Urban New Zealand is changing fast. As apartment living grows across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Tauranga, more and more Kiwis are navigating what it means to share a smaller space with a dog, cat, or other companion animal. The good news: apartment life and pet ownership are absolutely compatible — but they require more intentional planning than a house with a backyard.
This guide covers everything from choosing the right pet for apartment living, to managing your lease, to building a care routine that keeps both you and your pet happy. We also cover what happens when you travel: finding a pet sitter who understands apartment-dwelling animals is its own skill.
This is the question most urban pet owners ask themselves. The honest answer is: it depends entirely on the pet and the owner, not the square footage.
A Greyhound in a small Auckland apartment with two hour-long walks per day will be far happier and healthier than a Border Collie in a large suburban home who gets a 10-minute walk and is left alone for 10 hours. Research consistently shows that exercise quantity, mental stimulation, and quality time with their owner matter far more to dogs than the size of the space they sleep in.
Cats, in many ways, are naturally suited to apartment life. They are territorial animals who map and master their environment, and a well-enriched apartment — with vertical space, window perches, and regular play — meets a cat's core needs without any outdoor access.
The challenge is not apartment size. The challenge is owner commitment.
Before you bring a pet into a rental apartment, you need to understand your legal position.
Under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 (amended 2021), landlords can include no-pets clauses in tenancy agreements. However, the law now requires landlords to have reasonable grounds to decline a pet request made by a tenant. Blanket pet bans are increasingly difficult for landlords to enforce, particularly for small or low-risk pets.
Important: Always check Body Corporate rules separately from your tenancy agreement. A landlord may allow pets but the building's Body Corporate rules may prohibit dogs or set weight limits. Both sets of rules apply to you.
Not every dog thrives in a smaller space. High-energy working breeds like Border Collies, Australian Cattle Dogs, and Siberian Huskies need significant physical and mental work each day — work that is genuinely difficult to provide from an apartment without extraordinary commitment.
The following breeds tend to adapt well to apartment life:
Calm, affectionate, minimal exercise needs. Loves cuddles and indoor time. Popular in NZ cities.
Surprising apartment dogs — sprinters not marathoners. Sleep most of the day, need a daily run.
Very popular in Auckland. Low exercise, affectionate, quiet. Watch for breathing issues in heat.
Bred as a companion dog for indoor living. Minimal shedding, easy going, suits apartment life well.
Tiny, low-shedding, and gentle. Suits small spaces and older apartment residents.
Laid-back and quiet indoors. Needs daily walks but not intense exercise. Surprisingly calm apartment dog.
Medium and larger dogs are not automatically ruled out — many Labradors, Boxers, and even Standard Poodles thrive in apartments with committed owners. The key question is always: can you realistically meet this dog's exercise and stimulation needs from your building?
Most cats do perfectly well in apartments. Some breeds are even better suited to indoor-only living:
Enrichment tip: For indoor cats, vertical space matters as much as floor space. Install a tall cat tree, wall-mounted shelves, or a window perch near a bird feeder. The visual stimulation of watching birds can keep a cat entertained for hours — and it costs almost nothing.
Routine is the foundation of a well-adjusted apartment pet. Without a yard to burn off energy freely, you become your pet's primary source of exercise, stimulation, and routine — which means your schedule needs to be deliberate.
One of the real challenges of apartment pets — especially dogs — is noise. A dog who barks during the day while you're at work is a neighbourly crisis waiting to happen.
When you travel, your apartment pet has specific needs that differ from pets in houses with yards. Here is what to look for in a pet sitter when you live in an apartment:
For apartment cats especially, keeping the pet in their own familiar environment is almost always the right call. An in-home sitter (or a sitter who does multiple daily drop-ins) maintains your cat's routine with minimal disruption.
For dogs in apartments, an in-home stay is also excellent — your sitter stays in your apartment overnight, maintains the walk schedule, and your dog does not have the added stress of navigating a new environment.
Apartments have security systems, intercoms, and sometimes complex access arrangements. Your sitter needs a key, fob, or code. Brief them thoroughly on how to enter and exit, where to park if they drive, and any building rules about pets in lifts or common areas.
If you book a sitter to do drop-in visits rather than overnight stays, ensure the schedule includes a midday walk — not just morning and evening. An apartment dog alone from 8am to 6pm with no midday visit will be uncomfortable and potentially destructive.
Before you travel: Leave your sitter a written guide that includes: how to operate the intercom, parking instructions, building rules for pets, your vet's address and phone number, and a list of trusted neighbours they can contact if something unexpected happens.
Under New Zealand tenancy law, landlords can include no-pets clauses in residential tenancy agreements. However, the Residential Tenancies Act was amended in 2021 to make it harder to refuse pets without reasonable grounds. Always get written consent before bringing a pet into a rental property.
Great apartment dog breeds in NZ include the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, French Bulldog, Pug, Maltese, Shih Tzu, Greyhound, and Basset Hound. These breeds tend to be calm indoors and do not require extreme amounts of exercise. The key is consistent daily walks regardless of apartment size.
Look for sitters who have experience with apartment pets and are comfortable doing drop-in visits or in-home stays in high-rise buildings. ZiggySitters lists verified pet sitters across New Zealand including in apartment-heavy cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
For most dogs, yes — especially in apartments where they cannot self-regulate by spending time in a garden. Dogs should not be left alone for more than 4–5 hours without a break, exercise, and bathroom opportunity. A midday dog walker is one of the most impactful investments you can make in your apartment dog's wellbeing.
Apartment living with a pet in New Zealand is not just possible — for many people, it is genuinely great. The discipline required to provide structured exercise and enrichment often results in a closer, more attuned relationship with your animal than you might ever develop with a yard to defer to. Do the work, choose your pet thoughtfully, and find the right support network (vet, walker, sitter). Your pet will thrive.
ZiggySitters connects apartment pet owners with experienced, verified sitters across Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and beyond. In-home stays, drop-in visits, and daily dog walking — all in one place.
Browse Sitters Near Me