Is it a pet-friendly condo?

This is a very important consideration. Buildings that ban all pets, or even just ban dogs, often have lower selling prices than condos that are pet-friendly.

Originally, the Declarations that the developers wrote for their buildings didn't mention pets. That language was found in the by-laws and rules. In later years, the boards could change the by-laws if the owners of 50% plus one of all units agreed. Alternatively, the boards could change the Rules either to remove pet restrictions or to add new language restricting pet ownership.

Declarations
Later on, developers added language in the Declarations that allowed pets and clearly listed any restrictions such as the  number of pets and perhaps weight or size restrictions.

If pet ownership is important to you, then consider buying a unit in a condo corporation that has clear language in the Declaration allowing pets.

No pets
Some Declarations ban all pets. These Declarations can only be changed if 80% of all owners sign an agreement to make the required changes. Getting 90% of condo owners to agree to anything is almost impossible.

New condos
Many developers have moved language dealing with pets from the Declarations back to the by-laws or rules. That way they can sell units to people who want to own a dog while leaving it open for future boards to restrict or ban pets pet restrictions if they so desire.

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