– I have been told pets are not permitted by the strata by laws but no one can produce the document for me.
Looking at this again, if no one has a copy of the by-laws then they can’t complain if you haven’t stuck by them. And anyway, there can’t be a blanket ban on pets in NSW strata.
Sections 38 and 39 of the standard residential tenancy agreement in NSW says the landlord has to a0 show you the by-laws before you sign up and b) give you a copy after you do. The tenant has to sign an acknowledgement that they have seen the Tenants’ Information Statement.
The Tenants’ Information Statement says this:
What you must be given before you sign an agreement
Before you sign an agreement or move into the property, the landlord or agent must give you:
• a copy of this Tenant information statement
• a copy of the proposed tenancy agreement, filled out in the spaces provided
• 2 hard copies, or 1 electronic copy, of the condition report for the property completed by
the landlord or agent
• a copy of the by-laws, if the property is in a strata scheme.
So, all in all, you would have a very strong case for breaking your lease without penalty, should you choose to do so. Or just let the owners corp try to evict you or your pet and see what happens.