Strata properties and pets: What’s the deal?
For the longest time, many strata buildings – from apartments to townhouses – wouldn’t allow pets. A cat, maybe. But not a dog.
Those days are gone!
In August 2021, the blanket ban on companion animal ownership in strata buildings in NSW was lifted. Strata bodies can no longer unreasonably stop residents from having pets.
Of course, this is for buyers. Renters still need to be mindful of landlords who don’t allow pets.
These days, if you want to have a pet (or two) in your strata property, you need to do two things:
- Complete an application for each pet, including their name, breed, size etc.
- Make sure they don’t disturb other residents. For example, with dogs, they can’t bark the building down or knock people over in common areas by bounding up to them.
If you have these two things covered, there shouldn’t be a problem.
Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership. If you’re looking to buy a strata property and have a furry friend or want to get one, just check the bi-laws regarding pets in the strata report of the building you’re interested in. You’ll find that in the sales contract.
