Council Housing Pets Policy
2015 - 2017
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POLICY TITLE
AUTHOR
REVIEW DATE
OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR
REVIEW
Pet Policy
Val Rutherford
1st April 2017
Hazel Neasham
PETS POLICY
1.
Introduction
Darlington Borough Council understands that keeping pets offers significant
benefits to their owners and therefore welcomes it. However, irresponsible
ownership can also cause nuisance to others living nearby and so it is
necessary to have some rules to ensure that neighbours are not adversely
affected. Ownership of a pet comes with responsibilities, and the purpose of
this policy is to set out reasonable requirements for the keeping of common
household pets in order to provide a decent, safe and clean area for current
and prospective tenants, Council employees and the public, and to preserve
the physical condition of housing properties.
This policy covers the following:




The type of pets can be kept and in what circumstances
The responsibilities tenants take agree to when keeping a pet
Information we give to tenants about responsible pet ownership
The action the Council will take where pets are not kept in reasonable
conditions or cause nuisance to neighbours.
Permission will not be given where there is an ongoing problem with pet
ownership in the household or it is identified that there has been a problem in
the past.
2.
Applicants for Housing
Applicants for housing are asked to tell us on their application form if they
have any pets and how many. This will not affect their application unless they
plan to keep a pet for which permission will not be given. Also, dogs and cats
are not allowed in some sheltered housing and one Extra Care scheme (see
paragraph 4.2). The bid for accommodation will be accepted but will not be
confirmed until either the Council confirm that the pet is suitable for the type of
property applied for or plans for the re-homing of the pet(s) have been put in
place.
3.

Tenancy Agreement
The tenancy agreement makes clear that the tenant is responsible for the
welfare and management of their pets.
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
Housing Services sets out the basic rules regarding the keeping of pets in
its Tenancy Agreement. If a tenant has their own garden and does not
share an access or hallway, they may request permission to keep such
domestic pets as the Council considers reasonable. Current tenants who
do not have permission to keep cats or dogs will be encouraged to have
retrospectively sought formal permission to do so. This will result in the
Council having better information on pet ownership across its stock and
will be in a better position to deal with any problems that may arise.

Tenants living in a property with a Communal entrance, some sheltered
housing and Extra Care schemes may keep one small dog or a cat
provided that they meet specific conditions set out in Appendix 1. There
are special conditions because of the communal areas in these
developments.

Cats and Dogs will not be allowed in a number of sheltered schemes and
one Extra Care Scheme identified in the next section
A tenant must nominate at least one person and/or an organisation (such as
an animal welfare charity) to be responsible for their pet should the resident
become ill or die.
4.
What Pets can be kept
4.1 Pets that are allowed without permission
The following pets are allowed in any Council property without seeking
permission:
 Tanked fish
 Up to 2 small caged birds
 A rodent
 A rabbit
 Non-venomous insects
 Small non-venomous reptiles
4.2 Own Garden
A tenant who lives in a house or bungalow and has their own self- contained
garden can keep the following pets:

Up to 2 dogs or 2 cats or one of each for which permission will be required
4.3 Flats, flats in blocks with communal entrances, sheltered housing,
extra care and bungalows
For most tenants who live in flats or do not have their own garden and/or they
share an access they will be allowed to keep the following pets:

One cat or dog for which permission will be required
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Permission will not be granted if the pet is considered unsuitable for the type
of accommodation.
4.4 Properties where cats and dogs are not allowed
In the following sheltered schemes and one Extra Care scheme no cats or
dogs will be allowed
 Branksome Hall Drive
 Dinsdale Court
 Linden Court
 Rosemary Court
4.5 Assistance Pets
If a tenant requires a pet for assistance, service or support e.g. a registered
guide or hearing dog these may be kept regardless of the type of property.
4.6 Pets that are not allowed
Permission will not be granted for the following animals to be kept:



Farm animals – for example, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, horses, ducks
Animals registered under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 – e.g.
certain types of venomous snakes and spiders and various breeds of
monkey
Dogs specified in the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 – for example, a Pit Bull
Terrier or a Japanese Tosa.
Permission will not be given where there is an ongoing problem with pet
ownership in the household. In this instance a photograph of the pet may be
taken and kept on record.
5.
Leaseholders
The policy applied to current leaseholders, in relation to the keeping of pets is
the same as that for tenants
6.
Restriction of Pets
In general:

We have the right to limit the number of pets that a tenant may keep or
to request that the pets are removed altogether. A tenant must not
allow any of their pets to cause annoyance, nuisance or to damage the
property. Tenants are responsible for the health and welfare of their
pets. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, this is called a duty of care.
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This requires proper day-to-day management and care of the pet.
Routine healthcare must include regular control of parasites (fleas and
worms), vaccinations and neutering where appropriate. When applying
to keep a pet both applicants for housing and existing tenants must
provide evidence that the pet will be properly cared for. More
information on organisations that can help with pet welfare can be
found in Appendix 2.

