The election’s been and gone, the kerfuffle has (temporarily) died down and the new Government is in place. It’s time to crack open the Heads for Tails! campaign once more!
We’ve all heard the quote about the pen being mightier than the sword – well AdvoCATS wants you to put this to the test, and write to your MP urging them to support Heads for Tails! so we can grow our grass roots political support and lobby the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, specifically the Rt Hon Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State for Housing, after the summer recess.
To help, and be a part of instigating legislative change, simply copy and paste the text below into an email or letter of your own and send it to your MP. To look up your MP, and how they should be addressed, go to Find your MP – MPs and Lords – UK Parliament
Thank you –
[Date]
To [MP]
As one of your constituents, I am writing to ask you to support the Heads for Tails! campaign managed by AdvoCATSeastmids as part of any renters reform legislation introduced by the new Government. This will significantly improve people’s well-being, and prevent tenants from having to make the choice between homelessness and their pets, something that currently happens right here in (constituency).
Opportunity and wealth are not evenly spread, and the ability to own pets and to enjoy the company of a companion animal should not be the sole preserve of those able to afford their own home, especially as we have more and more people living in “generation rent”. Currently, with less than 7% of properties on the UK rental market advertised as pet friendly, it means that pet ownership is limited to those who can afford to buy and those who get lucky and find an understanding landlord. The Heads for Tails! campaign looks to introduce protections in law for both renters and landlords so that more people can rent with pets without landlords feeling their property is at risk.
A major element of this would be to allow landlords to request pet damage insurance. Current statistics show that 66-75% of landlords would be more open to renting to pet owners with this in place, and if it were required in law, it would vastly increase the number of pet friendly rentals available on the market today. This amendment to the Tenant Fees Act’s List of Permitted Payments had been included as part of the previous Government’s Renters Reform Bill that failed to pass into law before the general election was called.
Aside from the improvements to human wellbeing this offers, it also increases the number of pets able to access stable loving homes and reduces the number of pets surrendered to rescues for rental reasons, thus removing a lot of the pressure on the rescue sector.
The full Heads for Tails! report can be read here: Campaigns – AdvoCATSeastmids, and I would ask that you, as my local MP, show your support for this campaign by allowing AdvoCATSeastmids to add your name to their existing list of endorsing cross-party MPs and Peers. They can be contacted by email at advocatsem@gmail.com, FAO Jen Berezai.
I would also urge you to encourage other MPs to join you in supporting Heads for Tails! and if you use social media to use our hashtag #HeadsForTails.
I hope that I can count on your support with this,
Kind regards
[Name]
[Address]
[Email]
[Phone number]
Heads for Tails! is our hugely successful umbrella campaign that saw pet reforms included in the late, lamented Renters Reform Bill, which sadly never became law.
A simple change to existing legislation is the key to more landlords becoming pet friendly, and that’s why we were able to secure such widespread political and corporate support first time around.
Whether it’s talking to the general public, clients,...
