Pets in Apartments: A Survival Guide

By Sophie Kininmonth · 5 Feb 2026 (updated 21 Jul 2026) ·7 min read

Apartment life with pets works, and it often works very well. Around 73% of Australian households keep a pet, and plenty of those people live in units and apartments rather than freestanding homes.¹ The trick is that close quarters leave less room for error: shared walls carry sound, outdoor space is rationed, and building rules sit quietly in the fine print until someone tests them. Get the match right and set up a sensible routine, and an apartment is a genuinely good home for the right animal. This guide covers how to choose that animal, the tenancy and strata rules that apply in Australia, and the daily habits that keep both your pet and your neighbours settled.

What apartment pet ownership really comes down to

Three things decide whether a pet suits a flat: space (what the animal can actually do indoors), sound (what your neighbours can hear), and rules (what your landlord and building will allow). Everything else follows from those. In a house you can absorb a mismatch on any of the three. In an apartment they compound, because the same wall that muffles your television also passes your dog's bark to the person trying to sleep next door.

Choosing the right pet for the space

Small is not the same as suited. A tiny dog can still be high energy and vocal, and a large, calm dog can be quiet and steady indoors provided it gets enough exercise and rest. Temperament, age, health and daily routine matter far more than the breed label. Before you commit, look for a realistic match between the animal and your actual week:

Time alone: how many hours the pet will be by itself on a typical weekday.
Noise tolerance: your building's layout, and how quickly sound carries through corridors and along balconies.
Exercise access: nearby footpaths, parks and safe routes for regular walks.
Indoor enrichment: room for scratching posts, puzzle feeders, training and play.

Birds and dogs are usually the noisiest apartment companions. Fish are quiet but still need steady maintenance and a plan for power outages and holidays. Cats do well indoors, but they still need daily play, climbing and scratching options, or boredom spills over into night noise and destructive habits.

Rules first: renting and strata in Australia

In an apartment you may be dealing with two separate sets of rules at once: your rental agreement (landlord or agent) and your building's by-laws (owners corporation or strata). Check both in writing before an animal arrives, not after. The detail varies by state.

Victoria: use the pet request process

In Victoria, renters must request permission using the approved form. The rental provider has 14 days to respond. If they want to refuse, they must apply to VCAT within that time, and if they do not respond in time, consent is effectively taken to be given.² Consumer Affairs Victoria also notes there is no additional pet bond.²

Queensland: pets cannot be refused without a legislated reason

In Queensland, from 1 October 2022, lessors must respond in writing within 14 days and can only refuse a pet request on specific grounds set out in the legislation (for example, the property is unsuitable, it would breach a law or by-law, or it would pose an unacceptable health and safety risk). If there is no valid response within 14 days, the request is taken to be approved.³

NSW strata: blanket "no pets" by-laws are not valid

In NSW strata schemes, an owners corporation cannot simply ban pets outright. NSW Government guidance states that pets can be kept as long as they do not disturb other residents, and by-laws banning all pets are not valid.⁴ That same guidance notes strata cannot charge a pet fee or bond, or require insurance, just for keeping a pet.⁴

Assistance animals are not "pets" under anti-discrimination law

Assistance animals are treated differently from companion animals. Under the Disability Discrimination Act framework, the legal concept is tied to an animal trained to assist a person with disability, not an animal providing companionship only.⁵ If this applies to you, get advice early, because the documentation and the rules differ from standard pet permission.

Setting up a pet-friendly apartment

A good apartment setup is simple and durable. It does not need to be expensive, but it should be deliberate. The aim is a home your pet can predict.

Create zones your pet can rely on

Resting zone: bed or crate in a quiet corner, away from the front door and hallway traffic.
Feeding zone: easy-clean surface, water always available, bowls that will not skid.
Toilet zone (if needed): a litter tray location that is private, ventilated and consistent.
Activity zone: a small area for play, training and puzzle feeding.

Predictability matters in close quarters. Animals that know where to rest, eat and play are less likely to pace, scratch, vocalise or invent their own entertainment at 2 am.

Choose materials that forgive everyday mess

Use washable throws, wipeable hard-floor mats under bowls, and furniture fabrics that do not trap hair. If you have a cat, provide scratching surfaces early and in more than one spot, near the sleeping areas and near the living space, rather than hoping the lounge will be left alone.

Exercise and stimulation

The lack of a backyard does not ruin apartment pet ownership. The trouble comes from the gap between how much stimulation an animal needs and how much it actually gets. For dogs, daily movement is not optional: the Animal Medicines Australia survey found many dog owners report walking or exercising their dogs at least once a day.¹ In a flat, that daily outlet is often the difference between a settled dog and one that barks at every sound in the corridor. For cats, regular play sessions, climbing options and food puzzles keep indoor life from turning stale.

Managing noise and neighbour complaints

Noise is the most common trigger for conflict, because it crosses walls and floors without asking. Assume your pet's normal vocalisations will sound louder to the neighbour trying to sleep through them, and manage from there.

Meet needs first: a dog that is under-exercised or bored is more likely to bark.
Train the routine: reward calm behaviour, practise short departures, and build up time alone gradually for animals that vocalise when separated.
Manage the environment: close blinds if outside movement triggers barking, use white noise inside if corridor sound sets your pet off, and block balcony access if it fuels reactivity.
Act early: if barking is increasing, treat it as a behaviour problem to solve, not a personality trait to tolerate.

If you live in NSW strata and a dispute develops, NSW Government guidance outlines practical first steps such as checking the by-laws and attempting an initial conversation.⁴ For broader strata disputes in NSW, Fair Trading offers mediation for many matters, including pets and noise, and in some cases disputes proceed to tribunal.⁶

Care and cleaning in small spaces

Small homes amplify smells and fur. The fix is rhythm, not perfection.

Daily: a quick vacuum of high-shed areas, wipe food and water spills, and remove pet waste promptly.
Weekly: wash bedding and throws, clean litter trays thoroughly, and mop hard floors.
Grooming: regular brushing reduces hair, dander and matting, and makes mystery smells less likely.

If allergies are a factor, focus on cleaning and ventilation first. Claims about hypoallergenic breeds are often oversold: individual variation is huge, and no animal is truly allergen-free.

Socialising apartment pets

In a building, socialising is mostly about calm exposure: lifts, corridors, the sound of doors, and neighbours passing at close range. The aim is not to make your pet friendly with everyone, but to make everyday encounters uneventful.

Keep early introductions brief and controlled, on lead, or with secure carrier management where relevant.
Use distance as a tool. Calm observation from far away often works better than close contact.
If your building has shared spaces, practise quiet transitions through them rather than lingering.

What responsible looks like in an apartment

Apartment pets thrive when their days are structured around movement, rest, food, and small pockets of training and play. Rules are checked early and in writing, before the animal arrives. Neighbours are treated as part of the habitat, since they share the same air and walls. A pet is a long-term commitment, and in an apartment it is also a long-term relationship with your building. Plan for both and the whole place stays quieter.

References

Sophie Kininmonth

Dog lover and writer at My Pets Australia, sharing practical breed guides and care advice for Australian pet owners.