My next-door neighbour has just bought a goat which he plans to keep in the back garden to keep his weeds down. Is he allowed to do this in a residential community?
Some occupiers do have somewhat unusual pets such as sheep and pigs and keeping such animals as pets does have its risks. The majority of properties are subject to restrictive covenants affecting their use. The most popular being the ‘residential dwelling house only’ restriction. But a close second is the covenant not to cause a nuisance or annoyance to adjoining occupiers.
While in the case of older properties there is rarely a covenant against keeping non-domestic animals as pets, newer properties, particularly on new developments, are usually subject to such a restriction. It would, therefore, come down to a question of nuisance to your neighbours, and there could of course be other Public Health Act issues (such as smell) with which you would need to be aware.
Again, these would only become an issue in the event of a complaint in which case it is anticipated that such a complaint would, in the main, be justified! On the other hand for many years a much-loved resident of my local community in Rhiwbina, Cardiff, was a pet sheep. He was a favourite with the locals – but clearly didn’t eat any of the plants in their gardens!