Renting with pets is rarely easy, you have your pet to consider, your landlord, and the neighbours to appease, and also to conform to shared rules if you are in a strata complex.
However, many of these needs, which initially looks like from a diverse group are generally satisfied by the foundations of being a responsible pet owner. Keeping your pet healthy (fed, clean & safe), happy (active and not bored), and not being a nuisance to neighbours.
Firstly, understand what the legal requirements & obligations are for a tenant, a landlord, and if needed a strata management committee.
We recommend two sources of information: firstly the NSW Office of Fair Trading. Check their web site, and it also includes sections on tenants with pets in a strata.
See “By-laws in your strata scheme” and how they may be changed.
Also look at “Major changes to strata laws” (which were made in November 2016) and this section includes a subsection on “Strata reform myth busters”.
This contains the myth that “Strata buildings cannot ban pets” – something misunderstood by many.
The second source we strongly recommend is from the Law Society, rather than trying to interpret the laws yourself.
Only a few pages long, read the guide from the NSW Young Lawyers also on “Keeping Pets in Strata Schemes”.
They have included a few “above the norm” suggestions.
Understanding your obligations, we suggest that you start building a Pet Resume for your loved little ones, and have that ready for when you next move.
See our checklist.
Also consider Added-Value options to include in your pet’s resume.
Some suggestions to consider:
- If you have a dog, how often do you exercise him/her?
- does your dog go to a day-care or trainer?
- do you have a reference from them?
- if you have a cat, are you committed to keeping your cat inside or in an outdoor enclosure and definitively inside at night?
- if you have a cat, do you provide plenty of cat scratching posts?
- do you arrange for pet sitters? is this a professional organisation?
- are you open to your landlord meeting your pet? or do you have any videos to share to show the personality & behaviour of your pet, especially when interacting with people?
Then, the rest is common sense, and making sure your pet has plenty to keep it active, not bored nor anxious.
Ensure you can effectively monitor and respond when there are any problems when you are out and your pet is home alone.
It is better to put your efforts into setting up and maintaining a good neighbour & a responsible owner approach then the effort into legal or tribunal disagreements.
The good experiences you have will also play-it-forward to other future pet owners being accepted in more rented homes.
LRC 