ONLY a handful of properties available to rent in Oxfordshire allow pets – even though there is substantial demand.

In January, the Government issued a new model tenancy agreement aiming to end blanket bans on tenants who own animals.

Across England, just 7 per cent of private landlords advertise pet friendly properties, according to the latest figures, meaning that many people struggle to find suitable homes, and in Oxfordshire this is even lower.

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Currently, 1090 rental properties across Oxfordshire are being advertised on Zoopla but only 23 of them are described as pet-friendly, which account to two per cent.

There are six in Oxford, four in Abingdon, two in Didcot, seven in Bicester and Banbury, and three in Witney, and most of them stipulate that pets 'will be considered'.

Under the new model tenancy agreement, landlords are no longer able to issue blanket bans on pets.

Instead, consent for pets is now the default position, and landlords have to object in writing within 28 days of a written pet request from a tenant and provide a good reason.

This means that rejections should only be made where there is good reason, such as in smaller properties or flats where owning a pet could be impractical.

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For example, a four-bed detached house near Rose Hill Primary School advertised by Chancellors estate agency is not pet-friendly even though it features a spacious back garden.

Another two-bed terraced house in Didcot advertised by James Gesner estate agency also does not allow pets even though it is unfurnished and boasts a 'low maintenance sunny rear garden'.

Housing Minister Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP, who issued the agreement, said: "We are a nation of animal lovers and over the last year more people than ever before have welcome pets into their lives and homes.

"But it cannot be right that only a tiny fraction of landlords advertise pet friendly properties and in some cases people have had to give up their beloved pets in order to find somewhere to live.

"Through the changes to the tenancy agreement we are making today, we are bringing an end to the unfair blanket ban on pets introduced by some landlords.

"This strikes the right balance between helping more people find a home that is right for them and their pet while ensuring landlords’ properties are safeguarded against inappropriate or badly behaved pets."