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Restrictions on where the animal may go

Answers

Reasonable conditions are enforceable. Conditions designed to make the animal impractical are not.

Generally reasonable

  • Leashing in shared areas, applied to every animal.
  • Not leaving the animal unattended in common spaces.
  • Using a designated relief area on the grounds.
  • Keeping the animal out of a pool, a gym or a food preparation area, where that applies to all animals.

Harder to justify

  • A requirement to use only a service entrance, which singles you out and is the kind of condition that reads as segregation rather than management.
  • A requirement to carry a medium or large animal through shared space, which is not workable and everyone knows it.
  • Restricting the hours you may enter or leave with the animal.
  • A rule preventing the animal from being in your own unit unattended, which is usually an attempt to make the arrangement impossible.

The test

Is the condition applied evenly, does it address a genuine concern, and does it leave the accommodation actually workable? A condition that satisfies all three is likely enforceable. One that makes the animal impractical to keep is a refusal wearing a condition as a disguise.

Common questions

Can they ban my animal from the lift?
In a building with an alternative that works, possibly. In a tower block with no other way up, that is not a workable condition and is arguable.

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A clinician licensed in your state reviews it and decides. The fee is refunded if they decline to issue, because a review that cannot say no is not a review.

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