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Current as at September 2026. Rental laws vary by state and continue to change, so always confirm the specific current rules with your state or territory’s tenancy authority before relying on them.
Keeping a pet in a rental has long been one of the more frustrating parts of renting in Australia, with blanket “no pets” clauses turning away otherwise suitable tenants. Over the past couple of years, most states and territories have been moving in the same general direction: making a flat refusal harder to enforce, and requiring landlords to give a genuine, specific reason if they say no.
The national trend
Across the country, the broad shift has been away from landlords being able to refuse a pet outright with no reason given, and toward a system where a tenant applies for consent to keep a pet, and a landlord can only refuse on specific, legitimate grounds, such as the property being genuinely unsuitable, a real safety concern, or a body corporate or by-law restriction that applies to the property. A blanket “no pets” clause written into a lease is generally unenforceable on its own in most jurisdictions now.
What to check in your state
The detail of these rules, including response timeframes and exactly what counts as a valid reason for refusal, differs by state and territory, and continues to be updated. As a general guide:
- New South Wales has a standard pet application process, with landlords required to respond within a set timeframe and only able to refuse on specific listed grounds.
- Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia have each moved toward requiring landlords to have a genuine, specific reason to refuse a pet rather than a blanket policy, though the exact grounds and process differ between them.
- Tasmania has recently updated its residential tenancy legislation to remove blanket pet refusal rules and require landlords to provide reasonable grounds for any refusal, with disputes able to be referred to the state’s tenancy tribunal.
- Western Australia is currently the only state that allows landlords to charge a separate, capped pet bond in addition to the standard rental bond.
Because the fine detail, response windows, exact allowable grounds, and any bond arrangements, genuinely differs by state and does change, the most reliable source is always your own state or territory’s tenancy authority or fair trading website, rather than a single national summary.
What this means if you already have a pet or want one
If you’re applying for a new rental with a pet, most states now expect landlords to consider a written pet application on its merits rather than rejecting it automatically. If you’re already renting and want to bring a pet into the home, the safest approach is still to ask for consent in writing first, even in states where refusal is harder, since this creates a clear record and avoids a dispute over whether the pet was approved.
What landlords can still refuse, and why
These changes don’t mean every pet is automatically approved. Landlords can generally still refuse where the property is genuinely unsuitable, for example inadequate fencing for a dog, where a strata or body corporate by-law restricts animals, where the specific animal poses a real safety risk, or where the number of pets requested is unreasonable for the property. The key change is that the reason has to be specific and genuine, not a default policy applied without consideration.
Where to check the current rules
Given how much this area has been changing, it’s worth checking your own state’s tenancy authority directly before applying for a pet or acting on anything general you’ve read, including this article. If you’re renting in Queensland specifically, it’s also worth reviewing what else to check before signing a lease more broadly, since pet approval is just one part of a wider list of things worth confirming in writing before you commit to a rental.
The overall direction of reform genuinely favours renters with pets more than it has in the past, but the practical detail, timeframes, valid grounds for refusal, and bond arrangements, still comes down to which state you’re in. Checking the current official guidance for your own state before you apply is always the safest step.
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