27 May 2020

Two of Sydney’s biggest apartment towers have won their battle to ban owners’ pets from their buildings in a verdict that will have far-reaching repercussions for NSW strata residents.

The 260-apartment Horizon in Darlinghurst and the 280-unit Elan in Kings Cross had lost the right in previous cases before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to enforce their bylaws to keep their premises animal free. But, now both have won on appeal to NCAT in a decision announced on Wednesday.

Barrister Richard Gration, an owner in the Horizon and who represented the strata committee of the Elan in their bid to impose the bylaws, declared the ruling as “a victory for democracy”. He said: “What the tribunal has said is that it’s up to owners to decide for themselves what rules they want to have governing their own local community. They’ve upheld the rights of owners to regulate their own community. If owners want to live with pets, then they should choose buildings that allow them.”

> Full article on Domain
Sue Williams