Pet-friendly condos in Singapore: the rules to check

Hunting for a pet-friendly condo in Singapore? It helps to know that HDB’s approved-breed list does not apply to private homes. A condo follows two separate sets of rules: AVS limits on how many dogs and cats you may keep, and the management corporation’s by-laws on whether pets are allowed at all.

AVS allows up to three cats or dogs, or a mix of both, in a private home. If you would like a fourth, you can ask AVS for prior approval, which is assessed case by case. The limits of ownership page lists what AVS looks at. AVS also notes that a licence is not permission from your estate, so it is worth checking both.

Read the by-laws before you sign

Management corporations can ban pets, ban dogs, cap weight or height, or limit pets to certain blocks. Those rules live in the by-laws and house rules, not on a national list. We suggest asking the managing agent for the current pet clause in writing, and whether a recent general meeting has changed it. “Pets allowed” on a property portal is a helpful start, but the by-law is what counts.

• Are dogs allowed, and is there a weight, height or breed limit?
• Are cats treated differently from dogs? Some condos allow cats but not dogs, or the reverse.
• What about lifts, lobbies, pools and BBQ pits? Many condos welcome pets in the unit but not in shared facilities.
• What happens to a pet approved under an older rule if the by-laws change?
• Renting? Ask for the owner’s consent too, since the management corporation will write to the owner.

Specified dogs and being a good neighbour

A private home may keep one Specified dog, and AVS sets extra conditions. For every Specified dog, these include a leash and muzzle in public, insurance of at least $100,000, applicable training, and a banker’s guarantee. The guarantee is $5,000 for breeds in Part 1 of the list, which also have to be sterilised, and $2,000 for Part 2. The AVS Specified dogs page has the full list. These are AVS rules, separate from your condo’s, and a condo can still say no to a Specified dog.

In practice, barking, balcony mess and unleashed dogs in corridors cause most complaints. Even where pets are allowed, the management corporation can act on a nuisance. Keeping your dog leashed in common areas and away from the pool deck keeps everyone happy.

Renting and moving

Renting? We recommend writing your pet into the tenancy agreement. A verbal “the landlord is fine with it” is hard to show the managing agent later. Moving from an HDB flat? A breed that was fine there is not automatically welcome in the condo. A breed outside HDB’s list can be kept privately only if both AVS and the condo allow it.