If you share your life with a cat or a dog, "pet-friendly apartment" or "pet-friendly condo" is probably the first thing you type when you look for a place in Thailand. A landlord saying "yes" is a good start, but not the whole answer: how many animals, which kind, is it written in the lease, what does the building allow, and who pays if your pet damages something? This guide covers the questions to ask before you sign, the Thai rules that apply, Bangkok's new dog and cat ordinance, and the habits that help you get your deposit back.
Before you sign: ask, then put it in the lease
"Pets allowed" can mean cats only, small dogs only, or one animal per room. Ask before you pay a booking deposit:
- Type, size and number: cats, dogs or other small pets? Any weight or breed limit? How many? Do you need new permission if you adopt another animal later?
- Extra money: is there an extra deposit, a cleaning charge at move-out, or a different rent? If so, have the amount, what it can be used for and when it comes back written into the lease.
- Common areas: may pets use the lift? Must they be carried, kept in a bag or leashed? Where can you walk a dog, and where does cat litter go?
- Noise, smells and time away: how does the building handle complaints from neighbours? If you travel, may a friend or pet sitter come in to feed your pet?
Then ask the landlord to add a pet clause to the lease, or a short addendum signed by both of you, naming the animal(s) and the conditions you agreed on. Chat messages are useful evidence, but a written clause is clearer. If the lease is only in Thai, ask for a translation of the pet clause before you sign.
Do not sneak a pet in. Under Section 554 of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code, if a tenant breaks a term of the lease, the landlord may give notice to put it right, and may terminate the lease if the tenant ignores the notice. Landlords who rent out 3 or more homes (not dormitories under the Dormitory Act, and not hotels) must follow the standard contract under the Notification of the Contract Committee on residential building leasing as a contract-controlled business, B.E. 2568 (2025), enforced by the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB). Clause 14 of the OCPB's sample contract requires written notice giving the tenant at least 30 days to comply before the landlord can terminate, or at least 7 days when the tenant's conduct directly affects other tenants' peaceful living.
Renting a condo: the owner's permission is not enough
A condominium building is run by its juristic person (the building's management body) under registered by-laws. Section 32 of the Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979), as amended in 2008, requires the by-laws to cover the use of both the private units and the common property, so building rules can reach inside your unit as well as the lobby and lifts. Some buildings ban or restrict pets. Under the second paragraph of Section 32, registered by-laws can only be changed by a resolution of the co-owners' general meeting, so a unit owner who allows pets in your lease cannot lift a building ban.
Before you sign, ask the owner for the part of the by-laws or house rules that covers pets (and a translation if it is only in Thai), or ask the building's juristic person office yourself, including whether pets must be registered with the building.
Living in Bangkok: dog and cat rules from 10/01/2027
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Ordinance on the Control of Keeping or Releasing Animals B.E. 2567 (2024) takes effect on 10/01/2027, after Amendment No. 2 of B.E. 2569 (2026) postponed it by a year. It replaces Bangkok's dog ordinance of B.E. 2548 (2005). Clause 11 limits the number of dogs and cats by floor area:
| Condominium unit or rented room | Dogs and cats allowed |
|---|---|
| 20 m² up to 80 m² | 1 |
| 80 m² or more | 2 in total |
Clause 11 does not mention rooms smaller than 20 m². If your room is smaller, ask the district office before you bring a pet home.
- Microchip and registration: a vet implants a microchip, and the owner registers the dog or cat within 120 days of its birth, or within 30 days of bringing it to live in Bangkok (Clauses 16 and 17).
- Tenants need the landlord's consent letter when they register (Clause 19), so ask for one when you sign the lease. In early 2026 the BMA said it would consider changing this consent requirement, so check the current rule before you apply.
- Moving: report your pet's new address within 30 days (Clause 21).
- Outside your room: hold a strong leash at all times, or use a bag, cage or other suitable carrier (Clause 24); clean up after your pet straight away (Clause 14); and do not let it endanger others or cause a nuisance (Clause 10).
- Already over the limit: notify your district office, or online, within 90 days after the ordinance takes effect (Clause 32).
Breaches are punished under the Public Health Act B.E. 2535 (1992). The registration form asks for a Thai ID card number and the house registration of the address where the animal lives, so if you are a foreign owner, ask a BMA veterinary clinic or your district office which documents they accept. Service points are listed on the BMA's pet registration website (in Thai). Outside Bangkok, some municipalities and subdistrict administrations have their own ordinances on keeping animals, so ask the local office.
Who pays if your pet damages the room or hurts someone?
- Damage to the room: Section 553 requires a tenant to take care of the property as a reasonable person takes care of their own. Under Section 562, the tenant is liable for loss or damage caused by their own fault or by people living with them, but not for loss or damage from proper use. The law does not say which pet marks count as normal use, so agree in the lease who pays for things like scratched doors or torn insect screens.
- Your deposit: landlords covered by the 2025 notification may collect a deposit plus advance rent of no more than 3 months' rent on leases paid monthly. Clause 10 of the sample contract says the deposit is returned immediately when the lease ends; if the landlord inspects the room first, within 7 days when there is no damage, or within 14 days after deducting only the repair cost of damage. Damage from normal use or normal wear cannot be deducted. More in rental deposits in Thailand.
- Injury or damage to other people: under Section 433, the owner of an animal, or the person keeping it for the owner, must compensate for damage the animal causes, unless they prove they took proper care in keeping it given its species and nature or other circumstances, or that the damage would have happened even with such care. Keep dogs leashed in shared areas and warn visitors and technicians before they come in.
- Never abandon a pet: Section 23 of the Cruelty Prevention and Welfare of Animal Act B.E. 2557 (2014) forbids owners to release, abandon or otherwise give up the care of an animal without good reason, with a fine of up to 40,000 baht (Section 32). Handing the animal to someone who will look after it is not covered by the ban, so if your next home does not accept pets, or you are leaving Thailand, arrange a new home before you move.
Everyday care that protects your deposit
- Move-in day: photograph doors, door frames, insect screens, curtains and floors before your pet arrives. Our move-in checklist shows how.
- Scratches: put a scratching post where your cat likes to scratch, trim claws regularly and cover the landlord's sofa with a washable throw. Ask in writing before anything that needs drilling or fixing to a wall, such as a balcony net.
- Litter: put the tray on a washable mat, scoop daily, bin it where the building says, and never flush it down the toilet.
- Smells and stains: clean up urine or vomit straight away before it soaks into grout, and wash pet bedding often.
- Before you hand back the keys: remove fur from door edges, under the bed and from the air-con filter, then compare the room with your move-in photos. Follow our move-out cleaning checklist.
This article is a plain-language summary; for your own case, the law, the ordinance, the building's by-laws and your lease are what count.
Find a pet-friendly room on RentKrub
- Pick an area: rooms near rail stations, near universities or by province.
- In the "Filters" panel of the results page, tick "Pets allowed" under "In-room amenities" and tap "Show results". The number next to each amenity is how many listings in that area include it.
- If the number is 0, search by area and budget as usual and ask each owner, because some listings may not mention pets yet.
- On a listing page, check "Amenities", then "In the room": if "Pets allowed" is faded, the listing says it is not available.
- Use map search to drop a pin at your office or campus, pick a radius of 1–5 km, and open each listing to check its amenities.
Landlords who accept pets: tick "Pets allowed" among the amenities when you list or edit your place on RentKrub, so tenants who use this filter can find your rooms.
