PetPortal's Guide to UK Pet Boarding Regulations: What Every Business Needs to Know
If you run a boarding kennel, cattery or home boarding service in the UK, operating within the law is not optional. The regulatory framework that governs pet boarding has changed significantly in recent years, and understanding it properly matters — both for the welfare of the animals in your care and for the long-term viability of your business.
This guide covers the key things every boarding business owner in England needs to know, from licensing requirements and star ratings to what inspectors actually look for and how to prepare.
The Legal Framework
The current regulations governing pet boarding in England are set out in the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) Regulations 2018, which came into force on 1 October 2018. These replaced older legislation and introduced a significantly more detailed framework for licensing, inspection and welfare standards.
Under these regulations, any business in England that provides boarding for cats or dogs — whether in a kennel, a cattery or a home boarding setting — must hold a valid animal activities licence from their local council. This applies to:
Boarding kennels for dogs
Boarding catteries for cats
Home boarding for dogs
Dog day care facilities
Operating without a licence is a criminal offence. The penalties include a fine of up to £500 or up to three months in prison, and a revoked or refused licence will also appear on your compliance record, affecting future applications.
Note: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate under different but broadly equivalent legislation. If you operate outside England, check with your local council for the specific requirements that apply.
The Star Rating System
Every licensed boarding business in England is given a star rating from 1 to 5, determined at the time of inspection. Understanding how this system works is important because it directly affects the length of your licence and — increasingly — whether potential customers choose to book with you.
Here is how the ratings break down in practice:
A 1 star rating is given to existing businesses that are not currently meeting minimum welfare standards. This is a serious position to be in and should prompt urgent action.
A 2 or 3 star rating means minimum standards are being met. The difference between 2 and 3 relates to the risk assessment carried out by the inspector: 2 stars typically indicates higher perceived risk, often because the business is new or has had compliance issues in the past three years.
A 4 or 5 star rating means the business meets the higher standards set out in the regulations, going beyond the minimum requirements for welfare, facilities and record keeping. To qualify, a business must meet all of the required higher standards and at least 50% of the optional ones.
The star rating also determines how long your licence runs. Higher-rated businesses with a good compliance history can receive licences of up to three years. Lower-rated or higher-risk businesses receive shorter licences of one year, meaning more frequent inspections and higher ongoing costs.
From a marketing perspective, your star rating is increasingly something pet owners look for. Displaying it prominently — on your premises, your website and your directory listings — signals that you have been independently assessed and that your standards have been verified.
What Inspectors Look For
When an inspector visits your premises, they are assessing whether you meet the welfare standards set out in the regulations. The key areas they will look at include:
The physical environment. Kennels must be clean, adequately sized, well-ventilated and maintained at an appropriate temperature. Each dog must have enough space to stand, turn, lie down and move freely. Each cat must have its own unit — cats from different households must not share — with a separate sleeping area and a litter tray at all times.
Records. You are required to keep an up-to-date register of every animal on the premises, including their name, breed, age, microchip number, the owner's contact details, an emergency contact, vet details, and relevant medical and behavioural history. These records must be accessible and complete.
Vaccination requirements. You must check and record that dogs and cats are up to date with their core vaccinations before accepting them for boarding. Dogs should be vaccinated against distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis at a minimum; kennel cough vaccination is also commonly required. Cats should be vaccinated against cat flu and feline enteritis.
Emergency procedures. A written emergency plan must be in place covering fire, utility failures and other urgent scenarios. You must have access to a vet and staff must know the procedure for getting animals emergency care.
Behaviour monitoring. Staff must monitor the behaviour of animals daily and keep records. Changes in behaviour that suggest stress, illness or injury must be acted on promptly.
Staffing. There must be sufficient trained staff to care for the number of animals on the premises at any time. Higher star ratings require at least one staff member with a formal qualification in animal care.
Separation of species. Dogs and cats must be housed in separate areas where they cannot hear or see each other. Animals from different households must be kept separate unless written consent has been given by owners.
Preparing for an Inspection
Inspections can happen at any time, including unannounced visits during the licence period. The best approach is to run your business to inspection standard as a matter of course rather than scrambling to prepare.
A few practical things that make inspections go more smoothly:
Keep your records current and organised. An inspector who can quickly find what they are looking for forms a better impression than one who has to wait while you dig through a folder.
Make sure your licence is displayed clearly on the premises. This is a legal requirement.
Know your emergency plan and make sure all staff know it too. Inspectors may ask staff directly whether they know what to do in an emergency.
Check the physical measurements of your accommodation regularly. Kennel and cattery unit dimensions are something inspectors verify, and units that have gradually become cluttered or undersized can cause problems.
If you have had previous compliance issues or received a lower star rating, take the time to address every point raised by the inspector before your renewal inspection. A reinspection can be requested if you have made significant improvements, though there is a fee involved.
Improving Your Star Rating
If you currently hold a 2 or 3 star rating and want to work towards 4 or 5 stars, the higher standards set out in the regulations give you a clear checklist to work from. The full statutory guidance documents for each activity type are available on the GOV.UK website and are worth reading carefully.
The most common areas where businesses upgrade to meet higher standards include:
Increasing the frequency and duration of exercise. Higher standards typically require at least two walks per day of at least 20 minutes each for dogs.
Ensuring at least one qualified member of staff is on the premises at all times during operating hours.
Improving enrichment for animals during their stay, including appropriate toys, activities and social interaction.
Providing more detailed daily records of each animal's behaviour, feeding and general condition.
Why It Matters Beyond Compliance
Meeting the regulations is the baseline. What separates the most successful boarding businesses from the rest is using that compliance as a foundation to build something genuinely good.
Pet owners are more informed than they have ever been about what proper boarding should look like. They check star ratings. They ask about vaccination requirements. They want to know what happens in an emergency. A business that can answer those questions confidently and demonstrate it takes welfare seriously does not just stay on the right side of the law — it builds the kind of trust that keeps customers coming back and recommending you to others.
If you want to make your compliance status and star rating visible to the pet owners searching for boarding in your area, a PetPortal listing gives you a straightforward place to do that.