If a listing says "no pets", the usual reaction is either to skip the property or to say nothing and hope the dog goes unnoticed. Both are gambles. The decision you actually need to make before applying is narrower and more useful: what rules bind this property, who has to consent, and which of those rules you can verify in writing before you sign anything.
Pet rules are set by state and territory residential tenancies laws, and the published guidance differs. This article works from two official sources — Consumer Protection (Government of Western Australia) and the Residential Tenancies Authority (RTA) in Queensland — to show the questions worth asking. If you rent elsewhere, use the same checklist against your own state or territory regulator's guidance.
The timing changes the process
This is the distinction most renters miss, and the RTA states it plainly: the pet application process set out in Queensland's Act covers requesting a pet during a tenancy, and "this process does not apply when requesting to keep a pet at the start of a tenancy."
So if you already have a pet when you apply, you are not filing a formal pet request under that process. The RTA's guidance is to notify the managing party of the pet in your Rental application (Form 22/R22) and make sure that is reflected in the tenancy agreement.
Practical reading: at application stage, your route is disclosure plus negotiation, with the outcome written into the agreement itself. The formal statutory request mechanism is what you would use later, once you are already a tenant. That makes the application form and the agreement draft the two documents to read closely.
Question to verify: your state or territory may run this differently. Check whether your regulator describes a separate process for pets requested at the start of a tenancy, at the start, or during one.
Western Australia: approval, conditions and refusals
Consumer Protection WA presents pet approval as a process with steps rather than a casual yes or no. Its guidance refers to a landlord applying for Commissioner approval where they want to refuse a pet, including for reasons beyond the specific grounds listed on the page ("Landlords can apply to refuse a pet for other reasons, such as:").
Two practical consequences:
- A landlord's "no" is not necessarily the final word. Under the WA process described by Consumer Protection, some refusals are ones the landlord must seek approval for rather than simply impose. Ask which kind of refusal you are dealing with, and ask for the reason in writing.
- Conditions are not free-floating. Consumer Protection WA states that conditions "only apply if they are approved." Treat any condition — limits on the number or type of animals, requirements about the yard, expectations about noise or waste — as something that must form part of the approved arrangement, not something added later by text message.
Consumer Protection WA also notes that different rules apply for working dogs, referring to assistance dogs, guide dogs or hearing dogs as defined under the relevant law. Do not assume the ordinary pet process covers those animals; check the definition that applies to your situation.
By-laws can override a landlord's yes
Both sources treat scheme rules as a separate hurdle, and this is where renters get caught even after doing everything right.
The RTA advises tenants to check body corporate by-laws before asking to keep a pet, because breaching those by-laws is a breach of the tenancy agreement. In other words, a landlord's consent does not protect you if the scheme's rules prohibit or restrict the animal — you can end up in breach of your agreement anyway.
Consumer Protection WA frames the same check as a pre-signature step: check the by-laws prior to signing a rental agreement. It also raises a coordination point worth resolving early: the tenant should check with the property manager or landlord as to who should communicate the request to the Council of Owners, before the landlord approves the request.
If nobody notifies the body corporate, you may hold a landlord's approval that the scheme does not recognise. Agree in writing who makes that approach, and ask for written confirmation once it happens.
Checklist before you apply
Work through this before submitting an application, not after an approval:
- Find your state or territory tenancy regulator's pet page and read it for your situation.
- Read the listing carefully and ask whether "no pets" reflects the landlord's preference or a scheme rule.
- Request the by-laws in writing if the property is in a body corporate, strata, community or owners corporation scheme.
- Disclose the pet in the application form itself — Queensland's Form 22/R22 process is the model — including the number and type of animals.
- Ask what conditions the landlord would want, and get them in writing before signing.
- Confirm whether those conditions form part of an approved arrangement (WA: conditions only apply if approved).
- Confirm who notifies the Council of Owners or body corporate, and ask for written confirmation it was done.
- Assess the property honestly: fencing, escape routes, shared areas, balconies, and whether the space suits the animal you have.
- Keep copies of the application, the by-laws, the approval, any conditions and all correspondence.
Questions to put in writing
Email beats a phone call, because you need a record. Adapt these:
- Is the property part of a body corporate, strata, community scheme or owners corporation? Can I see the by-laws before signing?
- Does the landlord approve pets with conditions? What are those conditions?
- Who is responsible for communicating the request to the Council of Owners or body corporate, and can I have written confirmation?
- If the answer is no, what is the ground? Is the landlord making that decision directly, or seeking approval (WA process)?
- Will the approved pet and any conditions be recorded in the tenancy agreement?
If you are refused
Ask for the reason in writing, then compare it against the grounds your state or territory regulator publishes. In WA, check whether the refusal is one the landlord must seek Commissioner approval for. Do not move a pet in undisclosed on the assumption it will be fine later — under the RTA's guidance, breaching body corporate by-laws alone can put you in breach of your tenancy agreement.
If the refusal involves an assistance, guide or hearing animal, treat it as a separate question. Consumer Protection WA confirms different rules apply to working dogs, and the definition in the relevant law matters.
Next steps
- Today: open your state or territory regulator's renting-with-pets page and read the pet section against this checklist.
- Before you sign: obtain the by-laws, the pet approval and any conditions in writing, and confirm the pet is named in the tenancy agreement.
- If buying a place of your own is part of your longer-term plan rather than renting indefinitely, Australian Today's home loan guide at /money/home-loans/ explains the lending basics in plain language.
General information only
This article is general information, not legal advice, and it is not personalised to your tenancy, property or circumstances. Australian pet rules vary by state and territory, are amended over time, and interact with scheme by-laws that differ property by property. Confirm current requirements with your state or territory tenancy regulator or a tenancy advice service before you rely on anything here. Australian Today is an independent publisher; it is not a government body, regulator, lender, broker or comparison service, and it cannot approve a pet request or tell you how a landlord or scheme will decide.