Dog not allowed in apartment

[Woollygreymittens]

My son is a massive animal lover and a couple of years ago he rescued a dog from Greece. The dog is absolutely adorable, he is very placid and as good as gold. Recently my son has been unwell so to help him out I have sometimes been looking after the dog in my apartment.The apartment is leasehold and I bought it about 10 years ago and up to now I have had no issues.
Last month I got an email from the management company saying someone had reported that I had a pet dog in my apartment and they are not allowed according to the lease. I replied and told them the Dog just visited from time to time which is the truth. I thought I would hear no more but unfortunately I have received another email saying that dogs aren’t even allowed to visit. I think this is unfair and a very Draconian rule and I just wonder if anyone knows if this is even enforceable. I will be grateful for anyone input.
Just to add a few more details, I never leave the dog alone in the flat so there is no noise and nuisance to anyone. I never walk the dog anywhere near the flats so there is no dog fouling issues. The dog doesn’t moult so there are no dog hairs left in communal areas. The Property management company. manage two other block of flats adjacent to mine and I know there are dogs living within the other apartment blocks. One has lived there for about three years with seemingly no issues or complaints. Unfortunately in my block there is a couple who generally complain about lots of different things, from washing being seen in the windows, parking etc etc. I feel I’m very unfortunate to be living in the block with this couple. Can anyone suggest any way forward with this issue? I really want to continue helping my son out and I love having his dog staying in my apartment. I am retired and the dog gives me such joy and I do not have it on a permanent everyday basis.

You need to go to a meeting, there will be a chair person too, it needs to be discussed with all the residents.

There's a difference between having a dog visit with its owner for an afternoon and a dog staying for a few days while you take care of it. The former is usually ok, the latter not so much.

I don't think it's fair on dogs to be in apartments, they need access to outside and space to play.

@OverlyFragrant i’m just looking at the lease agreement the wording is actually “ Not without the written consent of the company to keep any Animal bird or reptile in the flat”
However, this is one rule amongst many which have now all been broken over the years when things tend to get more lax. It states nobody is allowed to have plant pot on their patio and everyone on the ground floor has got multiple pots and garden furniture on their patios.
It also states that no estate agent boards are allowed on the blocks, there are a estate agent boards everywhere now so this rule has been broken too.
Another rule that has now been discarded and ignored is that no one is to have Blinds up at their window. It also states that no radio or TV to be played in the flats! The list of rules are very long and very detailed and most of them no one adheres to

@PestoHoliday i’m in total agreement with you about dogs in flats which is why I would never choose to own one in my apartment. My son‘s dog however is a senior dog and spends most of the day asleep. I take him in my car for two walks a day if he’s with me. He tends to be with me at the weekend so my son is able to catch up on his sleep and relax while he is going through his treatment.

So keeping and visiting animals are different.
Does the lease say anything about visitors and ensuring they do not cause a nuisance?

No I would hazard a guess that because your visits are regular and no occasional it has been noticed. I get you are disappointed because you don't want the rules to apply to you BUT let's be very clear about this - it isn't unfair and it isn't Draconian. It's the rules you signed up to, knew about and agreed to when you rented/purchased this property. Rules don't apply just when you want them to, when they suit you or only if they seem fair.

@Hiptothisjive aww that’s a shame 😂 I’m just getting rebellious in my old age. I suppose I’m using this thread to vent at my frustration of the unfairness of the system as a family who had a balcony if you love me, had a dog living with them for four years.

*balcony below me
my phone grrrrrr

Rule is No Dogs, so that means no dogs.

IANAL but I think that it could be argued that keeping is not necessarily ownership so under that clause OP can't have visiting animals

‘Keeping’ isn’t visiting. I’d ignore it. The lease says keeping.

The problem is that if they allow you to have the dog visit then everyone else has a right to do the same and then one or more will leave dog shit in the grounds or pissing in the doorway etc

You may be responsible but others won’t be.

This is all well and good until you are booted out.

It doesn't do to try and be clever if you value your tenancy.

OP mentions the dog “staying”, which I assume means overnight. I could be wrong.

I’d consider a dog staying for a few days to be “keeping” a dog in the flat. I wouldn’t consider a dog visiting for the afternoon to be keeping.

Not sure where you are OP but this sound very common to me in the vast number of mansions blocks in central London - some are a straight no and heavily enforced, some are like yours - yes with permission and others just turn a blind eye unless it's a problem.

As your wording is not a blanket no, it suggests you can but only with permission So ask formally for permission. State that it's a formal request as per lease clause XX then detail about the dog, make it clear dog isn't yours, has vaccinations/insurance etc is old and mainly sleeps etc all the things you put on here. Be optimistic and ask for the consent in writing and what, if any, conditions apply. If they say no then ask for an explanation. It's surely worth a try and you can always use AI to write your letter!

Only thing to add, if there is a Head Lease & they have a strict no pets clause then your lease wording is irrelevant.

Seems to be the legal position

https://www.habello.com/guides/can-a-landlord-refuse-pets

I don’t think this is referring to long leases though, it seems to be about ASTs which are different to the leasehold arrangement OP has.

If I were OP I’d write to the management company explaining the situation to say it’s one specific dog of your sons that is old and placid and comes to occasionally visit and can you have permission for this. They might say yes…

I can understand your feeling that way, but I presume you wouldn't be naming them? I would simply be saying that this is one of many rules that are not being applied fairly and consistently as many other people in the apartments own pets or have visiting pets.

As previously stated if the Building has a No Pets head lease then what a landlord allows is irrelevant

I would have assumed the same - not allowed to keep a dog there but I wouldn't have thought it meant no visits.

How big is the dog? Can you sneak him up somehow. Stupid rule

The lease probably makes this clear. If if says pets pets can't come in the building then they could chuck you out for having a dog visit - end of.

I wouldn't be able to resist casually enquiring about the presence of the animals in the other buildings and why that was okay.

If it actually says this, then you aren't doing anything wrong imo.

@Woollygreymittens i think you are getting confused. The new renters legislation is about rules imposed by landlords when they are renting a house to someone. The OP is not renting. These are leasehold rules that run with the property.