A Kerala High Court ruling in 2021, People For Animals versus the State of Kerala, held that a society's bylaws cannot flatly ban pets or keep them from lifts and common areas, since that conflicts with a resident's basic rights. That ruling binds Kerala, not Karnataka, but the same reasoning comes up whenever a society's rules go further than its owners expect. Most owners who allow pets still expect them to be well kept and not a nuisance. We ask about pets upfront, on both sides, before an agreement is signed.
The number
Kerala High Court ruling, People For Animals v. State of Kerala, 2021: a residents' association's bylaws cannot flatly ban pets. Binding in Kerala; persuasive, not binding, in Karnataka.
Sources
Where it comes from. Level 1 is a government or court page, level 2 established press, level 3 a portal's explainer, which gives only what is commonly quoted.
- Kerala High Court, People For Animals v. State of Kerala, 2021, judgment via LiveLaw, https://www.livelaw.in/pdf_upload/pfa-v-state-403445.pdf, level 1