Dogs must wear a collar and identification tag. However, from April
2016 it will be a requirement that all dogs are micro-chipped for
identification purposes including existing pets.

Tenants must not breed any animal kept in Council property or offer
any animal for sale from the property under any circumstances.
Appropriate action will be taken if you allow your pet to breed and you
will be expected to make arrangements for the extra animals to be
removed as soon as is practical.
In flats, flats in blocks with a communal entrance; Sheltered Housing or
Extra Care:

An assessment will be made:
o Of the size of the pet in relation to the type of property and
o Its behaviour in the context of living in properties with shared
areas.
o Where needed, of the ability of the pet to manage stairs

There will be a discussion of the ability of the tenant to manage the pet
in the long term

Pets kept in blocks with a communal entrance; Sheltered Housing or
Extra Care must not be allowed into the communal areas including
corridors and gardens unaccompanied and must be on a lead at all
times. The pet must not be allowed to foul or urinate in communal
areas, corridors or shared garden/yard. If this happens it must be
cleaned up immediately. The behaviour of the pet is the tenant’s
responsibility and therefore they must ensure the pet is well behaved.
In schemes with communal lounges and dining areas an additional
restriction will apply. No pets are allowed in lounges without permission
and are not allowed at all into dining areas unless it is a registered
guide or hearing dog

Cats will be expected to be house trained and make use of a cat litter
tray while dogs must be walked away from developments. Waste
material must be disposed of safely and in accordance with the
arrangements made for each development with communal facilities.
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7.
Nuisance Animals
The tenant is expected to make sure that their pet(s) do not cause a nuisance.
The following are examples of nuisance behaviour; however this is not a
complete list:

Roaming and unattended pets

Pets fouling and/or urinating in shared areas and in owners gardens
when this is not cleared up immediately

Pets fouling and/or urinating in neighbours gardens

Excessive noise e.g. dogs barking

Over population of pets within a household

Unpleasant odours from pets

Aggressive animals
No pet should be left in the property when the tenant is away unless clear
arrangements have been made to provide adequate care. In general this will
require the pet to be boarded elsewhere but close supervision by a neighbour
may be adequate for some animals
In the majority of cases Housing Services will aim to resolve complaints about
nuisance pets informally and by agreement. In some cases this will not be
possible and the following actions will be considered:

Withdrawing permission to keep a pet(s)

Making responsible pet ownership part of an Responsible Pet Owners
Contract

Involving (statutory) organisations such as the Police or the Council’s
Dog Warden

Involving (voluntary) organisations such as the RSPCA and the Dogs
Trust

Serving an injunction to make the owner start or stop doing certain
actions or to remove the pet(s)

Under The Fouling of Land by Dogs (Darlington) Order 2010, failure to
clean up after a dog is an offence subject to a level 3 fine. The Council
will enforce this

Serving notice to end the tenancy if necessary.
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8.
Dealing with Cruelty and Neglect
The owner has a duty of care to take responsibility for the health and welfare
of their animal (including flea and worm treatment). Where a member of staff
witnesses cruelty or neglect they will report this to the RSPCA. Where cruelty
or neglect is reported to Housing Services by a third party they will also report
this to the RSPCA making it clear that they have not witnessed this
themselves. The person reporting the cruelty or neglect will also be
encouraged to report the matter directly to the RSPCA. The RSPCA will deal
directly with the Police if they feel their involvement is needed.
9.
Visitors with pets
The behaviour of a pet brought to a property by a visitor is the responsibility of
the tenant. The same rules apply to the management of a visitor’s pet as that
of a tenant’s pet.
10. Tenant Participation
We have consulted tenants on this policy and they will be contacted to
approve any significant changes to the policy. The consultation took place
during March and April 2015.
11.
Health and Safety
The policy is aimed at promoting a safe environment within the Council’s
housing stock and local area.
12.
Policy Review
The policy will be implemented on the 1st May 2015 and will be reviewed on 1
April 2017.
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Appendix 1
Conditions for keeping a pet in flats, communal blocks,
sheltered housing and extra care
Applicants for housing and tenants will need written permission to keep a cat
or a dog. An assessment will be made as part of the application which will
include:






