Apartments Go To The Dogs

[samoyedman]

http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/apartments-go-to-the-dogs-20130619-2ojec.html

Pet-owning apartment and townhouse residents will no longer be faced with choosing between their furry friends and their homes when new strata laws come into effect.

The NSW Fair Trading Minister, Anthony Roberts, confirmed in Parliament this week that default strata bylaws will be changed so that pets will be allowed, subject to "reasonable" approvals and conditions set by executive committees.

At present in NSW the model bylaws say pets are banned unless there is written approval, so this is a subtle but significant change in emphasis.

However, the model bylaws can be altered once a new building or townhouse complex has accepted them, and most do. It takes a 75 per cent vote of owners to change them.

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“This reflects the overwhelming views of the discussion papers submitted last year,” Mr Roberts said. “Nobody should be surprised that this is our position or that the default bylaws will change.”

Mr Roberts said the new default bylaws would bring some fairness back to strata living for pet owners and end the situation where they have to choose between giving up on their new homes or having a much-loved companion animal given away or put to sleep.

“We are just reflecting what the community overwhelmingly wants,” he said, adding that the proposals had been aired at length in the discussion documents circulated last year as part of the strata law reform process.

The issue was raised in Parliament by member for Sydney Alex Greenwich, Clover Moore's annointed successor. Ms Moore has long campaigned for a more humane set of standard strata bylaws.

When the new strata laws come in, probably some time next year, the default bylaws will say that pets are allowed subject to approval, which must not be unreasonably withheld.

However, default, or model, bylaws are not immutable state laws; they are just a template that most new buildings can adopt and adapt to suit their own specific circumstances.

And they won't operate retrospectively. Strata owners who want to change existing bylaws will still need to get the support of 75 per cent of owners at a general meeting.

You can find the Helpguide page which has a stack of information about the therapeutic benefits of pets HERE. And you can join the discussion on this page or on the Flat Chat Forum HERE.

You will find a comprehensive state-by-state breakdown of the default by-laws HERE in Strata Community Australia’s website and you can join the Flat Chat discussion on pets HERE

[PuddleDuck]

I just read that, the comments are amazing, so many dog haters out there!

I live in a small unit with a kelpie x shepherd and a toller (and a hubby, toddler, lizard and turtle). My dogs are happy, healthy and as a general rule most people didn't know we had dogs until they catch us out walking! I see nothing wrong with dogs in units. I always say to people who tell me I'm mean for doing it 'well, if I gave you a choice to be locked in a huuuuuuge room with absolutely nothing in it, or a small room with a tv, books, games etc for a week, which would you choose?' In 7 years no one has said the big room :)

[Rosetta]

A step in the right direction. Very sad when older people in particular have to surrender a pet because they need to move into smaller accommodation. In the long run I wonder if it will make a difference to the number of pets surrendered due to rental issues as well.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

They need to cover retirement villages as well. So many won't allow pets.

I went to one on Sunday and rehomed one of my rescued dogs there, it was brilliant - place was full of little rescue dogs and very safe and secure. I will be seeing if I can place some more!!

I've just had a message from the new owner tonight to say how much she loves the dog I left on Sunday and is now so very happy. It makes all the difference to someone's life to have a little friend they can love and take for walks.

[mantis]

A step in the right direction. Very sad when older people in particular have to surrender a pet because they need to move into smaller accommodation. In the long run I wonder if it will make a difference to the number of pets surrendered due to rental issues as well.

I live in a block of Public Housing units, fortunately we are allowed to have dogs/cats. Once it wasn't allowed, but they have realised that older people need pets for their well being.

Unfortunately, private rentals are getting more & more anti dogs.

[mita]

They need to cover retirement villages as well. So many won't allow pets.

I went to one on Sunday and rehomed one of my rescued dogs there, it was brilliant - place was full of little rescue dogs and very safe and secure. I will be seeing if I can place some more!!

Yes, more & more retirement villages are including in their advertising that people are able tp bring their pet with them.

