Gaining permission to keep a pet?

SJE89

My partner and I have recently moved into a new home (still within first 6 months of AST), I am a housing officer by trade so I have some knowledge of renting, but private rent is very different so I am wary of a few things.
We plan to be here for a good few years as we save to buy our own home. the house we have moved into is a wonderful victorian terrace and we feel very content here, that I would actually love to buy this if it was ever possible.
I plan to contact the landlord soon to request permission to hang some pictures etc and possibly paint a wall or too to make it feel more homely, as everything is currently plain magnolia. We would certainly be advising the LL that we will return to the original maggie before vacating, whenever that might be.
My mother has a 7 year old Labrador, which she is struggling to look after since losing my dad and has asked if we can take him.
The tenancy agreement says that pets cannot be kept without permission (and permission will not be unreasonably withheld), and is not something I would ever contemplate as I am an inherently honest person, often to my detriment, and I even fret about asking such questions as I am not keen to tread on any toes.
At work it's not something we would ever unreasonably refuse.
The dog is well behaved, quiet (only ever heard him bark a couple of times at birds), does not go on Furniture or upstairs (which is the only part of the house that is carpeted) and is regularly groomed and bathed.
The advert for our property prior to renting said "No Pets/No Smokers" and we don't smoke, but I wonder if this was a standard advert text by the Estate Agent, who have absolved themselves of any further responsibility, past the sign-up stage, and directed us to the LL for any enquiries/repairs.

So I wondered the chances of getting a positive response in asking?

elsien

You’d be better off posting this in the house buying renting and selling sub forum. There’s more landlords in there. 

SJE89

I thought I was posting there, oops. Thanks for pointing it out!

macman

If the EA has merely marketed the property for letting, and is not managing it during the letting, then they are quite correct in directing you to the LL to ask his permission.