Pets in condos in Malaysia (2026): by-law 14, JMB pet rules, MBJB dog limits and disputes

中文 · Bahasa Melayu · Bahasa Indonesia

By Jason Lim, REN 84424 · IQI Realty · Checked on 13 November 2026

This guide is for condo owners, tenants and buyers in Johor Bahru and the rest of Peninsular Malaysia, including newcomers from Singapore, Indonesia, India and China, who want to keep a cat, dog or other pet. The short answer: the standard strata by-laws do not ban pets. By-law 14 in the Third Schedule of the Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015 lets you keep an animal unless it causes a nuisance, endangers other residents’ health or safety, or breaks a state or local authority law. Your building can add stricter rules by special resolution, and local councils set their own dog rules: in the Johor Bahru city council (MBJB) area, dogs are not allowed in high-rise homes.

Three layers of rules

Whether you can keep a pet in a Malaysian condo depends on three sets of rules, and the strictest one wins in practice:

Layer	Who makes it	What it usually says about pets
Standard by-laws (Third Schedule, 2015 Regulations)	The minister, by regulation; they apply to every strata scheme in Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan	By-law 14: animals allowed unless they cause nuisance or annoyance, a health or safety risk, or break written law or council rules
Additional by-laws	The JMB or MC by special resolution (sections 32 and 70, Strata Management Act 2013), or the developer with the Commissioner of Buildings’ approval	Can restrict pets further, for example to certain floors, with registration, deposits or size and breed limits
Local council by-laws and state law	The city or municipal council (MBJB, MBIP, MPKu) and the state	Dog licensing, number of dogs per home and whether dogs may be kept in high-rise homes

Before 2015, many buildings relied on deeds of mutual covenant that banned pets outright (The Star, July 2026). Old notices may still say so, so ask for the current by-laws in writing.

By-law 14: what the standard rule says

By-law 14 of the Third Schedule is the default for every strata building. In plain terms:

• You may keep an animal in your unit, unless it causes annoyance or nuisance to other occupiers, endangers their safety or health, or its keeping breaks a written law or a local authority’s rules.
• A specific problem animal can be removed. Under by-law 14(2) the management body can serve written notice requiring the owner to remove an animal that breaches the rule, and can take action if the notice is not followed.

So the standard rule targets behaviour, not pets as such. A quiet indoor cat rarely breaches it; a dog that barks through the night or a pet that fouls the corridor can. Other standard by-laws still apply to pet owners, such as keeping noise down after 11pm (Malay Mail, September 2026). See my guide to noisy neighbours in a condo.

How a JMB or MC can add pet rules

Owners can tighten the rules through additional by-laws. Section 32 of the Strata Management Act 2013 (for a joint management body) and section 70 (for a management corporation) list pets among the subjects they may cover. The process:

1. Special resolution at a general meeting. At least 21 days’ notice of the proposed resolution, and at least three-quarters of the valid votes cast (section 2 of the Act).
2. No conflict with the standard by-laws. Additional by-laws must not conflict with the Third Schedule.
3. Filed with the Commissioner of Buildings. A JMB files a certified copy within 14 days of the resolution; in Johor, the Commissioner sits at the council, such as MBJB or MBIP.
4. Binding on everyone. They bind owners, tenants and occupiers as if each had signed them (section 32(4)).

Typical pet by-laws require registration with management, leashing or carrying pets in common areas, using the service lift, cleaning up, a refundable deposit, or limits on number, size, breed or floor. A breach can carry a fine of up to RM200 (section 32(3)). The Star’s July 2026 check concluded that management cannot impose a blanket ban, and that owners can challenge by-laws that are unreasonable or improperly passed at the Strata Management Tribunal. For how general meetings and voting work, see condo AGMs and voting, and for by-laws in general, condo by-laws and access cards.

House rules and circulars are not by-laws. If management relies on a notice board rule, ask which by-law it comes from and when it was passed.

Council rules in Johor Bahru: dogs in high-rise homes

By-law 14 itself defers to local authority rules, and in Johor this matters most for dogs:

Home type, MBJB area	Dogs allowed
Condo, apartment or other high-rise home	None
Terrace house	1
Semi-detached house	2
Bungalow	4

• Iskandar Puteri (MBIP), Kulai (MPKu) and other councils have their own dog licensing by-laws. I could not confirm MBIP’s current high-rise rule from an official page, so ask the council’s licensing department before you bring a dog to a condo there.
• Cats and small pets are generally not licensed the way dogs are in most council areas (The Star, July 2026), so building by-laws are usually the deciding rule.
• Enforcement inside buildings falls mainly to the management body; in January 2026 Petaling Jaya’s mayor said pet issues in high-rises are chiefly the JMB’s responsibility.
• Animal welfare law applies everywhere. The Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) handles complaints under the Animal Welfare Act 2015; it said in December 2025 it had received 19,303 complaints from 2021 to 2025.

If you have a dog, a landed home is usually the practical choice in the MBJB area; see condo vs landed vs SOHO and gated and guarded homes. Strata landed schemes follow by-law 14 as well.

Renting with a pet: landlord clauses

A tenant needs two permissions: the building’s and the landlord’s. Malaysia has no residential tenancy act in force, so the tenancy agreement decides, and many agreements say no pets without the owner’s written consent. If your landlord agrees:

• Name the animal (type, breed if a dog, number) in the agreement.
• Agree the handback standard, such as professional cleaning or pest treatment at move-out, and what counts as pet damage.
• Record the condition with dated photos of floors, doors, curtains and furniture in the inventory.
• State that the building’s by-laws prevail. If the building restricts pets, the landlord’s consent does not override it.

