Yes. A condo corporation in Ontario can ban pets entirely, but only if the prohibition is written into its declaration. Courts have consistently upheld full pet bans that live in the declaration, so if you are searching whether a condo can ban pets in Ontario before you buy, the answer depends on which document contains the restriction.
The distinction matters because the two documents carry different weight. A condo declaration is the founding document of the corporation, and changing it requires support from at least 80 percent of unit owners. A no-pets provision in a declaration is close to permanent. Restrictions found in the rules are a different story. Under section 58 of the Condominium Act, 1998, rules must be reasonable, which is why most buildings land on limits rather than outright bans: a maximum of two pets per unit, a weight cap around 25 pounds, or a requirement that dogs be leashed in common elements.
Tenants get caught here more often than owners. Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act voids no-pet clauses in a lease, and many renters assume that protection follows them into a condo. It does not. A pet prohibition in the declaration binds everyone in the building, tenants included, regardless of what the lease says.
There are limits on what a corporation can enforce. A service animal or an emotional support animal prescribed for a disability is not a pet under the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the corporation has a duty to accommodate. Disputes over pet provisions, including removal orders and accommodation disagreements, now go to the Condominium Authority Tribunal, which has handled pet cases since 2022.
If you are months away from buying and a dog or cat is part of the plan, read the declaration and rules before you commit to a building. Both documents arrive with the status certificate, and ten minutes with the pet provisions will tell you whether the building fits your life. Plenty of Toronto buildings welcome pets. Some never will, and no amount of negotiating changes a declaration.
Related reading: What Is a Condo Declaration in Ontario?, Condo By-Laws vs Condo Rules in Ontario, and What Is the Condo Authority Tribunal in Ontario?.