One trap in the fine print of some places, tho', is that is says they can bring a pet.... but once that pet passes on, they can't acquire a new pet. I don't know how widespread this is.... but it has caught a few people.

Caution is to read the fine print.

[Liath]

They need to cover retirement villages as well. So many won't allow pets.

I went to one on Sunday and rehomed one of my rescued dogs there, it was brilliant - place was full of little rescue dogs and very safe and secure. I will be seeing if I can place some more!!

Yes, more & more retirement villages are including in their advertising that people are able tp bring their pet with them.

One trap in the fine print of some places, tho', is that is says they can bring a pet.... but once that pet passes on, they can't acquire a new pet. I don't know how widespread this is.... but it has caught a few people.

Caution is to read the fine print.

My Mother in law lives in a block of units like this, there are a few animals but once they die the owner cannot get another one.

[Nushie]

Yes, more & more retirement villages are including in their advertising that people are able tp bring their pet with them.

One trap in the fine print of some places, tho', is that is says they can bring a pet.... but once that pet passes on, they can't acquire a new pet. I don't know how widespread this is.... but it has caught a few people.

Caution is to read the fine print.

Yep, one of my mums friends found this out., luckily about a year before they actually moved in, so they got another dog and another cat (both their current pets where getting on in age) so that when they moved a year later they had 2 dogs and 2 cats. That way when their older pets passed on they would hopefully still have the younger ones.

[Lady Flying Furball]

Yes, more & more retirement villages are including in their advertising that people are able tp bring their pet with them.

One trap in the fine print of some places, tho', is that is says they can bring a pet.... but once that pet passes on, they can't acquire a new pet. I don't know how widespread this is.... but it has caught a few people.

Caution is to read the fine print.

Yep, one of my mums friends found this out., luckily about a year before they actually moved in, so they got another dog and another cat (both their current pets where getting on in age) so that when they moved a year later they had 2 dogs and 2 cats. That way when their older pets passed on they would hopefully still have the younger ones.

Clever!

[Panto]

They need to cover retirement villages as well. So many won't allow pets.

I went to one on Sunday and rehomed one of my rescued dogs there, it was brilliant - place was full of little rescue dogs and very safe and secure. I will be seeing if I can place some more!!

I've just had a message from the new owner tonight to say how much she loves the dog I left on Sunday and is now so very happy. It makes all the difference to someone's life to have a little friend they can love and take for walks.

that sounds wonderful! what area is this retirement village in?

[Guest donatella]

I am doing some 1 bedder apartment searching at the moment (to rent) and funnily enough all the brand new places are pet friendly but the older places aren't. I wonder if that's because all the brand new apartments and units are becoming more pet friendly?

I would have thought it were the opposite way around, but works for me!

[mita]

Yes, more & more retirement villages are including in their advertising that people are able tp bring their pet with them.

One trap in the fine print of some places, tho', is that is says they can bring a pet.... but once that pet passes on, they can't acquire a new pet. I don't know how widespread this is.... but it has caught a few people.

Caution is to read the fine print.

Yep, one of my mums friends found this out., luckily about a year before they actually moved in, so they got another dog and another cat (both their current pets where getting on in age) so that when they moved a year later they had 2 dogs and 2 cats. That way when their older pets passed on they would hopefully still have the younger ones.

That was good thinking!

I know of a couple who got caught when their little dog they'd moved in with, died. They'd assumed, as most people would, that they could replace. But.... it was one of the places where it said 'No' getting a pet while you're a resident.

So they didn't mention that their dog had died. & took a very long holiday.... & in that time searched out a mature same breed dog that had much the same colouring. When they arrived back.... it was taken for granted it was the same dog.

But.... that was still a pretty dicey. So no doubt it's better to know the conditions from the start. If they'd been aware, they'd never have bought at a village with that rule.

[TillyDevine]

I just read that, the comments are amazing, so many dog haters out there!

I stopped reading the smh online, it seems comments on most of the stories on there are incredibly nasty..

As for tennants with pets...if I wasn't living in my house I would happily rent it out to someone with pets!

