News Alert! Liberty Village is home to A LOT of cats and dogs. By some accounts, 50% of the area’s residents own a cat or a dog. Some people say it’s more than that. There have been Toronto Life articles written about Liberty Village pet owners!

If you are a responsible pet owner, there are things you should know about living in a condo.

Every condominium has a set of by-laws that address the rules regarding pets. Whether you own your condo or are renting it it’s important to note that your condo’s  by-laws supersede the City of Toronto by-laws as well as the Residential Tenancies Act.

Most Toronto condos have some form of pet restrictions. They can vary greatly but will resemble something along these lines:

• No pets allowed (rare in dowtown Toronto and non-existent in Liberty Village)
• Only dogs under 30 lbs allowed (i.e. last I checked 150 Sudbury St had this rule in their by-laws)
• Only one dog per unit
• No live reptiles
• Only one cat, one dog per unit
• No “dangerous” breeds

It might be pretty common to see an owner with 2 dogs in a building that only allows one per unit or a big dog in a building that only allows small ones. Enforcement varies by condo building but it is important to keep in mind that these by-laws are non-negotiable and can be enforced at any time. Be aware of your building’s pet rules BEFORE you rent or purchase a condo if you are a pet owner or intend to become one.

Is there a dog that barks day and night on your floor? Perhaps you are the owner of a dog that barks from the minute you leave in the morning to the minute you arrive home from work? Residents of condos are entitled to ‘quiet enjoyment’ of their unit and that means they don’t have to listen to your barking dog. Condo boards have a lot of power, including evicting your noisy dog IF they are disrupting other residents’ ‘quiet enjoyment’.

And remember….please be a responsible pet owner and pick up after your pet:)