How Many Pets Can I Keep in My House?

Having animals is a wonderful thing. Studies have shown that having a pet can bring down your stress levels and can even help you to live longer. This is why pets are used as therapy animals in nursing homes and with sick patients. However, like anything else, it is entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. As a homeowner, you may wonder if you can fill your home with four, five, six or more pets. Are there any restrictions or laws as to how many pets you can have?

How Many Pets A Person Can Have

The answer to how many pets can you have in your home is going to vary from state to state and depending on where you live within a given state. There are several factors that can affect the number of pets you can have in your home:

• Zoning ordinances. Is there area where you live zoned agricultural or residential? Having five or six cats on a large farm that is zoned agricultural is a very different thing than having six cats in a residential apartment in the city. You should be able to find the zoning ordinances for where you live and see if there are any restrictions contained within them on the number and types of animals that can live in that particular area
• Municipal regulations and licensing requirements: In the township or area where you live, there are probably some regulations set forth. These can govern anything form the state in which you keep your yard to the number of pets you may have in your home. Often, these township rules set forth a requirement that you have a license for any pet in your house (with accompanying licensing fees). You may be limited in how many animals you can have and how many licenses you can obtain, or you may have to obtain special "breeders" licenses if you have over a set number of pets
• Homeowners association regulations: If you live in a planned community, condo or apartment building, then you will need to check and see whether your homeowners association or lease rules limit the number of pets you can have. It is very common that these signed legal documents will have a limitation on pets in order to protect the neighborhood and its property values.

Getting Help

If you have concerns about the number of pets you can have, you should consult with an experienced real estate lawyer to find out what limitations may exist in your area. No one wants to have a pet and have to get rid of it, so talk with your lawyer first before you bring any animals home to make sure that you can make your house a permanent environment for those pets without violating any laws.