The Condominium Developers Association of Sri Lanka (CDASL), being the private sector association for condominiums, having brought up the issue of pet-friendly apartments with the two industry regulators – the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) – since 2017, obtained official clearance to deal with the latter issue recently.
With the leadership of the current subject Minister on 12 August 2022, the matter was directed to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) to work closely with the CDASL to achieve this change in an orderly manner keeping all authorities in line with the actions taken.
Taking the proposal forward on 14 November 2022, the CMA Chairman and other relevant officials unanimously agreed to grant approval for pet-friendly apartments, and this approval will be given to newly built apartments where the Preliminary Planning Clearance (PPC), building plans, Certificate of Conformity (CoC), Development Permit, Certificate for Common Elements and Common Amenities, and Deed of Declaration will have the pet-friendly clause/title included, also giving permission to publish the name of the condominium with the pet-friendly tag.
The CDASL is proposing a simple set of rules and regulations for pet-friendly apartments, after assessing the requirements of the public and considering the hiccups faced in other countries, therefore setting a unique model that can even be adopted by other countries. This model has now been approved by the CMA and UDA, where having any domestic pet within a condominium parcel (apartment) is completely legal, and where where future owners of pet-friendly condominiums will not face any issues in bringing their pets home (to apartments). Additionally, the management corporations cannot create any bi-laws superseding this proposed and approved model.
Condominiums in Sri Lanka are mainly subjected to and follows three acts; namely the Apartment Ownership law 11 of 1973, 45 of 1982, and 39 of 2003, which are unfavorable and non-facilitating of the possession of pets within a condominium parcel (apartment). Additionally, some management corporations too are quite rigid in facilitating pets within a condominium apartment building, keeping pet owners (pet lovers) stranded with no other option but to give away their pets.