Edited July 5, 2013 by TillyDevine

[nawnim]

I think the notion that people be allowed to have pets in retirement villages needs to be treated with some caution. I have met some older people with inappropriate dogs, often a breed they have owned and bred for many years, and they are reluctant to admit that the breed is no longer appropriate for them. By inappropriate I mean that these dogs are large (over 20 kgs) and the owner has little control. I hate to think of life in a retirement village with some of these dogs. For dogs to live in a retirement village they need to be model canine citizens with responsible owners, perhaps even more so than dogs kept in suburban backyards because of the confined space.

As an example a few months ago I was at the vets (minus my dogs) and an elderly gentleman (in his 70s) had what looked to me to be a purebred Irish wolfhound. (I don't know much about wolfhounds other than that they are large). I left at the same time as this man and it was obvious he could not control his dog (he said he had hurt his back) which was about to pull him over. I offered to help and took charge of the dog's lead. When we got to the car park two smaller dogs on lead were there. The wolfhound lunged at them and if I had not seen the smaller dogs first the wolfhound would have got loose or would have pulled me over. I would hate to think of that man taking his dog to a retirement village.

[Sue & Waldo]

I know someone who moved in to a unit-no pets. She had a canary and tropical fish. One resident complained and the issue went to a body corporate meeting and the rule was changed from "no pets" to "no dogs or cats". Totally over-the-top! They had to pay for special general meetings.

I guess that the fish filters can be very noisy and the canary-well it sings better than I do!

[mymatejack]

I just read that, the comments are amazing, so many dog haters out there!

I stopped reading the smh online, it seems comments on most of the stories on there are incredibly nasty..

As for tennants with pets...if I wasn't living in my house I would happily rent it out to someone with pets!

It's very easy to say that when you haven't faced thousands of dollars worth of repairs due to poor tenants. Unfortunately until the courts start sticking up for landlords the pet rental problem will only get worse

[PuddleDuck]

I just read that, the comments are amazing, so many dog haters out there!

I stopped reading the smh online, it seems comments on most of the stories on there are incredibly nasty..

As for tennants with pets...if I wasn't living in my house I would happily rent it out to someone with pets!

It's very easy to say that when you haven't faced thousands of dollars worth of repairs due to poor tenants. Unfortunately until the courts start sticking up for landlords the pet rental problem will only get worse

My family has owned pet friendly rentals for about 15 years and we are yet to have a bad tenant, most are so grateful to be able to get a place with their pets at all. On the flip side our place was rented to a smoker before we moved in and we had to gut the place-3 years of heavy smoke and even the plasterboard needed to be pulled out. I'll take a dog any day!

[tdierikx]

My parents own property, and would rather rent to people with dogs than to those with small children... not so fussed on cats though - it's harder to get cat wee out of carpet than it is to get dog wee out apparently.

T.

[Steph M]

They need to cover retirement villages as well. So many won't allow pets.

I went to one on Sunday and rehomed one of my rescued dogs there, it was brilliant - place was full of little rescue dogs and very safe and secure. I will be seeing if I can place some more!!

I've just had a message from the new owner tonight to say how much she loves the dog I left on Sunday and is now so very happy. It makes all the difference to someone's life to have a little friend they can love and take for walks.

that sounds wonderful! what area is this retirement village in?

Wonder if they take 25 year olds? Sounds lovely to me too!

[zoiboy]

A step in the right direction. Very sad when older people in particular have to surrender a pet because they need to move into smaller accommodation. In the long run I wonder if it will make a difference to the number of pets surrendered due to rental issues as well.

I live in a block of Public Housing units, fortunately we are allowed to have dogs/cats. Once it wasn't allowed, but they have realised that older people need pets for their well being.

Unfortunately, private rentals are getting more & more anti dogs.

when i was a landlord i was NEVER anti dog (or any animial) but i learnt to be VERY anti children. (yes i have my flame suit on). the tenants with pets were wonderful. the tenant with the teenagres was a true EXPENCIVE nightmare of an experiance.