Dogs have been micro chipped. This will become law in April 2016
Someone or an organisation has been identified who will look after the
animal if the tenant falls ill. The pet should not be left at the property
Tenants will be restricted to one cat or dog in some sheltered housing,
Extra Care, flats and blocks of flats with communal entrances while in
other schemes no cats or dogs will be allowed-see paragraph 4.2 of
the Pets Policy for details. Tenants in other accommodation are
allowed up to two dogs or cats or one of each
The pet, particularly dogs will need to be suitable for the size and type
of property. It is also sensible to restrict the size of dogs allowed to
those that can cope with stairs or be carried easily when the
accommodation is on the first floor or higher
Applicants and tenants will have to comply with the restrictions
contained in the existing pets policy, e.g., no farm animals or
dangerous dogs
Applicants and tenants will have to agree to the following:
o That they understand that no other tenants nor Council staff
should be expected take responsibility for their pets
o To take full responsibility for the behaviour of their pet and their
visitor’s pets
o Pets are to be well cared for and are appropriate. They should
be regularly wormed and treated for fleas
o Dogs must be walked away from Sheltered Housing and Extra
Care. Cats are given access to the outside or have the use of a
litter tray that is properly maintained
o Cat litter and dog faeces is disposed by following the
requirements at each development
o A pet fouling in communal areas is a breach of the conditions of
tenancy. If an accident occurs the owner must clean it up
o Pets are not allowed access to communal areas unaccompanied
and then they must be on a lead at all times
o Pets are not allowed into communal lounges and other meeting
areas without specific permission. If a pet is allowed into a
communal area it must be accompanied and on a lead
o Pets are not allowed into dining areas except for guide and
hearing dogs
o The pet must not be allowed to breed - appropriate action will be
taken if you allow your pet to breed and you will be expected to
make arrangements for the extra animals to be removed as
soon as is practical.
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o Pets should not create excessive noise
What will happen if a pet is not being looked after properly?

If a tenant is no longer able to look after a pet they must follow the
agreement for keeping a pet and ask the person or organisation they
have identified to take responsibility for the pet. Failure to do so is a
breach of the tenancy and could lead to an application for eviction
where this is necessary

If an emergency occurs the Council will notify the identified person and
expect them to take responsibility for the pet. If this cannot be arranged
then other arrangements will be made to have the pet removed. The
exact action will depend on the circumstances of the case.

The Council will keep up to date information on organisations who can
assist with the care of a pet

Where there are no health reasons for not looking after a pet:
o We can ask the tenant to re-home the pet and that can be
enforced with an injunction
o This is a breach of the conditions of tenancy and therefore may
lead to eviction.
o If there is a cause for concern about the welfare of the pet the
Council will report the matter to the RSPCA
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Appendix 2
Useful Contacts-Being developed
Organisation
Type
Contact Details
Website
Aristocat
Rescue
Charity:
Rescue And
Rehome Stray
Unwanted And
Homeless Cats
And Kittens
National Charity
cats, dogs, small
pets and horses
01325 300290
aristocatrescue@
gmx.co.uk
http://www.aristocat.
org.uk/
Parklands, Station
Road, Topcliffe,
Thirsk, North
Yorkshire YO7 3SE
0300 777 1540
thirsk@bluecross.
org.uk
01388 720689.
durhamcpcats@gm
ail.com
http://www.bluecross
.org.uk/17142613/thirskrehomingcentre.html
01736 757900
admin@cinnamon.
org.uk
WWW.cinnamon.org
.uk
Dogs Trust
Rehoming Centre,
Darlington
Hill House Farm
Sadberge
Co Durham
DL2 1SL
www.dogstrust.org.u
k/
Blue Cross
for Pets
Cat
Protection
League
Rescue and
rehome stray and
unwanted cats
and kittens
Operate an active
spaying
and neutering
policy.
Offer help and
advice to the
public and cat
owners
The
Cinnamon
Trust
National Charity
for older people
and terminally ill
people and their
pets
National dog
welfare charity
The Dogs
Trust
Dog
Warden
The Dog
Wardens catch
dogs that appear
to be straying and
01325 333 114
01325 388799
https://www.facebo
ok.com/darlingtond
http://www.cats.org.u
k/durham/
http://www.darlington
.gov.uk/Environment/
Dogs/dogwarden.ht
m
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PDSA
RSCPA
help reunite them
with their owners
Veterinary charity
ogwarden
Wide range of
animal welfare
activities
RSPCA Darlington
and District Branch
PO BOX 200
Richmond
North Yorkshire
DL10 9DN
07972 368602
info@rspcadarlington.co.uk
0800 731 2502
http://www.pdsa.org.
uk/
http://www.rspcadarlington.co.uk/
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