Tasmania is the latest Aussie state to give tenants the right to keep a pet in their rental property, with the new rules set to start next month.
The landmark change means Tasmanian renters will no longer have to choose between a home and the pets they love.
The Residential Tenancy Amendment (Pets) Act 2025 will start on Friday 20 March 2026, bringing the state in line with other states around the country.
RSPCA Tasmania chief executive Andrea Dawkins welcomed the move and said the reform reflected modern community values and strong evidence linking housing insecurity with poor animal welfare outcomes.
“For too long, RSPCA Tasmania has seen people surrender much-loved pets simply because they could not find a rental that would accept them,” Ms Dawkins said.
“This reform keeps families together, reduces unnecessary surrenders, and eases pressure on shelters that are already stretched responding to cruelty, neglect and crisis cases.”
The ACT was the first jurisdiction to allow pets in rentals in 2019, followed by the NT, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA and NSW, although the details differ state-by-state.
Tasmanian renters will have the right to keep a pet in their rental property from next month. Picture: Getty
State and territory governments have been overhauling tenant rights in recent years to give renters stronger protections, including pet rights, restricting rent increases and banning no-fault evictions.
About one in three Australians rent, with many people spending more and more time renting as home prices climb higher and home ownership becomes increasingly hard to achieve.
Tasmanian small business, trade and consumer affairs minister Guy Barnett said the new rules marked a significant moment for many Tasmanian households.
“Renters will no longer have to choose between having a place to live and the pet they love,” he said.
Tasmania joins other states and territories in allowing renters to keep pets. Picture: Getty
“We know pets are a part of the family, and our government has been working to deliver on the things that matter to Tasmanians, just like this reform.
“I thank the community, animal lovers and the real estate industry for working with us to ensure these laws strike the right balance and provide certainty for renters and property owners.”
Under the new laws, Tasmanian tenants will have the right to keep a pet in their rental property from 20 March if they lodge a formal pet request with their landlord before bringing a pet into the property.
Importantly, renters will remain responsible for any property damage caused by their pets beyond reasonable wear and tear.
Landlords will no longer be able to apply blanket ‘no pets’ rules in rental agreements, and they will have 14 days to respond to a tenant’s request.
However, a landlord may refuse a pet on reasonable grounds, including genuine concerns about property damage, nuisance, or safety, and they will have to apply to Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) if they choose to refuse a request.
“Allowing pets in rentals is not about removing safeguards for property owners — it’s about replacing blunt refusals with fair, transparent and reasonable decision-making,” Ms Dawkins said.
“Other Australian jurisdictions have shown that these laws work, and Tasmania now joins that national shift.”
English (US) · 