The following is a proposal for a Member Bill tabled during the Sixth Senedd:
Proposing Member:
Title of the proposed Bill:
Pets in Housing (Wales) Bill
Policy Objectives of the proposed Bill:
Keeping pets in sheltered, social or private rented housing poses many challenges. The development of a well-enforced Pets Policy can ensure more tenants can keep pets, and do so responsibly.
This can also help reduce anti-social behaviour associated with animals, and facilitate happier, healthier tenants, and more harmonious relationships between pet owners and non-pet owners.
This Bill would propose a series of measures which would ensure responsible pet owners are not punished as a consequence of the type of accommodation they live in. This would include making allowing a pet a legal default in the social housing and private rented sector – unless there is a justifiable reason not to do so.
It would also require all local authorities in Wales to ensure their statutory homelessness reviews and strategies must consider how to provide access for pets – particularly dogs – to homeless shelters, hostels and other accommodation.