Form 21: Request to keep a pet

Who sends or completes it?

The tenant gives one completed form per pet to the property owner or manager.

When is it used?

Before keeping a pet where owner approval is required.

Read the entire form, including its notes and timeframes. The correct next step can depend on your agreement type, the stated reason, how the document was delivered and what has already happened.

Use one request for each pet

Form 21 is the tenant’s request for approval to keep a pet during an existing tenancy. Complete a separate current form for each animal and describe the pet accurately. Include the information the RTA form asks for, such as the type, age, size, desexing or registration details where relevant, and how the animal will be managed at the property.

A pet disclosed during a rental application and a new pet requested during a tenancy are not identical steps. Confirm what approval is already written into the agreement and do not bring home an additional animal on the assumption that an earlier approval covers it. Keep a copy of the form before sending it.

Record when the request was received

The property manager or owner must respond in writing within 14 days of receiving a compliant request. Use a delivery method that proves the date: a portal confirmation, reply email or another traceable channel. The day you started the form is not necessarily the day the decision period began.

If there is no response within 14 days, or the response does not satisfy the legislative requirements, the RTA says the request can be automatically approved. Treat deemed approval carefully: preserve the completed form and delivery evidence, check any body-corporate or council rule and seek advice before relying on an assumption in a disputed situation.

Check conditions and refusal reasons

A written approval can include a reasonable condition related to the particular pet and premises. Examples can concern where the animal is kept, fumigation if an infestation is caused, or professional carpet cleaning where the pet is allowed indoors. Read the condition before accepting it and ask what evidence shows it is necessary.

A refusal must use a permitted reason and explain how it applies. A general ‘no pets’ preference is not enough. The framework can cover an unreasonable number of animals, an unacceptable health or safety risk, damage likely to exceed the bond, a legal or by-law conflict, or failure to accept a reasonable condition. Keep the complete response.

Do not agree to prohibited costs

The RTA guidance says an approval condition cannot require a renter to buy from a nominated business, pay a penalty or incentive, pay higher rent or provide extra bond or another security amount. A request for a reasonable pet-related condition is different from an unexplained pet fee. Ask the agent to identify the lawful basis of any money demand.

Keep registration, training, fencing, vaccination and insurance evidence that directly answers the stated concern. Do not send a full medical or identity file when a short relevant document will do. Redact unrelated personal information before attaching material to a Form 21 response.

Separate tenancy approval from body-corporate rules

Units and townhouses may have a body-corporate by-law or committee process in addition to the tenancy request. Start that process early and keep the committee decision separate from the Form 21 correspondence. A tenancy approval does not erase a lawful restriction that applies to common property, a park or a council registration requirement.

If the body corporate decision arrives after the tenancy response, send the new evidence to the lessor or agent and ask what step remains. The two organisations may use different dates and dispute routes. A clear folder labelled ‘Form 21’ and ‘body corporate’ prevents a committee email from being mistaken for the owner’s statutory response.

Keep responsibility clear after approval

Approval does not remove responsibility for nuisance, escape, waste, odour or damage. Report a problem early and keep evidence of the steps you took. At the end of the tenancy, compare pet-related condition with the entry report and follow any lawful approval condition rather than accepting a demand to improve the property beyond its starting standard.

Approval for an animal normally continues for that approved pet at the property even if the agreement is renewed or the lessor changes. A different or additional animal needs its own request, and an approval does not automatically follow you to a new address. Check the current RTA pet guidance before acting.