Cat Flap & Dog Flap Installation in Leeds
From back-to-back terraces in Harehills and Burley to student lets in Headingley and apartments in the city centre, Leeds homes vary a lot, and that affects where a cat flap or dog door can go. Here's what's worth knowing before you book.
Homes in and around Leeds at a glance
What the official figures mean for fitting a pet flap. Figures are for the Leeds City Council area. These are area-wide figures, so your own home may be quite different. We'll always look at your actual door, glass or wall.
25%
of homes are terraced houses
England average: 23%
A quarter of homes are terraced, including many back-to-backs, which usually have only a front door.
21.8%
of households rent privately
England average: 20.5%
Private renting is above the English average, especially around the universities. Tenants need their landlord's written permission before a flap is fitted.
20.1%
of households live in flats
England average: 20.6%
One in five households lives in a flat. The entrance door to a flat is normally a fire door and must not be cut.
Back-to-back terraces
Leeds has the largest remaining collection of back-to-back houses in the UK. They were still being built here until 1937, decades after a national ban in 1909, because earlier planning approvals were allowed to go ahead. Because each house shares its rear wall with the one behind, there's normally no back door. That leaves the front door, a window, or, on an end terrace, a side wall.
A flap in a front door is perfectly workable, but it's worth choosing a model with good locking, such as a microchip flap that only opens for your own pet. Through-terraces, where there's a yard or garden door at the back, are more straightforward.
Student lets and rented homes
Areas such as Headingley, Hyde Park and Woodhouse have a high proportion of privately rented and shared houses. If you rent, get written permission from your landlord or letting agent before booking. Many landlords are happy to agree if the flap goes in a back door or a replacement glass panel and the door can be restored later.
City-centre apartments and glazed doors
In purpose-built blocks around the city centre and the waterfront, the front door of each flat is a fire door, so a pet flap can't go there. Ground-floor flats with a patio or garden door are often a better option, usually by replacing a glass panel with a new sealed unit made with an opening for the flap. Your building's management company or freeholder may also need to give consent.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Leeds has many conservation areas, from Victorian suburbs such as Chapel Allerton and Roundhay to villages on the edge of the city. Changes to original front doors and windows in some of these areas, and any alteration to a listed building, may need consent from Leeds City Council. Rear doors and modern replacement doors are rarely a problem, but check first if you're unsure.
Our services in Leeds
Cat flap installation
Microchip, 4-way and DualScan cat flaps fitted in glass, uPVC, timber and composite doors, windows and walls.
Explore cat flapsDog flap installation
Electronic, app-connected and aluminium dog doors for small to large breeds, fitted in doors, glass and walls.
Explore dog flapsHow quotes work
- Tell us where you'd like the flap and what type of door, glass or wall it is. Photos help.
- We confirm availability for your postcode and send a no-obligation quote.
- If you go ahead, we agree a date. Glass installations need a replacement unit to be made first.
- Your flap is fitted by one of our own local engineers.
Questions from homeowners in Leeds
Can you fit a cat flap in a back-to-back house?
Yes. As there's normally no back door, the flap usually goes in the front door, a window or a side wall on an end terrace. A microchip flap is a good choice for a front door, because it only lets your own cat in.
I rent a student house in Headingley. Can I have a cat flap?
Only with your landlord's written permission. Ask them first; many will agree to a flap in a back door or a replacement glass panel.
Can a pet flap go in my flat's front door?
No. Flat entrance doors in shared buildings are fire doors, and cutting a flap would compromise them. A patio door, window or wall on the ground floor is usually the alternative.
Get a free quote in Leeds
Tell us where you'd like the flap fitted and we'll get back to you with a no-obligation quote as soon as we can.
Planning authorities
Sources
- ONS Census 2021: accommodation type (TS044) and tenure (TS054), via Nomis
- Valuation Office Agency: Council Tax stock of properties 2024 (build period)
- Leeds City Council: planning
- Harrison, The Origin, Development and Decline of Back-to-Back Houses in Leeds, 1787–1937 (Industrial Archaeology Review, 2017)