Renting with Pets

If you are already living in the property, you can request permission from your landlord to keep a pet at the property.

Your request should be on a Form 25 – Pet Request Form.  Your landlord then has 14 days to respond to the request (consider time for postage if you have sent the request by mail).

When your landlord responds to the request 

Your landlord can:

• Approve the request; or

• Approve the request, but with conditions that do not require Commissioner approval; or

• Approve the request but with conditions and apply to the Commissioner for approval of those conditions; or

• Refuse the request for a reason that does not require Commissioner approval; or

• Refuse the request and apply to the Commissioner for approval to refuse.

Note, you can find information about when Commissioner approval may be required in our Renting with Pets Fact Sheet.

If your landlord does not respond to the request

Your landlord is taken to approve your request, and you can keep a pet at the property in the manner you described on your Pet Request Form.

When you have a pet at the property, you will be responsible for any damage caused by your pet.  If your pet causes damage to the property, your landlord may ask you to compensate them for any required repairs.

Some of the common damages caused by pets include:

• Torn flyscreens;

• Holes in the gardens;

• Scratches on doors or floorboards; and

• Stains and damage to carpets.

You are also responsible for ensuring your pet does not cause any nuisance at the property.  Some examples of nuisance may be excessive barking or scratching at fences/common walls.

Your landlord can ask you to pay an extra bond amount if you are keeping a pet at the property. The pet bond can be up to $260 (unless your rent is more than $1200 per week).

The pet bond can only be used to pay for pest fumigation (if this is necessary when you move out) or used to cover damage caused by pets too.