Strata pet bylaws in BC: what a strata can and cannot restrict

Last reviewed November 10, 2026, against the current Strata Property Act, Strata Property Regulation and Standard Bylaws on BC Laws.

The Standard Bylaw on pets

If your strata has not filed its own pet bylaw, Standard Bylaw 3 applies.

• Leashes. All animals must be leashed or otherwise secured when on the common property or on land that is a common asset (bylaw 3(3)).
• Limits. An owner, tenant or occupant must not keep any pets on a strata lot other than one or more of: a reasonable number of fish or other small aquarium animals, a reasonable number of small caged mammals, up to 2 caged birds, and one dog or one cat (bylaw 3(4)).

Note the wording: one dog or one cat, not one of each. Many stratas have replaced this with their own bylaw allowing more, fewer or none.

What a strata can do by bylaw

With a 3/4 vote and filing at the Land Title Office, a strata may:

• prohibit pets altogether,
• limit the number, type, size or weight of pets,
• require registration of pets with the strata,
• require pets to be carried or leashed in common areas,
• set rules on waste, noise and damage, and
• set fines within the Regulation's maximums.

Size and breed limits are permitted but should be written precisely, for example height at the shoulder when fully grown, so they can be applied without argument.

Grandfathering: section 123

A bylaw that prohibits a pet does not apply to a pet living with an owner, tenant or occupant if:

• immediately before the bylaw was passed, the pet lived with that person,
• by living with the pet, the person was not contravening any existing pet prohibition, and
• the pet continues to live with that person after the bylaw is passed.

Points to note:

• The exemption belongs to that pet. When it dies or moves out, a replacement is not exempt, unless the bylaw says otherwise.
• It protects against bylaws that prohibit a pet. Bylaws about leashing, waste and noise apply to every pet, including grandfathered ones.
• A buyer does not inherit a seller's exemption for a different animal.

Stratas should keep a register of exempt pets from the date the bylaw passes: lot number, type of animal, description.

Guide dogs and service dogs

A bylaw that prohibits a pet or other animal, or restricts an animal's access to a strata lot or common property, does not apply to a guide dog or service dog, or to a dog that is a member of a retired guide or service dog team where the person in the team is an owner, tenant or occupant (section 123(3)). These terms have the meanings in BC's Guide Dog and Service Dog Act, which provides for certification.

Human rights and assistance animals

Separately, the BC Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on grounds including physical and mental disability, and a bylaw is unenforceable to the extent it contravenes the Code (section 121). A resident who needs an animal because of a disability, even one that is not a certified service dog, may be entitled to accommodation unless it would cause the strata undue hardship. The strata may ask for reasonable medical information showing the disability-related need, should consider each request individually, and should keep the details confidential. See human rights and accommodation.

Enforcing a pet bylaw

1. A complaint is received. Barking, waste, an unregistered or extra pet.
2. Written particulars go to the owner or tenant, with an opportunity to answer, including a hearing if requested (section 135). For a tenant, the landlord and owner are also notified.
3. Council decides at a meeting and gives written notice of the decision.
4. Remedies: a warning or time to comply, a fine up to the bylaw's maximum, and for a continuing contravention a fine every 7 days if the bylaws provide.

A strata cannot seize or remove an animal itself. If a resident will not comply with a valid bylaw, the remedy is an order from the Civil Resolution Tribunal or a court requiring removal. See bylaw enforcement.

Tenants and visitors

Bylaws bind tenants and occupants as well as owners. A landlord must give a tenant the current bylaws and rules and a Notice of Tenant's Responsibilities (Form K) before renting (section 146). A tenancy agreement that allows a pet does not override a strata bylaw that prohibits it. Visiting pets are covered if the bylaw's wording reaches visitors: Standard Bylaw 3(3) on leashing does, but 3(4) is about keeping pets on a strata lot.

Buying with a pet

Read the filed bylaws, not the listing. Check the number and size limits, whether registration is required, and whether a bylaw change is on an upcoming agenda (the Form B must disclose bylaw amendments passed but not yet filed, and notices of resolutions not yet voted on). See how to get strata bylaws.

Questions councils and owners ask

Can a strata ban pets in BC?

Yes, by a bylaw passed by a 3/4 vote and filed at the Land Title Office, subject to grandfathering of existing pets and the exemptions for guide and service dogs.

How many pets are allowed under the Standard Bylaws?

One dog or one cat, plus a reasonable number of fish or small caged mammals and up to two caged birds.

Is my pet grandfathered if the strata passes a no-pet bylaw?

Yes, if it lived with you immediately before the bylaw passed and you were not already contravening a pet prohibition. The exemption ends when that pet no longer lives with you.

Do pet bylaws apply to service dogs?

No. Bylaws prohibiting or restricting animals do not apply to guide dogs or service dogs.

Can the strata remove my pet?

Not by itself. It can fine, and can seek an order from the tribunal or a court.

This page is general information for BC strata corporations, not legal advice. Your strata's own filed bylaws may differ from the Standard Bylaws. See the current text of the Strata Property Act and the Strata Property Regulation on BC Laws.

Related guides

Bylaw Enforcement
Strata Fines
Amending Bylaws
Unenforceable Bylaws
Human Rights and Accommodation
Noise Complaints