You bought into a strata scheme. You want a small dog or a cat. The committee says no — or worse, has demanded you remove a pet you already own. In most cases the law is clearly on your side, and a properly-drafted strata complaint is the document that makes that point unmistakable.
The legal position across Australia
The landmark NSW case Cooper v The Owners – Strata Plan No 58068 [2020] established that blanket pet prohibitions are “harsh, unconscionable or oppressive” and invalid under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015. NSW model by-law 5 now permits pets with notice. Victoria’s Owners Corporations Act 2006 was amended in 2021 with similar pet-friendly defaults; disputes go to VCAT. Queensland’s Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 has long required reasonable consideration of pet requests, with refusals reviewable by the BCCM Commissioner. WA (Strata Titles Act 1985), SA (Strata Titles Act 1988), ACT (Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011), Tasmania (Strata Titles Act 1998) and NT (Unit Title Schemes Act 2009) all require by-laws to be reasonable, with tribunal review available.
Common refusals and why they fail
“The by-law says no pets.” Blanket prohibitions are largely unenforceable post-Cooper. “We’ve always done it this way.” Historic practice is not a legal defence to an invalid by-law. “Other owners might object.” Hypothetical objections do not justify refusal — actual nuisance is dealt with separately. “Your pet is too big.” Size restrictions must be reasonable and connected to the building’s amenities, not arbitrary.
What the document does
A Strata Complaint / Pet Application challenges the refusal in writing, cites the relevant statute and case law, frames your pet keeping as compliant with model by-laws, and requests written reasons or invalidation of any blanket prohibition. It positions you for tribunal escalation if the committee digs in.
What Claim Done delivers
For a flat $79, Claim Done drafts your strata complaint with the correct Act citations for your state, references to Cooper or its state-equivalent reasoning, and the specific orders you want from the owners corporation. Plain-English, tribunal-ready, and far cheaper than the $400–$800 a strata lawyer would charge.
What happens after
Most committees reverse a pet refusal once they receive a properly-drafted challenge — the legal exposure of defending an invalid by-law in tribunal is too high. If the committee refuses, the matter escalates to NCAT, VCAT, QCAT or your state equivalent for orders invalidating the by-law and permitting your pet.