Top dog overall
Sunderland
Ranks first with a Pet-Friendly Renting Score of 89.99 and a pet-friendly rent slightly below the local average.
Pet-friendly rental index
Best places to rent with a pet in 2026.
Finding a home that welcomes your dog or cat can feel like a postcode lottery. Waggel analysed 2-bedroom rental listings to reveal where pet owners have the best chance of finding a place, and where they pay the biggest extra cost.
June 20262-bedroom rental searches analysed.
10+Minimum pet-friendly listings required.
2 tablesBest places and biggest extra pet costs.
Headline findings
Sunderland leads the pack.
The study highlights one clear all-round winner, one city with the strongest pet-friendly availability, and one city where the extra monthly cost stands out.
Best chance of finding a place
17.69%
Cambridge has the highest share of qualifying 2-bedroom listings that welcome pets.
Biggest extra pet cost
128%
Liverpool's pet-friendly rentals cost more than double the local average in the dataset.
Largest market shown
London
London had 15,540 total 2-bedroom listings, including 1,116 pet-friendly listings.
Ranking breakdown
Two ways to read the results.
Use the first card for the best overall mix of availability and affordability. Use the second to spot where pet-friendly listings are most expensive versus local rents.
Top dog for pet-friendly renters
Score /100Sunderland
Sunderland offers the strongest overall mix of pet-friendly availability and affordability, with pet-friendly rents slightly below the local average.
12.12% pet-friendly listings
£755.42 avg pet-friendly rent
-0.81% extra pet cost
- 2CambridgeScore 64.08
- 3SalfordScore 60.02
- 4SheffieldScore 59.65
- 5ManchesterScore 58.12
Where pet-friendly rentals cost the most extra
Watch-out rankingLiverpool
Liverpool has the biggest gap in the ranking. Pet-friendly rentals averaged £2,356.09 per month, which was £1,323.23 higher than the local average.
+£1,323.23 per month
128.11% extra pet cost
22 pet-friendly listings
- 2Leeds21.66% extra cost
- 3Birmingham19.62% extra cost
- 4Salford16.00% extra cost
- 5Sheffield15.97% extra cost
Waggel advice
How to improve your chances of securing a pet-friendly rental.
Finding a pet-friendly home can be competitive, but a little preparation can help reassure landlords and agents that your pet will be a good tenant too.
- 1Create a short pet CV with your pet's age, breed, temperament, training and daily routine.
- 2Include references where possible, especially from a previous landlord, neighbour, dog walker, groomer or vet.
- 3Be clear about how you prevent damage, mess or noise.
- 4Explain whether your pet is insured and whether liability cover is included.
- 5Keep your pet's routine as consistent as possible after moving home.
Full on-page data
Compare the full rankings.
Both campaign tables are shown directly on the landing page, with the raw listing counts, average rents, extra pet costs and score visible for every ranked place.
SourceZoopla 2-bedroom rental listing searches, including standard and pet-friendly filtered results.
TimingSearches were analysed in June 2026.
Minimum samplePlaces needed at least 10 pet-friendly listings to be included.
What to noteThe visible ranking shows qualifying English locations returned by the dataset.
Best Towns and Cities for Renters with Pets
Ranked by Waggel's Pet-Friendly Renting Score /100, which combines the chance of finding a pet-friendly rental, average pet-friendly rent, and the extra cost versus the local average.
Swipe sideways to view the full table.
| Rank | City | Country | All listings | Pet-friendly listings | Chance of finding a pet-friendly rental | Pet-friendly avg rent | Extra pet cost | Score /100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland | England | 99 | 12 | 12.12% | £755.42 | -0.81% | 89.99 |
| 2 | Cambridge | England | 147 | 26 | 17.69% | £2,042.88 | 7.91% | 64.08 |
| 3 | Salford | England | 392 | 51 | 13.01% | £1,669.72 | 16.00% | 60.02 |
| 4 | Sheffield | England | 211 | 14 | 6.64% | £1,177.67 | 15.97% | 59.65 |
| 5 | Manchester | England | 1,360 | 101 | 7.43% | £1,814.71 | 3.90% | 58.12 |
| 6 | Birmingham | England | 863 | 67 | 7.76% | £1,553.97 | 19.62% | 53.75 |
| 7 | Brighton and Hove | England | 213 | 15 | 7.04% | £2,034.80 | 8.49% | 51.87 |
| 8 | Leicester | England | 279 | 13 | 4.66% | £1,207.69 | 15.02% | 50.63 |
| 9 | London | England | 15,540 | 1,116 | 7.18% | £3,206.11 | 9.72% | 48.12 |
| 10 | Leeds | England | 593 | 27 | 4.55% | £1,349.12 | 21.66% | 42.22 |
| 11 | Liverpool | England | 446 | 22 | 4.93% | £2,356.09 | 128.11% | 28.41 |
Source: Waggel analysis of Zoopla 2-bedroom rental searches, June 2026. Places with incomplete data or fewer than 10 pet-friendly listings were excluded. Small sample sizes mean results should be read as a snapshot of available listings at the time of collection.
