There are no rules about pets in the Residential Tenancies Act. The lease is what governs in this situation. If a lease states a tenant cannot have pets or can only have pets of a certain size and type, then these conditions must be followed or the tenant is not abiding by the contract. The landlord could choose to terminate the lease, and give a 14 day notice to the tenant to end the tenancy. If you live in a condominium, additional rules may also apply. For example, some condominium bylaws specify that no pets are allowed or put restrictions on pets. Even if a landlord allows a tenant to have a pet, the tenant would have to abide by the condominium’s bylaws.

See Renting with a Pet for more information.

If however, a disabled tenant has a qualified service dog, the Service Dogs Act prohibits discrimination in a rental accommodation situation, provided that the person can control the dog’s behaviour. For more information about discrimination with a service dog, you can contact the Alberta Human Rights Commission for more information. More information about the Service Dogs Act can be found on the Human Services Website.