Searching for a new home for you and your pet(s) in Florida can become a daunting task! Many communities have strict restrictions on breeds, size, number of pets, and types of animals you can and cannot have. Since this is such a common question with our customers (and search hurdle) we decided to dedicate an entire section of our website to Pet Friendly Condos For Sale!
Where To Start Your Search For Pet Friendly Condos For Sale
If you are interested in any type of home with a homeowners association, there is a good chance there are some sort of homeowners pet restrictions.
HOA restrictions on pets vary widely and it is always recommended that you talk to the HOA directly or entrust in an experienced Real Estate Agent. We can assist you with connecting to the right person to confirm any restrictions, and obtain a copy of the homeowners association rules and regulations and By Laws for you.
The Florida Multiple Listing Service (MLS) breaks down pet restrictions in multiple different ways that vary throughout local Realtor associations statewide. Often there are conflicting search fields that are named and interpreted differently. And some associations do not require their agents to disclose pet restrictions at all. And many make assumptions or do not bother to due their true due diligence.
The MLS feeds data to Zillow and 100s of other consumer website, however most avoid any sort of “pet restriction” feeds due to widespread inaccuracy . This leads to confusion and hours of wasted time at looking at condos that do not work for your pet situation. Let us me your local experts and get the match you with the right condo that meets all of your needs!
These are the top categories that you can search on our site (just like the MLS) that you will NOT FIND in the majority of generic search engines:
- Pets Y or N
- # of Pets
- Size of Pets
- Type of Pet
- Type of Breed
- Lease Restrictions for Pets
1. Pets Y Or N?
Can an hoa limit the # of pets?
Yes, it is highly likely that an HOA will set a pet limit, and this can be found in their homeowners association bylaws and/ or amendments.
Most HOAs only allow a maximum of 1 – 2 pets. This sometimes can mean ONLY ONE dog and ONE CAT vs. being able to have 2 cats OR 2 dogs. In this case, two cats are much more likely to be accepted than two dogs (sorry fido).
3. How Do You Measure The Size of A Dog or Pet?
Small to Medium Sized dogs are the most likely to be accepted by homeowners associations. You can always reference a dog weight by age and breed chart.
The size of pets is usually determined by the HOA pet weight limit. The MLS has it broken down to the following categories. Some dogs many “border” in between categories. You can always put your pet on a diet and hope for the best, but proceed with caution on this one.
You can use our easy size search tool to search HOA pet weight limits by clicking the image below. The advanced search will take a few seconds to generate.
Can an HOA Restrict Dog Breeds?
Most aggressive dog breeds are not allowed by master insurance policies for homeowners associations, and this is due to liability reasons and the welfare of residents.
Common aggressive dogs breed restrictions vary, but they almost always include pitbulls, rottweilers, dobermans, and chows. German Shepards seem to be in the “gray area”, as do other dogs with questionable breed mixes.
Many HOAs are known to restrict their pet policy to 35 lbs or less, to avoid questionable aggressive breed mixes and conflict all together. However, this is unfortunate for our lab and golden retriever furry friends that get penalized! Some HOAs do make exceptions though (mostly for size), or you can always look into how to make your dog a therapy dog!
4. Types of Pets
Airlines are finally cracking down on the types of pets allowed (think emotional support peacock) but homeowners associations have been restrictive for much longer. Homeowner association rules generally allow for small domesticated animals such as fish, gerbils, rabbits, cats, pot belly pigs, and dogs. Some will make exceptions for emotional support animals.
Service animals are the only exception to superseed HOA Pet Restrictions. More information can be found in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “The ADA requires State and local government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations (covered entities) that provide goods or services to the public to make “reasonable modifications” in their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to accommodate people with disabilities. The service animal rules fall under this general principle. Accordingly, entities that have a “no pets” policy generally must modify the policy to allow service animals into their facilities. “