§ 5-2. Peace, order and keeping pets
You must follow the normal rules of order in the building. But even if the landlord (utleier) has banned pets, you can keep an animal — if you have good reasons for it and the animal is not a nuisance to anyone.
Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська
The text of the law (unofficial translation)
Unless otherwise agreed, the landlord shall, during the tenancy (leieforhold), maintain normal peace and order in the property.
The tenant (leier) shall follow normal rules of order and reasonable instructions that the landlord has laid down to ensure good order in the building. Even if the landlord has prohibited the keeping of animals in the property, the tenant may keep animals if there are good reasons for it, and the keeping of animals is not a nuisance to the landlord or the other users of the property.
What does this mean?
The landlord's duty: The landlord is responsible for peace and order in the building as a whole. This means that if the neighbour above you is constantly noisy, it is the landlord's problem to deal with — not just yours. You can raise it with the landlord and demand that he takes action.
Your duty: You must follow the house rules (husordensregler) — typical rules about quiet after 11 pm, tidying shared areas, sorting rubbish and the like. If the rules are reasonable and justified, you must comply with them.
Pets — the important exception:
Many tenancy contracts say "no animals". But the law gives you an important exception: Even if the contract bans animals, you can keep an animal if:
One: You have good reasons. Typical examples are a child who is strongly attached to a pet, the need for a service animal, or that it is a small, quiet animal that causes no nuisance.
Two: The animal is not a nuisance to the landlord or the other tenants. A calm cat in a flat is usually acceptable. A dog kennel with six bitches is probably not.
Be careful: If you have an animal that actually is a nuisance, and you have received a written warning from the landlord, he can terminate the contract with immediate effect (heving) under § 9-9.
Examples
Sara has a cat and rents a flat with a "no pets" clause. The cat is calm, does not smell and is never out in the shared areas. No neighbours complain. Sara has "good reasons" — she has had the cat for ten years and is strongly attached to it. A ban in the contract does not change the law: keeping the cat is lawful.
Lars has a dog that barks constantly and the neighbours complain. The landlord gives a written warning. Lars does nothing. The dog is a nuisance to other users — and if it continues, the landlord can terminate the tenancy agreement (leieavtale) with immediate effect.
Common mistakes
- Thinking that "no pets" in the contract is absolute. It is not — the law gives you an exception with conditions.
- Thinking that the landlord's duty to keep peace and order only applies to his own actions. The landlord is responsible for the whole building — including disruptive neighbours.
What should you do?
If you have a pet and are unsure: Ask the landlord for approval in writing. Describe the animal and explain that it will not be a nuisance. Many landlords accept it. If the landlord refuses, you can consider whether the exception in the law still gives you the right — but it is safer to have approval than to rely on the exception alone.