Of course, Torontonians love pets. Their attachment to furry babies cannot be judged. But, at the same time when it comes to the residential pursuit, Toronto does become quite a struggle. The simplest solution to this is buying Condos that will allow your pets. Nevertheless, it's best to know all aspects of Toronto's Pet Residential Rules and Regulations.
 

Common Condo Pet Rules 101

Most condo brokers will give you heads-up on the rules and regulations. You will need to abide by these laws once you decide on living in that condo. These laws are generally maintained to keep governance to avoid any commotion. You will need to present some of your documents. In return, you too will be handed certain documents that will contain details about everything. For instance: visitor parking, gym facilities, amenities like a guest suite and swimming pool, and noise complaints. This is where you will find the Pet Restrictions Policy in case your condo has set rules against pets. The restrictions include some common details. For example, the type and the breed of the pet, number of pets and the weight of the pets. Most condos do not permit more than 1 or 2 dogs. The ideal weight of a pet should be no more than 25 to 50 pounds. So, in case your pupper is of a bigger breed, you will have to look for more accepting Condos. The rules apply equally for both the owners and the tenants.

Then, you will also have to abide by some other standard rules. For example, picking up once your pet's business is done, keeping the barking minimum and always walking them with a leash.

 

Buying Condos with No-Pet Policy

So, what when you bought or rented a condo with a No-Pet Policy? You might have pets already or you might be planning on having them in the near future. How can you deal with that? Well, in some cases, usually the residents carry on staying at the Condo hoping things won't go wrong. But, more often than not you will have nosy neighbors. They might even send you a notice regarding the interference with condo rules. You can appeal to the board in this case to lift the No-Pet Policy. If that fails, you can try a legal course to fight for your cause. Pet Restrictions have more or less caused harm to the Condo business. With more people opting for pets, the property value of Condos with more pet restrictions has been declining. Talking to the board helps. If that does not work, legal discourse is your final option. However, keep this as your last option since legal courses consume a lot of time, money and energy.

 

How Strict are these Pet Rules?

The approximate answer would be both yes and no. While some Condos don't force any restrictions at all, there are some who are pretty strict about having no pets. On the other hand, there are Condos that settle in the middle by allowing some pets under a few rules. Most of these will have written conditions to abide by. Usually, you will be given chances up to 'three ticks' after which you might be asked to evict the building. Sometimes they can even get lawyers involved. However, in that case, it can be quite a time consuming during which you can look for Condos that are more open to pets. Either way, they can't take away your pet or compel you to sell or get rid of it. The most you will need to do is look for another residential area.

 

Pet Rules Exceptions

Thanks to the Human Rights Code which rules over the Condominium Act, there are some exceptions that will let you and your furry friend live in peace.

Condo rules and regulations are all set as per the Condominium Act settled in 1988. This includes the construction of Condos, buying and selling of Condos and the residential governance over them. There are key principles that would be your basic guidelines during your stay. However, the act is outweighed by the Human Rights Code. For instance: you are a disabled person and have a seeing-eye dog that is of a larger breed. You will be allowed to keep this dog regardless of what rules and regulations the Condo follows. Mostly, all service pets do not need to follow the Condominium Act.

The Condominium Act has another loophole. If the laws are not enforced upon the building regularly, the residents may call it "non-compliance". This way they have the benefit of assuming that the Condo rules and regulations for pets are no longer valid. Another exception is when a mediator or a court allows you to keep a pet. You will be freed from following the pet regulations.

 

Pet Residential Tenancy Act

As per the Residential Tenancy Act, no landlord is allowed to include a No-Pet Policy under their lease. The only exceptions to this rule are when the condo building itself follows the No-Pet Clause. In case an owner does not want to allow a pet, they are free to reject the Tenant's application. There will be no tenancy until both parties have signed a rental agreement. Until that time the owner can refuse to rent the Condo.

The Residential Tenancy Act must be followed equally by the owners and the tenants. A landlord cannot get a Tenant evicted even if they were not made aware of the pets. Even if the pet came after signing the rental agreement, the landlord cannot get the Condo evicted. Even if your lease agreement strictly mentions a No-Pet Policy, you will not be allowed to get the tenant or their pet evicted. However, if you are a tenant, you have a benefit. Your landlord is not to ask for any damage fee caused by your pet. You should be paying only the rent of the Condo and an advance deposit before Tenancy. The deposits will not be used to pay for any damage caused by your pets. It can be used either to cover any unpaid rental dues or to get a new misplaced key.

 

Bottom Line

The silver lining lies in the fact that more Condos have opened their doors for pets. Toronto is growing its infrastructure. Along with it, it is also creating more space for pet companions. Unlike a few years back, you will now find more Condo options that fully allow you and your pack to reside happily. You just will need to walk into them.

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