New Rules for Pets in Housing Societies in Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Housing societies across Maharashtra are now required to adopt formal pet policies, as the Maharashtra State Co-operative Societies Department has issued a directive mandating that every cooperative society must frame and adopt a ‘Pet Policy’ at its annual general body meeting.  

The move comes amid increasing tension within residential complexes, between pet owners, non-pet owners and society committees, and was triggered in part by an extraordinary incident in Pune, where more than 300 cats were found living in a 3-BHK flat of a housing society in Hadapsar. The new guideline aims to strike a balance between the rights of pets and their owners on one side, and the concerns of other residents and common spaces on the other. 

Key rules societies must incorporate include:

• Societies cannot legally ban pets or discriminate by breed or size; for instance, “large dogs only” or “small dogs only” bans are impermissible. 
• Lifts and common amenities cannot be off-limits to pets, and no additional charges may be levied by a society just because a resident has a pet. 
• Societies may, in consultation with residents, designate timings or routes for pet access to gardens or parks to reduce conflict. 

Pet owners must also fulfil specific responsibilities like obtaining required licences from municipal bodies, keeping pets vaccinated and registered, ensuring leash usage in common areas, and cleaning up after their pets. The guidelines also reinforce that intimidation or forcing of pet owners to give up their pets simply because there are complaints is not permitted. 

In addition, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued parallel guidelines for pet ownership and stray animal feeding in Mumbai, underscoring that societies cannot obstruct feeding of community animals, must support sterilisation programmes, and cannot apply blanket bans on pets inside lifts or public areas. 

For housing societies, the key takeaway is that updating their by-laws to reflect these policies is no longer optional, compliance is legally expected. For pet owners, the new rules provide clearer recognition of their rights, but also place emphasised responsibility for community living and hygiene. 

With the directive now in place, societies across Maharashtra will need to develop their pet policy drafts, hold discussions in their general body meetings and ensure policies align with the 2015 Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) Guidelines.