ![David122](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/david122/32/1449_2.png) [@David122](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/David122)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2026 08:07 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776/3 "2026-10-13T08:07:45Z")
The clause would be unenforceable. Is the sample APT the same one that’s used under RentNow? Is it possible that it’s a separate document that they didnt bother to update? ---
**Author:** ![amanda1026](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/amanda1026/32/33676_2.png) [@amanda1026](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/amanda1026)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2026 11:28 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776/4 "2026-10-13T11:28:56Z")
I’ve always assumed that OpenRent’s sample contract is the same one Rent Now uses, but I can’t confirm this. Could any landlords who have used Rent Now recently check whether the pet clause I’ve quoted matches the one in their contract? Thanks in advance! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![David240](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/david240/32/29827_2.png) [@David240](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/David240)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2026 12:03 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776/5 "2026-10-13T12:03:28Z")
@amanda1026 @David122 Think it was removed. When I download a contract created before 1 may there’s a message that some terms have been amended due to RRA. Clause now reads “9.31. Not to keep any cat, dog (excluding guide dogs where reasonably necessary), bird or other pet or animal at the Premises without the Landlord’s wri�en consent, such consent, if granted, to be revocable at will by the Landlord upon.giving reasonable wri�en no�ce. If consent is given, the Tenant agrees to undertake, or alterna�vely pay for, a full clean of the Premises with de-infesta�on cleaner upon termina�on of the tenancy.” So just not updated in the sample doc.. Best ---
**Author:** ![mod\_emma](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/mod_emma/32/32545_2.png) [@mod\_emma](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/mod_emma)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2026 13:29 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776/6 "2026-10-13T13:29:09Z")
> [@amanda1026](#): > > OpenRent’s sample tenancy agreement includes the following clause: > > _“9.30. Not to keep a pet unless requested in accordance with Section 16A of the Housing Act 1988 and the Landlord has provided their consent in accordance with that section. Where the Landlord consents to the Tenant keeping a pet, the Tenant may be required to obtain and maintain pet damage insurance if reasonably requested by the Landlord. The Tenant remains responsible for any damage caused by a pet to the Premises, fixtures, fittings or contents (fair wear and tear excepted).”_ > > My understanding is that the pet-insurance provisions were removed from the RRA 2025 before it became law. > > Does anyone know the legal basis for this clause remaining in the agreement? Is there a legal distinction I’m missing, or is it an oversight by OpenRent? > > Interested to hear others’ thoughts, particularly from anyone with legal knowledge or who’s contacted OpenRent about this. Hi @amanda1026, thanks for flagging this. Rest assured, the APT used within our Rent Now tenancy creation service is fully up to date with current law. Our sample hasn’t been updated since these changes - I’ve passed your feedback on to the team who are looking to update our sample agreement. If you have any further questions, you can contact the support team directly here: [FAQs | OpenRent](https://www.openrent.co.uk/faq#i-have-more-questions) ---
**Author:** ![amanda1026](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/amanda1026/32/33676_2.png) [@amanda1026](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/amanda1026)\ **Post date:** [13 October 2026 14:19 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/openrent-tenancy-agreement-pet-damage-insurance/91776/7 "2026-10-13T14:19:17Z")
@mod_emma Thanks for your reply!