The current by-laws have three options for the keeping of pets:
Option A: An owner or occupier of a lot must not, without the prior written approval of the owners corporation, keep any animal (except fish kept in a secure aquarium on the lot) on the lot or the common property.
Option B: An owner or occupier of a lot must not, without the prior written approval of the owners corporation, keep any animal (except a cat, a small dog or a small caged bird, or fish kept in a secure aquarium on the lot) on the lot or the common property.
Option C: An owner or occupier of a residential lot must not keep any animal on the lot or the common property.
The model by-laws state that should a strata scheme not elect a bylaw option, then option A will apply. While we know that the changes to the Strata Schemes Management Act have already been drafted into legislation, which is proposed to be effective as of July, the changes for the by-laws have not yet been put into writing.
While these changes are long overdue for animal loving strata dwellers, it must also be discussed that just because the standard by-laws are changing, there is no requirement for a strata schemes to adopt the by-law changes immediately.
The proposed changes are essentially to remove the options B and C and simply have that an owner must seek written approval and that the owners
corporation cannot unreasonably refuse permission, however until the regulations have been drafted and released, we cannot say for certain how the changes are to be adopted but we will keep you informed when we know what the model by laws are and how they are going to be adopted.
source www.acop.edu.au