# Apt Management Co's and having a pet - does anyone know?



## Audders (18 Oct 2007)

Hi,

Can anyone tell me if you buy an apartment in a development, then how much control the management companies have over you in relation to pets?  For example, I'm interested in buying an apartment in a lovely development, and my sister went to look at a place to rent in the same development and she was told there were no pets allowed.

That got me thinking - obviously, I can see why you would not be allowed to have for example a pony or a few alsations in an apartment development, but what about a small cat?


Doe this mean if I were to buy an apartment in a development I could not have my  cat live with me?  I am 100% serious here - I know it sounds odd.

Confused,

Thanks,

Audders


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## jacobean (18 Oct 2007)

Officially it depends on what your lease/house rules have in them.  I live in an apartment block and our lease says you can have a small pet as long as it doesn't cause a nuisance - as far as I can see there are two animals in the complex, a cat and a small dog - neither cause any problem.


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## mf1 (18 Oct 2007)

"my sister went to look at a place to rent in the same development and she was told there were no pets allowed."

Perhaps because of the perception that they wreck the furniture.....

mf


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## moneygrower (18 Oct 2007)

our apartment allows pets if they don't disturb anyone, had a cat myself neighbour has a dog. Maybe you could ring the management company and ask if there's any lee way. If you are getting a cat I recommend a kitten who has never known the outdoors ours wasn't too happy without her wanderings though I stayed in a new york apartment with a cat who had never been out and seemed to enjoy be king of his realm.


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## Audders (18 Oct 2007)

Thank you so much for your replies.

I understand the perception that an animal can cause problems. 

thats a great idea to ask the management company directly!  Never thought of that!

Thanks again,

Audders


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## Yachtie (18 Oct 2007)

One of the rules in my estate is 'No Pets'. However, I've seen a few cats and small dogs. 

I think that it's more about dogs barking and 'messing up' the grounds rather than a very strict 'No Pets'. Using the strict interpretation, you wouldn't be allowed a gold fish. 

You should be ok as long as your pet is not a nuisance to other residents.


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## Bob the slob (19 Oct 2007)

Yeah mine is the same, its a strict no pets but I have a snake and its hardly gonna cause upset to he neighbours, unless I bring it out which is highly unlikely.


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## Calico (19 Oct 2007)

I woudn't worry about it.....they're never going to know if you have a cat & even if they found out there woudn't be much they could do about it, rules or no rules.....


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## csirl (19 Oct 2007)

You also need to consider the welfare of the animal. Its not fair to keep an animal that needs space or fresh air in a small apartment.

Personally I think its unfair to keep a dog locked up in an apartment all day long - they need at least a garden to run around. Cats are noctural hunters, locking them up is also cruel (and if you are in an apartment & you let your cat wander outside, it will most certainly be a nuisance to other residents - cats dont respect property rights or boundaries).

Things like tropical fish are probably ok in an apartment.


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## Ghodadaba (19 Oct 2007)

I don't think it is cruel at all to keep a cat in an apartment. Cats may be nocturnal hunters in the wild, but a domestic cat's natural instinct to hunt becomes pretty much defunct once it gets plenty of Whiskas.

In fact, some cat sanctuaries and cat rescue centres will only rehome cats with people who promise to keep them indoors. For example, Kitten Adoption will ask you to sign a declaration to say that you will not allow your cat to roam and will keep it indoors if possible.

Once the cat has somewhere to litter, ie a tray, and some toys and stuff to keep it occupied, any cat, particularly a female cat, will be quite happy and healthy indoors.

A dog is a different matter because it needs to be walked. But cats only need minimal excercise (which it can get indoors) and are perfectly happy to be left alone for several hours a day.


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## Harlequin (19 Oct 2007)

Indoor cats also live longer and have fewer health problems than outdoor cats. Ideally, it's great if a cat can have occasional access to a garden but if that means roaming, risking road death, fighting and communicable diseases, keeping a cat indoors is a better option. 

I would agree dogs are less suited to apartment life, although small lapdogs might be happy enough in a large apartment with plenty of green areas nearby for walks and so on. But cats have different needs and cope well with the indoor life, as long as they have toys and scratching posts and so on.

One thing to be aware of (I saw it on one of those vet programmes on tv) is that apartment cats have a tendency to occasionally forget how high up they are and leap off balconies or out of windows after birds, causing serious injuries!


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## amtc (20 Oct 2007)

my management co says no pets  - yet the residents committee all have cats. 

got a bit thick after cat decided he lived here and ran in my door. Every night.

