We get more pet requests than we used to, and since 1 December 2025 the law’s caught up with that. A blanket “no pets” policy isn’t really an option anymore. Refusing a request now needs a genuine reason behind it, not just a preference.
It’s a bigger shift than it sounds. Under the old rules, a landlord could decline a pet outright, no explanation required, which meant plenty of tenants never asked at all. Pets ended up living in properties quietly, with no bond covering them and no agreed conditions to fall back on if something went wrong. The new process is designed to bring all of that into the open, for the tenant’s sake and the owner’s.
Here’s how we actually work through a request, and where a refusal still stands up.
How a Pet Request Actually Works
A tenant asks by completing a request form that covers the type of pet, how many, and whether the property and any local bylaws allow for it. We also ask for the basics on size, breed and temperament, because that detail is exactly what the reasonable-grounds test below turns on, a refusal that isn’t backed by specifics doesn’t hold up.
We have 21 calendar days to respond in writing, approving it, approving it with conditions, or declining it with genuine grounds. Miss that window, or decline without a real reason, and the penalty can run up to $1,500. We treat that response deadline like any other compliance date: tracked well ahead of time, not left until it’s nearly overdue.
Why We Rarely Say No Outright
A refusal only holds up if it’s based on genuine grounds, not a general preference against pets. The ones we actually rely on:
- The property itself isn’t suitable – too small, no adequate fencing, or features that would be difficult or costly to repair if damaged
- A rule outside our control – a local bylaw, body corporate rule, or cross-lease condition that prohibits pets
- The tenant hasn’t met bylaw requirements – registration, microchipping, desexing, or containment rules that apply to that animal
- The pet itself isn’t suitable – too many animals, an unsuitable size or type for the property, or a dog classified as dangerous or menacing
- A past breach – the tenant previously broke pet conditions, or won’t agree to reasonable ones this time
In practice, the property itself is the ground we lean on most. A top-floor apartment with no outdoor access isn’t a fair fit for a large dog, whatever its temperament. The body corporate ground comes up constantly in unit-title buildings too, where the rules were often written before pet ownership became this common, and we’re bound by them regardless of what we’d otherwise agree to.
Outside of grounds like these, a decline doesn’t really stand up, and we’re upfront with owners about that before they ask us to say no.
What We Ask For When We Say Yes
Where we approve a pet, we can also set conditions, and a pet bond is the main one. It’s capped at 2 weeks’ rent, on top of the general bond cap of 4 weeks.
That bond exists for the same reason the general bond does. It covers pet-related damage the property is left with, which is exactly the kind of thing that turns into a who’s responsible argument at move-out if it isn’t documented properly from day one.
Beyond the bond, we’ll often set conditions like keeping the pet off carpeted areas, a professional flea and odour treatment at the end of the tenancy, or a cap on numbers, whatever’s proportionate to the property and the animal.
One Exception We Always Recognise
Disability assist dogs sit outside all of this entirely. They aren’t treated as a pet under these rules at all, so consent, bonds and conditions simply don’t apply, and a no-pets clause in the tenancy agreement can’t be used against one.
How Our Team Handles Pet Requests
We respond to every request within the 21-day window, and we don’t do it from a desk. Where it’s relevant, that means a look at the property itself, fencing, flooring, outdoor space, before deciding whether a condition would actually address the risk or whether the grounds for a decline are genuine.
We apply the same standard consistently across our managed properties, and set a pet bond wherever it’s appropriate so owners aren’t carrying that risk alone.
Not Sure How to Handle a Pet Request?
Getting a refusal wrong is an expensive way to find out the grounds weren’t good enough. Get in touch with your local Wolfbrook team before you respond to one.