No pets allowed

Some condominiums do not allow any pets. None. Not even fish tanks.

The pet prohibition may be in the original declaration or the declaration may have been changed by the owners after they had a couple of disagreeable pets or pet owners in the building.



Some people are afraid of dogs and they do not want to be in an elevator when a dog owner brings their pet into such a small confined space or meet a dog in the hallway. Others think animals, especially dogs, are unclean.

In other cases, owners got fed up with irresponsible owners who allowed their dogs to bark at all hours or urinate and defecate in the hallways, staircases and outside right in front of the lobby.

Check before buying
If you own a pet or if you want to, check with the condo's manager and read corporation's  declaration and rules before putting in an offer. You may find that this is not the condo corporation for you.

Even if you do not own a pet, you may babysit a relative's dog or cats when they go away. If you move into a no-pet condo, that may no longer be possible.

It is also a mistake to think that you can buy the condo and then you will get the owners to change the declaration so you can get a dog. That is possible but not very likely.

Grandfathering
Never take it for granted that you have the right to own a pet in a condo. If you see an owner with a dog, that does not necessarily mean you can have one. Some condos may have allowed dogs and then changed the rules so dogs are no longer permitted.

What you saw was a dog that was "grandfathered". That dog can continue to live there until it dies but it cannot then be replaced.

The invisible cat
Some owners decide that they will defy the No Pets clause in the declaration and smuggle a kitten into their unit. After all cats are "invisible" pets that make next to no noise and never leave the units.

This can work depending on the attitude of your neighbours, condo employees and the board members. If your secret is discovered, you may be ordered to get rid of the cat.

Declaration is not enforced
You may be in a condo where there the declaration against owning pets has been ignored for many a year and so many owners have pets.

This does not necessarily mean that the declaration and the rules cannot be enforced. A different board may be elected and they may decide to enforce a number of rules that have been ignored in the past—indeed that may have been elected just to do that.

If the new board says your pet has to go, most likely it will have to go.


I am sure pet rocks are allowed everywhere

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