CDASL gets approval and clearance for pet-friendly apartments

From left : Mahasen Samaravijaya (CDASL Committee member), Pinsiri Fernando (Secretary of CDASL), Kishore Reddy (CDASL Committee member), Prasanna De Zoysa (CDASL Committee member), Prasanna De Silva (Director General – UDA), Nimesh Herath (Chairman – UDA), Lalith Wijerathna (Deputy Director, General Planning – UDA),  Aelian Gunawardena (CDASL Committee member), Nalin Gankanda (Deputy General Manager, Regulatory – CMA),  Aruna Warushahennadige (Director – CMA) 

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 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 giving away their pets.

Condominium Developers Association of Sri Lanka (CDASL) being the premier private sector association for condominiums, with a membership of Sri Lanka’s largest developers, identified this issue as a growing need at a time when the island nation is seeking for local and foreign investments and considering numerous requests made by condo owners, condo developers and potential apartment buyers for an improved condominium living, therefore we brought up this dire issue with the two regulators; Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) since 2017.

With the leadership of the current subject minister on 12th August 2022, it was directed to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) to work closely with CDASL to achieve this feat in an orderly manner keeping all authorities in line with the actions taken.

Taking the direction forward on the 14th November 2022, the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) Chairman and the other relevant officials unanimously agreed, giving 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 & Common Amenities, and Deed of Declaration will have the PET Friendly clause/title included, also giving permission to publish the name of condominium with the PET Friendly tag.

The CDASL 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 be even adopted by other countries. 

This model has now been approved by the Condominium Management Authority and Urban Development Authority where; having any domestic pet within a condominium parcel (apartments) is completely legal where future owners of pet-friendly condominiums will not face any issues in bringing their pets home (apartment). Additionally, the management corporations cannot create any bi-laws superseding this proposed and approved model.