A pet care company claims that millions of private renters are being denied the benefits of pet ownership because of landlords and tenancy agreements.

Mars Petcare UK commissioned polling firm YouGov to speak with 1,007 tenants.

Apparently 64 per cent said they would like a pet but have delayed getting one because of tenancy restrictions; however, the same survey says 43 per cent of tenants had a pet-friendly rental policy allowing them to keep animals.

Asked if they would like to own a pet in future, 59 per cent said they would be keen to do so; 53 per cent said they would be likely to consider a longer tenancy if pet ownership was supported by their landlord.

Just under a third of those surveyed who do have a pet and have moved into a private rented property since June 1 last year said they had to pay additional costs or been subject to additional conditions in their contract.

The pet care company has won support from activists’ group Generation Rent.

Its campaigns manager Georgie Laming says: “Pets are a large part of making a house a home and whatever your tenure you should be able to keep a pet. Tenants with pets are more likely to want a stable, long term home, which benefits landlords in the long run. “Whilst we welcome the Secretary of State’s commitment to updating the model tenancy agreement to make renting fairer for pet owners it’s clear that further measures are needed to guarantee the rights of renters to own pets.”