How to File a Written Decision on a Tenant Pet Request Before the Clock Runs Out

The tenant has already named a day. The problem is an unread email, a thumbs-up, or nothing. There is no stamp of what animal was asked for and the date it arrived. There is no acknowledgement, so the start date is an argument. Stamp the request the same day, acknowledge it in writing, ask for missing detail or freeholder consent if you need it, send a written yes, yes-with-conditions, or no naming this pet and this house, and keep proof of send in one tab.

Saturday, one let in Poole. The tenant emailed “getting a dog Friday”. Milo has no dated stamp of what was asked and when it arrived, no acknowledgement, and no decision letter. The risk is Friday with no dated letter. A same-day stamp — dog, date received — a written “got it”, a short ask for size or freeholder consent if the lease needs it, and a yes, yes-with-conditions, or no naming this dog and this house, with the send proof in the same tab, would have been the file.

Missing those 28 days is not an automatic yes. Harvey W James (5 September 2026) checked the statute: there is no deemed-consent provision in Housing Act 1988 sections 16A–16B. Silence is a breach of the implied term — a term the law writes into the tenancy — and GOV.UK says the tenant can complain or apply to court. Saturday’s job is stamp, acknowledge, and proof of send.

Disclaimer: IziRento is operations software, not legal advice. Local tenancy rules vary; check a qualified adviser for binding decisions.

How do you stamp a written pet request the same day?

Stamp the written request the same day it arrives. Note the animal they named, the date received, the property, and the tenant. Save the email or export the thread. A two-line “getting a dog Friday” is enough to start the 28-day diary. A verbal ask is not — tell them to put it in writing.

Do date-stamp from receipt, not the day you get round to reading it. Housing Act 1988 section 16B: the request must be in writing and include a description of the pet. GOV.UK wants type of animal, how big, and how much room it will need. Harvey (5 September 2026): a two-line email is a valid request and the clock starts that date. For example, Milo’s Saturday email already names a dog — that is the request. Typical mistake: leaving it unread until Friday.

Why acknowledge the request in writing before you decide?

Acknowledge in writing the same sitting. Confirm the date you received it and the animal named. This is not yes or no. It locks the start date so later nobody argues when the 28 days began. Diarise the 28th day from that received date.

Do send a short “got your request dated [date] for [animal] at [address]. I will reply in writing.” NRLA (Sandy Bastin, 17 August 2026): record the request as soon as received and note the date; acknowledge receipt in writing. TenancyPilot (reviewed 19 June 2026): confirm receipt by email the same day. In practice the acknowledgement is a receipt, not a decision. Do not send a thumbs-up and call it the file.

When do you write for extra detail or freeholder consent?

Write for extra detail or freeholder consent only if you actually need it, and do it inside the first window. Extra detail is size, and how the animal will live in the house — GOV.UK’s own example. If you are a leaseholder — you own a long lease, not the building — read the head lease the same week and ask the freeholder, the superior landlord, in writing.

Diarise the 28th day after the date of the request. Housing Act 1988 section 16A (1 May 2026): reply in writing on or before that day unless a delay applies. Shelter Legal (updated 1 May 2026): request 7 April → 5 May; ask 1 May, tenant answers 2 May → 8 May. Seek freeholder consent on or before day 28 if you need that delay, and tell the tenant in writing. Do not sit on the email until day 27 and then “discover” the lease.

How do you send yes, yes-with-conditions, or no for this pet?

Send a dated yes, yes-with-conditions, or no tied to this pet and this house. Name the animal as described. A yes can carry proportionate conditions such as cleaning, or that the tenant pays for evidenced pet damage. It cannot require pet insurance or an extra deposit under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. Another animal is a new request.

Do name the animal, not “pets allowed”. GOV.UK: you cannot refuse without a fair reason; if you refuse, explain why; once you agree that pet you cannot change your mind. CertNudge: name the exact pet and the email date, not “dog approved”. A no names a fair reason for this property and this animal — too small, illegal to own, or the freeholder refused after you asked.

Do not quote a blanket “no pets” clause as the decision. GOV.UK treats “I don’t like pets” and refusing a known assistance animal as usually unreasonable. written consent for tenant alterations is the paint clip. permitted occupier permission file is the extra-adult letter. A dog is neither of those files.

What belongs in one pet-request tab with proof of send?

Keep the request, extras, freeholder reply, decision, and proof of send in one tab. Label it pet-request-YYYY-MM-DD. It sits with this tenancy, next to the AST — the written tenancy — not in a mixed drawer of certificates. When the freeholder answers, add that reply to the same clip.

Do file proof of send next to the letter, not in a personal inbox. CertNudge’s evidence log matches this tab: request, extras, freeholder letters, decision, proof of sending. NRLA: retain copies of all correspondence.

tenancy agreement folder is where this clip lives. In practice, November opens one PDF. An IziRento workspace can hold the lease and those related records. Do set the folder date to the day you received the request. Do not leave the freeholder email in a different inbox.

What if they are already getting the dog on Friday?

Still build the file today. Stamp the email. Acknowledge it. Write the decision, or a dated request for the description if the email was too thin. Do not back-date a yes you did not give. Do not treat a thumbs-up as the decision.

Do write today’s date on every paper you add. If a pet is already living there without a written decision, still stamp, acknowledge, and send a dated yes, yes-with-conditions, or no now. The ordinary deposit may cover evidenced pet damage; do not claim the same damage twice.

Success bar: Saturday opens one tab — stamped request, acknowledgement, extras or freeholder letters if needed, dated yes, yes-with-conditions, or no naming this dog and this house, proof of send. Workflow: stamp → acknowledge → extra or freeholder if needed → written decision → one tab. Verify that checklist, then stop.