Questions about pets in strata schemes are a common concern. In fact, we receive enquiries about this nearly every week from people asking ‘can we have a pet in our apartment?’
Body Corporate and Pets QLD
One concerned (soon to be) Lot Owner contacted Tower Body Corporate with the following request for information:
We have just purchased a townhouse in Queensland & would like to know the procedures for getting approval to have a small pet in our lot. We thought it would be best to get organised now, well before moving day.
Kelly Borell from the Tower office provided the following advice for obtaining strata approval for your pet.
Great idea. We agree now would be the perfect time to sort out this issue!
If you want to keep an animal on your lot, the first step is to check your scheme’s by-laws to see if there are any particular rules about pets. The by-laws should also tell you if you need to ask permission from your body corporate to keep an animal.
If the Pet by-laws aren’t clear or do state that you need permission, the next step is to apply in writing to your Body Corporate for approval for the pet. All pets, regardless of what type of animal, be it a cat, dog, guinea pig or lizard, should be applied for and approval obtained before bringing it onto the Lot.
When applying for the approval, include as much detail about the animal as possible. Any approval is given for that specific animal only. Application for further approval is required for additional or replacement animals.
If approved, the body corporate may place conditions on the approval.
Examples of conditions may be:
- the animal is not be allowed to roam on common property
- any mess caused by the animal must be cleaned up immediately
- valid complaints about the animal may result in body corporate approval being revoked.
If the body corporate refuses to approve the pet, there are avenues that Lot Owners can take to have the decision possibly overturned. See what the Body Corporate advises first. There may be no issues at all and approval may go smoothly.
If you require further information about Body Corporate and pets in Qld or even more information about strata legislation in Qld, you may wish to view these articles:
- FactSheet: Pets In Strata
- FactSheet: Strata Legislation QLD
- Pets in Body Corporates
- Strata Management Gold Coast
4 replies on “Your Body Corporate and Pets QLD”
In the event of a visitor known to us visiting our office which is under Body Corporation legislation…We rent an office suite to service an association. A visitor came to our office with her smallish labrador on a lead. The dog met all requirements I could find in the legislation and we do not have walk in clients so I granted permission. The site manager later forcefully informed me that I was in breach of legislation for Body Corporate controlled buildings and I should never have allowed the dog into our offices, with an entrance from the footpath, even for a short visit. Can you indicate to me if that is a fact or a misinterpretation of the legislation covering residents’ seeking permission to keep dogs in a residence?
Hi,
Without knowing all the details this sounds like an overreaction by the onsite manager. Generally speaking all owners are allowed to have visitors and those visitors are entitled to have a pet. The body corporate may have some by-laws around how that pet should be regulated – for example it might be required to be on a lead or carried while on common property – but provided those are adhered to there shouldn’t be an issue. I would recommend that you contact the building manager and ask them to demonstrate to you in writing the parts of the legislation or the by-laws they believe you have breached – as they seem to know what this is they should be easily able to do this. You can follow the matter from there. You might want to cc in the committee to your email requesting the written information.
I live in a high rise unit block on the gold coast & our body corporate says that I must carry my poodle thru the foyer on my way outside. Do they have the right to make me do this?Why can’t I just walk my dog thru with a leash?
Hi Rodney,
You’d have to check the by-laws for your site but it is not uncommon to see by-laws that state that pets must be carried when on common property. I suppose the rationale behind this would be to protect the floors from any potential damage and to ensure that the animals did not approach other occupants who did not want the attention. If the system doesn’t work for you you could ask for the by-law to be reviewed at the next committee meeting or look to table an amendment at a future meeting.