Towns and Cities Where Renting with a Pet Costs the Most Extra
Ranked by the percentage extra cost for pet-friendly rentals compared with the local average for all rentals.
Swipe sideways to view the full table.
| Rank | City | Country | All listings | Pet-friendly listings | All-rental avg rent | Pet-friendly avg rent | Monthly extra cost | Extra pet cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | England | 446 | 22 | £1,032.86 | £2,356.09 | £1,323.23 | 128.11% |
| 2 | Leeds | England | 593 | 27 | £1,108.89 | £1,349.12 | £240.23 | 21.66% |
| 3 | Birmingham | England | 863 | 67 | £1,299.07 | £1,553.97 | £254.90 | 19.62% |
| 4 | Salford | England | 392 | 51 | £1,439.42 | £1,669.72 | £230.30 | 16.00% |
| 5 | Sheffield | England | 211 | 14 | £1,015.50 | £1,177.67 | £162.17 | 15.97% |
| 6 | Leicester | England | 279 | 13 | £1,050.00 | £1,207.69 | £157.69 | 15.02% |
| 7 | London | England | 15,540 | 1,116 | £2,922.04 | £3,206.11 | £284.07 | 9.72% |
| 8 | Brighton and Hove | England | 213 | 15 | £1,875.62 | £2,034.80 | £159.18 | 8.49% |
| 9 | Cambridge | England | 147 | 26 | £1,893.08 | £2,042.88 | £149.80 | 7.91% |
| 10 | Manchester | England | 1,360 | 101 | £1,746.57 | £1,814.71 | £68.14 | 3.90% |
Source: Waggel analysis of Zoopla 2-bedroom rental searches, June 2026. This table excludes places where pet-friendly rentals were cheaper than the local average. Liverpool is a standout outlier and should be interpreted with its sample size in mind.
Methodology
How Waggel scored each place.
The score is designed to show where pet owners have the best chance of finding a suitable rental, while also accounting for affordability and extra pet-friendly rental costs.
Best towns and cities ranking
The research team at Waggel analysed 2-bedroom rental listings in June 2026 to identify the best places for renters with pets.
Standard Zoopla rental searches were compared with searches using Zoopla's pet-friendly filter, recording total listings, pet-friendly listings, the chance of finding a pet-friendly rental, average monthly rent, and average pet-friendly monthly rent.
Cities with incomplete data, and any city or town with fewer than 10 pet-friendly listings, were removed.
50%Chance of finding a pet-friendly rental
30%Average pet-friendly rent
20%Extra pet cost versus local average
Extra-cost ranking
The Pet-Friendly Renting Score combines pet-friendly availability, pet-friendly rent affordability, and the extra cost versus the local average. Higher scores indicate better availability, lower pet-friendly rents, and lower or negative extra costs.
For the extra-cost table, Waggel calculated the average monthly rent for all rentals and the average monthly rent for pet-friendly rentals in each city.
- 1Places with incomplete data or fewer than 10 pet-friendly listings were excluded.
- 2Places where pet-friendly rents were cheaper than the local average were excluded from the extra-cost table.
- 3Remaining places were ranked by the percentage extra cost for pet-friendly rentals.
A note for readers: Zoopla's pet-friendly filter depends on how listings are labelled by agents, so the figures should be treated as a snapshot of advertised availability rather than a guaranteed count of every landlord who may consider pets.
Cover for the pets that make a place feel like home.
Waggel gives pet owners flexible lifetime cover, free vet, behaviour and nutrition video calls, and a UK-based vet nurse to help with claims.