24 C.F.R. § 960.707
§ 960.707 Pet ownership. (24 CFR Part 960)
Operative Text
(a) Ownership Conditions. A resident of a dwelling unit in public housing, as that term is used in § 960.703, may own one or more common household pets or have one or more common household pets present in the dwelling unit of such resident, subject to the reasonable requirements of the PHA, if the resident maintains each pet: (1) Responsibly; (2) In accordance with applicable State and local public health, animal control, and animal anti-cruelty laws and regulations; and (3) In accordance with the policies established in the PHA Annual Plan for the agency as provided in part 903 of this chapter. (b) Reasonable requirements. Reasonable requirements may include but are not limited to: (1) Requiring payment of a non-refundable nominal fee to cover the reasonable operating costs to the development relating to the presence of pets, a refundable pet deposit to cover additional costs attributable to the pet and not otherwise covered, or both; (2) Limitations on the number of animals in a unit, based on unit size; (3) Prohibitions on types of animals that the PHA classifies as dangerous, provided that such classifications are consistent with applicable State and local law, and prohibitions on individual animals, based on certain factors, including the size and weight of animals; (4) Restrictions or prohibitions based on size and type of building or project, or other relevant conditions; (5) Registration of the pet with the PHA; and (6) Requiring pet owners to have their pets spayed or neutered. (c) Restriction. A PHA may not require pet owners to have any pet's vocal chords removed. (d) Pet deposit. A PHA that requires a resident to pay a pet deposit must place the deposit in an account of the type required under applicable State or local law for pet deposits or, if State or local law has no requirements regarding pet deposits, for rental security deposits, if applicable. The PHA shall comply with such applicable law as to retention of the deposit, interest, and return of the deposit or portion thereof to the resident, and any other applicable requirements. (e) PHA Plan. Unless otherwise provided by § 903.11 of this chapter, Annual Plans are required to contain information regarding the PHA's pet policies, as described in § 903.7(n) of this chapter, beginning with PHA fiscal years that commence on or after January 1, 2001.
Under 24 CFR Part 960 § 960.707, residents of public housing have a federal right to own or keep common household pets, provided they care for those pets responsibly, follow applicable state and local laws on animal health and welfare, and comply with their Public Housing Authority's (PHA) established pet policies. PHAs are permitted to set reasonable conditions around pet ownership—such as fees, deposits, registration, unit-size-based limits, and spay/neuter requirements—but are expressly forbidden from requiring the removal of any pet's vocal cords. Any refundable pet deposit collected must be held and returned in accordance with applicable state or local law governing such deposits.
Plain English — not legal advice.
PHAs administering public housing under 24 CFR Part 960 § 960.707 generally document their pet policies within the Annual Plan, specifying any permitted fees, refundable deposits, registration procedures, animal-type restrictions, and spay/neuter requirements. Compliant operators ensure that deposit funds are held in the account type required by state or local law and that deposit retention, interest, and return procedures follow those same requirements. PHAs also take care that any breed or size restrictions align with applicable state and local law, and they do not impose vocal cord removal as a condition of pet ownership under any circumstances.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 24 CFR Part 960 § 960.707 establishes that public housing residents have a federally protected right to keep common household pets, so long as they meet the PHA's reasonable, plan-documented requirements and comply with local animal-control laws. If a PHA imposes a refundable pet deposit, residents can look to applicable state or local law to understand how that deposit must be held and returned. Tenants who believe a PHA's pet policy violates this provision may consider raising the issue with their local PHA, reviewing the PHA's Annual Plan for the stated policies, consulting a tenant-rights organization, or filing a complaint with HUD.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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