Landlords: a pet clause plus a clear inventory protects the deposit discussion later. See my landlord guide to tenancy agreements, the screening and inventory checklist and rental deposit refunds. For the wider legal picture, see where the Residential Tenancy Act stands.

Pet disputes: from a complaint to the tribunal

1. Talk first. Many complaints are about noise, smell or a pet off-leash in the lift, and are easier to settle neighbour to neighbour.
2. Write to management. Whether you are complaining or have received a notice, ask which by-law applies and for the evidence.
3. Raise it at the general meeting if a by-law itself is the problem; owners can amend it by special resolution.
4. Go to the Commissioner of Buildings at your council about how the management body is acting.
5. File at the Strata Management Tribunal if it is still unresolved. It hears claims listed in the Act, including enforcing by-laws and revoking amendments to them, up to RM250,000. A residential claim costs RM100 to file, and lawyers are generally not allowed.

KPKT’s tribunal has a Southern Zone office in Johor Bahru, and filing can be done online. My Strata Management Tribunal guide explains forms and timing.

Checklist before you buy or rent with a pet

• Ask the management office for the Third Schedule by-laws plus any additional pet by-laws, with the date they were passed.
• Ask about registration, deposits, floor, size or breed limits, and which lift pets must use.
• Check the council’s rules for dogs before choosing a condo.
• Ask whether any pet removal notices or complaints are active in the block.
• For rentals, get the landlord’s consent written into the agreement.

My guides to checking condo management before buying and questions to ask at a subsale viewing add more.

Where to look if you have a pet

• Bukit Indah and Gelang Patah: landed estates with gardens on the west side.
• Kulai and Senai: larger landed homes at moderate prices.
• Iskandar Puteri: townships with parks, condos and landed homes.
• Mount Austin: condos and terraces near cafes and parks.
• Permas Jaya and Senibong: east-side condos and waterfront homes.

Compare them on my JB property map.

More Johor living guides: Condo by-laws · Noisy neighbours in a condo · Renting in JB as a foreigner · Strata title explained

Frequently asked questions

Can a condo ban pets in Malaysia?

Not with a blanket ban under the standard by-laws. By-law 14 allows animals unless they cause nuisance, a health or safety risk, or break state or council law. A JMB or MC can add restrictions by special resolution, and these can be challenged at the Strata Management Tribunal.

Can I keep a dog in a condo in Johor Bahru?

Usually not in the MBJB area. MBJB said in February 2022 that dogs are no longer allowed in high-rise homes, with one dog for a terrace, two for a semi-detached house and four for a bungalow. Other councils such as MBIP set their own rules, so check with them.

Can I keep a cat in my condo?

Usually yes, if it causes no nuisance or health or safety risk and your building’s additional by-laws allow it. Cats are generally not licensed by councils the way dogs are, so the building’s by-laws and, for tenants, the landlord decide.

What is the fine for breaking a condo pet by-law?

Additional by-laws can impose a fine of up to RM200 for a breach under section 32(3) of the Strata Management Act 2013. Management can also serve notice to remove a specific problem animal under by-law 14(2).

Does my landlord’s permission override the condo’s pet rules?

No. By-laws bind tenants and occupiers as well as owners. You need both the building’s rules and the landlord’s written consent in the tenancy agreement.

Where do I complain about a neighbour’s pet in a condo?

Start with the neighbour, then write to the management body citing the by-law. If it is not resolved, the Commissioner of Buildings at your council supervises management bodies, and the Strata Management Tribunal can hear by-law claims for a RM100 residential filing fee.

Moving in JB with a pet?

Tell me your pet, the breed if it is a dog, the area and your budget. I will shortlist homes where your pet is allowed, get the by-laws and council position in writing and arrange viewings. You can also book an appointment, or a Zoom consultation if you are still abroad.

Sources: The Star, “QuickCheck: Can your condo management stop you from keeping a pet?”, 29 July 2026; Malay Mail, on strata by-laws covering pets, parking and access cards, 29 September 2026; Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757), sections 2 and 32 (copy published by DBKL), checked November 2026; Strata Management (Maintenance and Management) Regulations 2015, P.U.(A) 107/2015, in force 2 June 2015 (copy published by DBKL), checked November 2026; Attorney General’s Chambers, Laws of Malaysia: Strata Management Act 2013, sections 70 and 105, checked November 2026; The Star, “No more dogs allowed in high-rise residences, says JB mayor”, 24 February 2022; The Star, “Pet-related issues in high-rises mainly JMBs’ responsibility, says PJ mayor”, 29 January 2026; Malay Mail (Bernama), DVS on animal welfare complaints 2021 to 2025, 24 December 2025; KPKT, Soalan Lazim Tribunal Pengurusan Strata, updated 9 July 2025; KPKT, Strata Management (Strata Management Tribunal) Regulations 2015, P.U.(A) 103, June 2015; KPKT, Mengenai Tribunal Perumahan dan Pengurusan Strata (zone offices), updated 13 August 2025; KPKT, e-TPS portal, checked November 2026; MBJB, Info MBJB (Commissioner of Buildings division), June 2018

Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 13 November 2026, not legal or veterinary advice. Building by-laws and council rules change; confirm with your management office, the Commissioner of Buildings at your council and your landlord before you bring a pet home.