Keeping a Dog in a Flat in Kerala: What Apartment Associations Can and Cannot Do

Most arguments come back to two sources.

• •The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) guidelines of 26 February 2015, titled 'Guidelines with respect to Pet & Street Dogs, and their Care-Givers, and for Residents' Welfare Associations and Apartment Owners Associations'. AWBI is the statutory body set up under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and it issued this as an advisory under that Act. In November 2026 it was still listed on the AWBI guidelines page.
• •The Kerala High Court judgment of November 2021 in a public interest petition filed by People for Animals, Thiruvananthapuram, decided by Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Gopinath P., as reported by ThePrint and The Leaflet. The petition followed a residents' association telling apartment owners to remove their pets under its bye-laws.

The AWBI document is guidance; the High Court judgment is binding law in Kerala. Together they set out a balance: owners may keep pets, and owners must keep them responsibly.

As reported by ThePrint and The Leaflet, the court held that:

• •Bye-laws that stop residents from keeping pets, or deny pet owners the use of lifts and common facilities, are illegal, unconstitutional and unenforceable.
• •A clause in bye-laws or an agreement that completely bars a person from keeping a pet of their choice in their own residential unit is void.
• •Residents' associations must stop putting up notice boards or signs banning pets or their entry.
• •The choice to keep pets is linked to the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution, following an earlier Kerala High Court ruling.
• •The rights are not absolute: associations may set reasonable conditions that pet owners and residents must follow.
• •The state government was asked to direct the State Animal Welfare Board and law enforcement agencies to act on complaints that the judgment is being violated.

The reports do not list what counts as a reasonable condition; the AWBI guidelines below are the best guide.

The 2015 AWBI guidelines are specific about limits on residents' welfare associations (RWAs) and apartment owners' associations:

• •Bans: they cannot introduce any kind of ban on pet dogs, even by consensus or a majority vote, and cannot amend bye-laws to do so.
• •Size rules: they cannot say small dogs are acceptable and large dogs are not.
• •Barking: they cannot use barking as a valid reason for a ban or restriction.
• •Lifts: they cannot stop pets using lifts, and cannot charge for it.
• •Muzzles: they cannot insist on muzzles.
• •Fines: they cannot impose fines or special charges on pet owners, including over pet waste, because there is no legal mandate for that.
• •Intimidation: pressuring an owner into giving up or abandoning a pet is described as abetting a violation of the law, and abandoning a pet is itself unlawful.

On parks, the guidelines call bans short-sighted and suggest agreed walking times instead.

The same guidelines are just as clear about owners' side of the deal:

• •Leash your dog in all common areas: corridors, lifts, lobbies, parking and gardens.
• •Keep barking under control, especially at night. The guidelines accept barking as natural but ask owners to make every effort to keep dogs quiet after dark.
• •Keep your dog healthy and clean, with regular vaccinations. Sterilisation is also advised.
• •Clean up after your dog in shared spaces, and work with the association on pet corners or composting if it suggests them.
• •Where there is more than one convenient working lift, do not object to using an alternate lift for your dog.

To these, add Kerala's legal basics:

• •A dog licence from your local body, renewed every financial year with a current rabies certificate. Our dog licence guide explains the K-SMART process.
• •An up-to-date vaccination card. Associations, groomers, boarding and vets will all ask for it.
• •An ID tag on the collar with your phone number.

Most disagreements calm down once both sides see the rules written down.

• •Start with a conversation. Ask what the actual complaint is: noise, waste, or a neighbour who is scared of dogs.
• •Fix what is fair, such as waste or an unleashed dog, quickly.
• •Share the documents. Give the committee a copy of the AWBI 2015 guidelines and a news report of the 2021 Kerala High Court ruling.
• •Suggest shared solutions: agreed garden walking times, a pet corner or using the service lift.
• •Keep records: your licence, vaccination card, any written notices from the association and your replies.
• •If you face a ban notice, threats or demands to give up your dog, the High Court asked the State Animal Welfare Board and the police to act on complaints. A lawyer can advise you on the right next step.

We could not confirm how these rulings apply to a private landlord's rental agreement, so tenants should read the lease and take legal advice if needed.

Living in a flat works well for most dogs if the day has enough movement and the home stays cool.

• •Heat: top-floor and west-facing flats get very hot in March to May. Keep a cool room with a fan, walk before about 8 am and after sunset, and test the road surface with your palm before a walk.
• •Walks around the building: the lanes around Technopark and Kazhakootam, Pattom and Kowdiar are busy with traffic and street dogs. Use a secure harness and a short lead, and cross to the other side when you see a group of street dogs. Our street dog safety guide has more.
• •Toilet routine: puppies in flats need frequent, predictable trips down. Our apartment potty training guide covers a balcony or bathroom toilet spot for the first weeks.
• •Balconies: check grill gaps; small dogs and puppies squeeze through narrow ones.
• •Monsoon: swap long walks for short trips and indoor games such as sniffing for food, and dry paws and belly fully.
• •Long work days: a dog alone for 9 to 10 hours while you are at Technopark needs a plan, such as a midday walker or daycare a few days a week.

A flat dog depends completely on its people for exercise and company, so plan ahead for trips and heavy work weeks.

Neolokam is a dogs-only, cage-free boarding farm on 1.5 acres east of Trivandrum city, towards Kattakada, with shade, open ground, a stream and a splash area: a change of pace for a dog used to corridors and lifts. Boarding includes home-cooked meals, supervised temperament-matched groups, daily photo and video updates, and 24/7 human care from three Malayali staff on site. Pickup and drop-off for confirmed boarding and daycare are by appointment, from areas including Technopark, Kazhakkoottam, Sreekaryam, Pattom, Kowdiar, Vellayambalam and Sasthamangalam; the team confirms the route, timing and any charge.

Before a first stay, the team asks for a trial visit and temperament assessment, up-to-date rabies and core vaccinations with the record, and current tick and parasite prevention as advised by your vet. Daycare prices and hours are not published, so ask the team.

Verified:

• •The full text of the AWBI guidelines of 26 February 2015, opened from the AWBI website, where they were still listed in November 2026.
• •The Kerala High Court's November 2021 ruling on pet bans in residential complexes, as reported by ThePrint and The Leaflet.

Not verified:

• •The full text of the High Court judgment itself; we relied on news reports.
• •Whether any later court ruling has changed the position.
• •Whether Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has its own rules on pet waste in apartment complexes.
• •How the ruling applies to private rental agreements.

If a dispute is serious, a lawyer who has read the current judgment is the right person to advise you.