You only have to gaze into those puppy dog eyes to be reminded that your furry friend wants to stay by your side.
When it comes to moving though, it can be challenging to find a pet friendly home. Perhaps your dog has just joined your family, or in the case of many downsizers, has been part of your clan for a long time. Fortunately, there are ways that you and your canine pal can try to remain together, whether you’ll be buying or renting.
And as the new model bylaws for strata buildings come into play, pet owners will hopefully find more buildings willing to say yes to a pet.
Renting
While there’s a push to change the laws around prohibiting pets from rentals, at this stage landlords can still refuse a tenant if they have a pet. It’s a bit of a grey area—while from a legal standpoint you don’t actually need their permission to have a pet, many tenancy agreements will have this pet clause added to it. Ideally you’d want to find an animal loving landlord, or one who’s simply unconcerned about having an animal in their property, but it’s pretty hard to know what you’re going to get.
Try to get some info from your real estate agent about what the landlord and the previous tenants are like. If animals have lived in the property before, it’s likely they’ll be allowed in again (unless they were the hounds from hell, in which case the landlord might be more cautious than ever!).
Providing proof of your responsible pet ownership might reassure them, so rustle up any vet paperwork and council registration forms to help plead your case. Your references will also come in handy, so unless your pooch has wreaked havoc on your previous homes, these recommendations can also get you over the line in securing the property.
Buying
If you’re looking to buy around the Potts Point area, chances are you’ll get an apartment. Cats may be the reigning apartment pets, but don’t rule out your dog. Just like with renting though, buying into an apartment or unit will mean having to abide by someone else’s rules when it comes to pet ownership. You’ll need to first find out what the by-laws of the building you’re interested in purchasing are, as some don’t allow for pets (with the exception of guide dogs and hearing dogs). This applies for Strata and Company title buildings.
In some cases, animals aren’t banned but consent is needed, so you’d need to write to the owners’ corporation to explain your circumstances (including details such as the breed and size of your pet, etc.). Feel free to include a pic of your undoubtedly photogenic pooch, but the more important documents will be things such as vet and council records. If the decision is not in Fido’s favour, you can appeal and seek specialist strata legal advice. It can be a bit of a process, but one which is worth pursuing for the sake of your beloved mate.