However after watergun advice on this forum it's worked

Kind of half happy that no rats!


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## Bubbly Scot (22 Oct 2007)

It comes down to your lease agreement/house rules which you should be made aware of at the time of purchase. As a general rule of thumb tho, it's up to the management company to enforce such rules and in my experience, if a small pet isn't causing a nuisance such a rule wouldn't be enforced.


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## Calico (28 Nov 2007)

Harlequin said:


> One thing to be aware of (I saw it on one of those vet programmes on tv) is that apartment cats have a tendency to occasionally forget how high up they are and leap off balconies or out of windows after birds, causing serious injuries!



How true. My mischievous kitt managed to push open a window a few months back and decided to try her paw at flying......using a fourth storey window sill as a launch pad. Amazingly, after a few difficult days chez la vet she made a full recovery. I'm still shook though......


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## Guest121 (28 Nov 2007)

Audders said:


> Hi,
> 
> Can anyone tell me if you buy an apartment in a development, then how much control the management companies have over you in relation to pets? For example, I'm interested in buying an apartment in a lovely development, and my sister went to look at a place to rent in the same development and she was told there were no pets allowed.
> 
> ...


 
Audders, it'll all be in your lease, if they say no pets then theoretically you should have no pets.  However, in reality you should be fine unless it causes someone else a nuisance then they can complain and if it's in your lease that you can't have a pet then that's that.

I have a parrot, nobody complains and the Management Co know I have one.


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## deedee80 (29 Nov 2007)

Your sis was probably told no pets as she's renting and not many people renting out apartments would want pets I would imagine.  As you will own your apartment it should be a different story.  I personally would think that a cat in an apartment would be fine.


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## Harlequin (7 Dec 2007)

Calico said:


> How true. My mischievous kitt managed to push open a window a few months back and decided to try her paw at flying......using a fourth storey window sill as a launch pad. Amazingly, after a few difficult days chez la vet she made a full recovery. I'm still shook though......


 
 Poor kitty! It's amazing what they can survive. Bet you'd like to install locks on all windows now!


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## Demonique (23 Mar 2008)

Shortly after I moved a gecko and a royal python in to my bedsit, I asked my landlord if pets were allowed, he said no, but then asked what I had.

I now have 19 snakes (6 of the 8 baby cornsnakes room together), 3 leopard geckos and a gerbil family (the smell of the live gerbils makes the baby snakes think the defrosted mice they're getting are actually alive)


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## mercman (23 Mar 2008)

Demonique -- Maybe you should tell everybody where actually you live, in order that we may all avoid the vicinity of your apartment.Yuch ! 

To answer the main Thread, if it in the lease that No pets allowed then that is what it means. This business of nobody doing anything about it is rubbish. If a lease term is broken, challenged and brought to Court the Law will find in favour of those who are complaining and more importantly costs of both sides will go to those who broke the lease terms.

I had a case recently where the owner above my apartment installed a wooden floor and despite warning him against court action, it went to Court, he lost and it cost him about €120,000. His fees, my fees, my expert fees, the MC legal fees, new carpets, my loss of rent etc.The terms of a lease are the laws relevant to the development whether it is trivial or not.


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## shesells (23 Mar 2008)

Our development rules say no pets. Lease states no pets that cause disturbance to others. Interpreted as no dog but cats okay until someone complains about cats. 

Currently trying to get rid of 2 barking dogs that affect approx 50/80 units but at least 5 cats in development that bother nobody.


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## Guest121 (27 Mar 2008)

mercman said:


> I had a case recently where the owner above my apartment installed a wooden floor and despite warning him against court action, it went to Court, he lost and it cost him about €120,000. His fees, my fees, my expert fees, the MC legal fees, new carpets, my loss of rent etc.The terms of a lease are the laws relevant to the development whether it is trivial or not.


 
I have heard of a few similar stories.


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## highly (27 Mar 2008)

To be honest, I wouldn't buy an apartment in a development which didn't have a "no pets" rule. I am an absolute animal lover so that's not the problem. However, nothing would annoy (or upset) me more than having a dog bark all day because they were restricted. 

As for snakes etc. They're never going to annoy you - however, if someone else's cat found a cosy corner on my balcony and resided there all day, i wouldn't be happy. 

The rules are rules for a reason. One of of things I'm looking forward to most when we can afford to trade up is getting a dog but you would want to have very understanding neighbours to risk bringing a pet in. To be honest, it would be very upsetting having to get rid of your pet if neighbours started complaining.


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