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Pets can be a great source of companionship and enrich our lives. While we understand you may want a pet, you need to consider the impact on your home and neighbours.
In most cases, you don’t need to ask our permission for a pet but you do need to follow the terms of your tenancy agreement and the pet guidance below. Please note, pets are not allowed in communal lounges.
When you can’t keep a pet
We won’t allow you to keep certain breeds of dogs outlined in the Dangerous Dog Act 1991 
.
Please read the tab below for information on the XL Bully ban.
Wild, farm and poisonous animals, or endangered species are also not allowed.
Since 1 February 2024, it is a criminal offence to own an XL Bully type dog unless it was registered for exemption before 1 February 2024. Exempted dogs still have to follow strict guidelines. These include being muzzled in the street or any place which the public have access to (with a muzzle which is enough to prevent it biting), kept on a lead and in the control of someone aged 16 or older. Dogs Trust has more information on the ban and exemption.
This means that XL Bully type dogs should be muzzled and secured in a secure room when we attend for visits and carrying out repairs.
Please note: we require all dogs to be shut in a separate, secure room (muzzled if appropriate) when team members visit to carry out repairs or for home visits of any kind.
Poultry
You must ask us for permission to keep poultry on your property. You must also check with your local council about any rules that may prevent you from keeping poultry, such as by-laws and planning restrictions.
We’ll need to see the council’s written permission before we can consider giving you permission to keep poultry. If your property is suitable we may give permission for you to keep up to six birds.
When you need to check
Your tenancy/lease will have special conditions attached which will say whether you’re allowed to keep pets. Please check your tenancy/lease agreement for any conditions around keeping pets. If it’s not detailed on your tenancy/lease agreement then this means you can keep a pet and there aren’t any restrictions. If you’re still not sure then please contact us to find out.
Pets aren’t allowed in shared supported accommodation or shared temporary accommodation.
Requests for pets will be considered on an individual basis for people living in self-contained temporary accommodation and self-contained supported accommodation.
If you’d like to keep a pet, then please check your lease which tells you if there are any restrictions on keeping pets.
Some of our leases might say it’s conditional - for example, you might have to get our permission or you might need to have a private garden. Leases vary, so please read yours so you know what applies to you.
If your lease says you can keep a pet with our agreement, please contact us. We do understand the benefits of pet ownership and want to enable this for our customers, but sometimes we won’t be able to give permission. If this happens, we’ll tell you why.
Please call us on 0300 5000 926 or email contact@sovereign.org.uk for help with your lease and to send a request to keep a pet.
You can find more information here around Assistance dogs and Therapy .
Assistance dogs aren’t pets, they’re relied upon to help with daily activities. They’re trained to help people with disabilities, including sight impairment, hearing difficulties, epilepsy, diabetes, physical mobility and more. Assistance dogs have important rights under the Equality Act 2010.
Therapy dogs are different, so if you want to keep a dog for therapeutic reasons and your home is within a “pet free” scheme, you’ll need to provide supporting medical information for us to consider.
Need proof to show to an animal charity?
If you can have a pet and need proof to show an animal charity, you can download our permission letter .
Responsibilities
- You’re responsible for caring for your pet.
- They shouldn’t roam unsupervised, be a nuisance to neighbours or foul any communal, shared area or any other property, including shared garden areas.
- All animals must be kept under control and (if pet appropriate) kept on a lead.
- Pets are only allowed in communal/shared areas to gain access to your property.
- Pets must be kept under control when our staff, agents or contractors are visiting the property.
- Any dogs must be secured behind a closed door in a separate room before we arrive - and kept there all the time please while we're in your home, muzzled if appropriate. Otherwise we will not be able to carry out any work. Several employees have had serious bite injuries where dogs have got out and become aggressive to a stranger in their home (especially if we're working away from you in another area) so keeping your pets safely away will also stop them potentially getting distressed.
- If you have a garden, you must keep the garden boundaries secure to stop your pet(s) escaping.
- You must make sure your pet doesn't damage our property. If it does, we’ll have to recharge you the cost of any repairs. If you allow the nuisance or damage to continue we may take legal action which could result in you losing your home.
- Commercial breeding from our properties is not allowed.
The Animal Welfare Act 2006 contains the general laws relating to animal welfare.
The Act applies to all animals on common land and means anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal’s needs are met, including:
- providing a suitable place for the animal to live
- giving them a suitable diet
- making sure they exhibit normal behaviour patterns
- housing them with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
- protecting them from pain, injury, suffering and disease
It is an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal.
Anyone who is cruel to an animal, or does not provide for its welfare needs, may be banned from owning animals, fined up to £20,000 and/or sent to prison.
If we have reason to contact you about any of the following, we’ll expect you to find a solution to the problem:
- The condition of your property (including garden and shared areas)
- The welfare of your pet(s)
- Justified complaints from neighbours
If you don’t find a solution, then you’ll have to rehome your pet(s). This means you’ll no longer have permission to keep pet(s).
If you don’t rehome your pet, we may take legal action which could even result in you losing your home.
If you suspect that a neighbour is guilty of cruelty or neglect towards an animal then you can report this to the RSPCA .
If you want to report an issue with a dangerous dog please contact the police. If a dog or other animal is causing a nuisance please visit our Anti-social behaviour page.