Is a tank full of snakes in a bedsit OK? Would three St Bernard dogs in a two-bedroom flat be too much? Judges are to be asked to rule on whether private landlords can “reasonably” deny a tenant’s request to keep a pet, under sweeping reforms to the private rented sector facing a key parliamentary debate on Monday. The shake-up in the balance of power between England’s 2.3 million private landlords and their 11 million tenants proposed in the long-awaited renters reform bill will finally be considered by MPs. It proposes a ban on no-fault evictions, four and a half years after the Conservative government promised to end the practice. However, the government has warned of fresh delays even if the bill passes, telling MPs last week that it must speed up the courts process first before the ban comes in. Landlords can currently deny tenants who want pets, and some have charged “pet rent”. The new bill “requires landlords not to unreasonably withhold consent”, leaving a new ombudsman for private renting, and ultimately the …

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