You wake up to the sound of your neighbour’s dog barking as they pass through the hallway for their morning walk. You get ready to start your day, and you walk through your hallway to the sight of the same dog without a leash on, dirtying the floors with its paws from outside.

This is no way to live properly, and it makes it much harder to live in harmony when you may need to confront your neighbour about this situation. How do you even begin to address this pet problem if it could possibly lead to some tension in this relationship?

This is where your strata council and management company come into play. They set the bylaws and rules in place for pets that residents must follow to avoid having complaints. To understand more about how they can resolve any pet-related issues, continue reading:

Drafting reasonable pet bylaws.

As mentioned, strata managers are who pass the bylaws set. Examples include the types of pets allowed, the size or breed and much more. Residents who want to live in the strata must understand these rules before moving.

Strata managers should always ask potential residents about any pets so that there are no surprises later, and the bylaws should be defined clearly in regards to why they are in place. The reason could be as simple as protecting the safety, comfort, and health of residents. At the same time, the bylaws should be reasonable and enforced in friendly ways. Rule can be enforced through stages of warning so that there is constant communication between manager and resident.

Enforce pet bylaws.

Animal owners will most likely be willing to follow all of the bylaws they signed to follow, as to avoid eviction of their pet or even themselves. However, there will be residents willing to stretch the rules as much as they can, and this can annoy other neighbours around them. This is where the actual enforcing of the pet bylaws come into play. When a resident has continuously neglected following the rules, it is recommended they be sent a first warning letter or small violation fine, as outlined by the pet bylaws. If there are many bylaws to follow, the resident may have forgotten to follow one, or may be new to the strata causing an honest mistake.

Strata managers should not be afraid to try to create and foster a relationship with a resident by speaking to them in person. This will come off more personable rather than providing them with a letter, depending on the circumstance. This could be also be a useful opportunity to ask about their opinion on the current pet bylaws. The more opinions gathered, the better as they can be brought up during a council meeting. Changes can be made to pet bylaws as council members see fit.

If there are more serious pet issues or complaints, it may be time to consult with local and aninal control officials to ensure your process is similar to theirs.

There is a lot to consider when it comes developing the right pet policies for your strata. For more guidance on how to handle pet bylaws, contact FirstService Residential.

Wednesday July 15, 2020