united-kingdom residential-lease pets
UK leasehold house - Can I challenge a no pets clause?
<p>I'm planning to buy a leasehold house (not a flat) in the UK. The lease has an unambiguous no pets clause. I have a dog.</p>

<p>The house is part of an apartment complex but has its own entrance separate from the rest of the building. The lease was originally written for the flats in the complex (where a ban on dogs might be considered reasonable) but the same lease was used for the four houses that were added later.</p>

<p>The dog is very small, does not bark or shed, have no access to the shared areas of the complex and will be indoors all the time. Basically, no one will ever know I have a dog unless they peek in the windows or see me carrying her to the car.</p>

<p>My question is whether the no pets clause would be enforceable if I were to challenge it in court. If there is no hope, I will obviously make other arrangements but if there is a reasonable chance that I would be successful, I would like to proceed with the purchase and contact the landlord with this information</p>

<p>If it says "no pets" in the leasehold, then yes, that is enforceable. It doesn't have to be reasonable (in your opinion, or objectively) to be enforceable. Your choices are to either negotiate different leasehold terms, or to find a different leasehold. </p>
