In 2021, we consulted our online resident community ‘L&Q and you!’ before relaxing restrictions that stopped residents without a private garden or a house from owning dogs.

We did this after changes in government guidance and the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the benefits that keeping pets could bring.

We wanted to find out how you felt about the policy change two years later, so we set up a survey which 817 of you completed. It found that just under one-in-five (17%) of you reported only positive experiences. This included people who felt happier and got more exercise now that they could own a dog.

The majority of you (57%) had not had any positive or negative experiences as a result of the change.

A further 15% reported a mixture of positive and negative experiences, while just over one-in-ten (11%) said you had only experienced negative changes. These included an increase in dog fouling or urination in communal areas, more unsupervised dogs and more barking.

We’re sharing these concerns with Neighbourhood housing teams, so they can take a closer look at some of these issues and take the appropriate action if needed.

As part of this review we spoke with front line colleagues to see what impact the change has had. Staff comments largely echoed the feedback we collected from residents.

Pet registration form

We’d like to remind you that dog owners need to let us know that they have dogs by completing the pet dog registration form. This form requires dog owners to read and commit to complying with their responsibilities as pet owners.

Reporting concerns

You can report concerns about anti-social behaviour caused by dogs in your neighbourhood via the L&Q website, our Customer Contact Centre or your Neighbourhood Housing Lead.

All residents can contact their Neighbourhood Housing Lead or our Customer Contact Centre to request a copy of the pet dog registration form or our Pets Policy.

Some advice on caring for your dog provided by Battersea Cats and Dogs home can be found using the links below: