Pets and Apartment Living in Bangalore: A Guide for Owners, Associations and Buyers

Pet ownership and apartment living meet daily in Bangalore, and the meeting point is usually the lift, the lobby or the garden. This guide speaks to three groups in turn: owners, associations and buyers or tenants. First comes the legal ground they all share.

The Legal Ground

The AWBI, formally the Animal Welfare Board of India, is the statutory board on which the central government relies for animal welfare guidance. It framed guidelines on 26 February 2015 for resident welfare associations and for associations of apartment owners, covering pets as well as stray dogs. A clarification dated 1 June 2020 says the Board's later advice leaves those guidelines intact.

Constitutional and statutory support lies behind them. Every citizen has a duty of compassion towards living creatures under the Constitution's Article 51A(g), and the 1960 animal cruelty law makes cruelty an offence. Its Section 11(1)(g) applies to an owner who shuts a dog in with no reasonable exercise.

On bans, the guidelines are firm on the following points:

• An association has no lawful way to stop residents from having pet dogs or cats
• A resolution carried by most residents does not validate the ban
• Restrictions by size or breed of dog are outside the association's authority
• Noise from barking is no accepted reason for a ban or restriction
• A bye-law that contradicts national law has no effect, however it was adopted
• Compelling an owner to part with a pet or abandon it is intimidation, and intimidation is an offence

For Owners: Keeping the Peace

The right to a pet is protected, though consideration for others is expected in return. Complaints cluster around a handful of habits. Wherever people pass, whether in corridors, lobbies, lifts or driveways, a dog should be leashed. Owners should bring bags on all walks and clear waste at once.

Keep vaccinations up to date and the record ready for the association office. Any lift and walking-hour arrangement agreed in the community should be followed. In the lift, priority belongs to a neighbour who is frightened of dogs or has a young child.

Behaviour needs attention too. Early training, daily exercise and a plan for barking spells while the family is out all help, since a tired dog stays quiet. Registering the pet with the association office, with an emergency number, is sensible. Owners who are friendly and act on complaints seldom receive a formal notice.

For Associations: Rules That Hold Up

Even where pets are welcome, the association has a role: keeping shared spaces clean, protecting residents who are uneasy with animals, and resolving disputes when they are still small. Rules that are clear and lawful serve better than a prohibition nobody can enforce.

Where lifts are concerned, the guidelines allow neither a ban on pets nor a fee. In a tower with several lifts in service, the association may name one for pets, so long as residents can reach it easily. A total ban in gardens and parks is discouraged, as a dog without exercise can turn aggressive, and agreed walking hours are encouraged.

Leashes and clearing up can be required in common areas. Muzzles and special fines for owners cannot. Useful steps are:

• A register of pets with flat numbers and vaccination dates
• Walking hours that are fixed, and a relief spot away from play areas
• One lift reserved for pets, in towers that have several
• Bins and bag dispensers placed on the walking route
• A small group of residents, pet owners among them, to listen to complaints

Some newer projects use design to ease matters, with an enclosed pets' park, a washing spot or a signposted route for walks. Licensing for pets has been proposed by the city corporation at various times. The animal husbandry wing can confirm what applies now, and an association may ask for whichever licence the law requires.

For Buyers and Tenants: What to Check

A pet changes the needs of a household, so it belongs in every site visit. It is better to ask before the booking than to argue afterwards:

1. Study the association's bye-laws, or the drafts in a new project, to see whether pets are mentioned.
2. Ask the people who live there what actually happens in lifts and on lawns.
3. Check whether the project has a pet park or open land, and if there is somewhere close by to walk.
4. Check how many lifts the tower has and whether there is a service lift.
5. For a big or old dog, a flat on a low floor or a garden home works better.
6. Measure the balcony railing, including the gaps between bars.
7. Make sure the lease spells out the pet clause and any deposit.
8. Locate the closest vet and learn the emergency hours.

A tenant is treated like an owner because the guidelines mention residents and occupiers. The landlord's agreement still counts, since a lease binds only the two parties who sign it. Browse apartments for sale in Bangalore to see homes across the city.

Settling a Disagreement

Usually the managing committee gets a letter first, stating the facts and referring to the AWBI guidelines. Anyone disturbed by a pet may use the same route, and any complaint on noise, hygiene or a dog bite should be heard promptly and fairly.

If a committee presses for a ban, a fine or limits on lift use, the owner may approach the Board or ask a lawyer. A dog bite is different, and the owner stays answerable under the general law. House rules that are clear help both sides more than a contest.