Companion Animals Now Accepted in Many Strata Titled Units 1/09/2009 Owners with companion animals and who wish to purchase a unit that is managed under strata title can now do so with greater assurance that their pet will be accepted.
Whilst pets and strata titled properties have in the past sometimes had difficulty seeing eye to eye modern strata title legislation has smoothed the way for peaceful coexistence between pet owners and their Owner’s Corporations.
Mr Richard Tooker, the director of New South Wales Strata Management, one of the state’s largest strata management groups, says that there is now a greater recognition of the wholesome role that pets do play.
Attitudes have changed he says and pets are now well recognised for their contribution to combating isolation, a factor that has led to a greater spirit of toleration.
“Today people with companion animals are as likely to be young people as they are elderly. People of all ages now have greater freedom to enjoy their pets under newer and more relaxed by-laws designed to accommodate more modern lifestyles. Nevertheless, prospective buyers would be well advised to check that their buildings’ by-laws to ensure that their pet will be allowed and under what conditions.
“In the past, a majority ruling by an Owner’s Corporation against a pet was sufficient to disallow its keeping within the building. But newer rulings state that an owners’ corporation should not be unreasonable, taking a more lenient view of this previously highly contentious subject.”
He notes that by virtue of necessity apartment animals are kept inside, away from space shared with other occupants of the building. And as would be expected within any sharing arrangement, noisy or aggressive animals are universally unwelcome and are prohibited.
Mr Tooker says that within strata owned properties there is a fairly even split about how people feel about pets. Whilst some people simply don’t like them and do not want them around, a similar number quite like pets and welcome those whose owners attend to them responsibly.
Mr Tooker credits the Strata Schemes Management Act for bringing legislation up to date with the times.
“A key provision of The Act concerns the size of the pet, which must be of manageable size, with the word ‘small’ an important component in by-laws concerning the specific subject and found under the heading: The Keeping Of Animals.
He says that Owners’ Corporations have a range of flexible options available and can admit or refuse the keeping of companion animals as deemed desirable as voted by a majority of the building’s owners.
According to Mr Tooker, existing by-laws that provides approval for the keeping of pets comes with some provisos. They stipulate that an owner must notify the Owners’ Corporation that they are in possession of the pet, keep the animal within their lot, carry it when on common property and clean up its mess. The list of pets is limited to cats, small dogs, small birds and fish in tanks.
New South Wales Strata Management (formerly Gilmour Strata Management) commenced business in early 1991, as a member of the highly respected J A Gilmour & Sons group of companies. Licensed solely and specialising only in strata management services, the company has steadily grown to become one of the largest such organisations in New South Wales.
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