Nothing raises the hackles of apartment residents like the vexed question of whether pets should be allowed in apartments … especially when the pet owner is a tenant.
It’s clear on which side of the fence the Australian Companion Animal Council sits. They suggest that the kind of people who look after pets properly are more likely to look after their rented homes responsibly too.
That may be drawing a long bow but they do make a valid point for landlords whose potential tenants may want to keep a pet.
“By having in place clear guidelines on the keeping of pets in your property, irresponsible pet owners can be carefully screened out without penalising responsible pet owners,” they say, adding that “the main thing is to make sure that potential tenants are responsible and caring.”
The council also claims, in apartment blocks, letting one tenant own a pet needn’t open the floodgates to a zoo of chihuahuas, Dobermans, cats, rats and rabbits and has published a guide to formulating a pet policy that they say can be adapted to suit everything from single dwellings to multi-storey apartments.
Now, your apartment block may have a “no pets” policy in its by-laws and that’s fine. Some people don’t want to live around pets and may even be allergic to cat or dog hair. They are entitled to move into a no-pets building and expect the by-laws to be upheld.
But the standard (suggested) Fair Trading by-laws that many buildings adopt by default state that while residents have to have permission to keep pets, that permission can’t reasonably be refused.
The simplest way for any owners corporation to allow pets in a controlled manner is to pass a by-law that makes a signed agreement a condition of getting permission. That agreement should include a clear understanding of what is and isn’t acceptable.
If you want to allow pets into your building or are worried that existing pet ownership is getting out of hand, the companion animal council has produced a handy guide and some templates for agreements that owners and tenants can sign.
For more information, contact the Australian Companion Animals Council at PO Box 371, Artarmon, NSW 2064 or through their website www.acac.org.au.