RDRS-DT-01 · Defined Terms
Definitions
Every term used in the standard, defined precisely and in plain language.
A
Definition 28
Applicable Law
The law in force where the residence operates; the standard runs above it and is read subject to fair-housing, assistance-animal, and tenancy law.
Definition 30
Assistance and Service Animal
An animal a resident relies upon by reason of disability, governed by law, not by this standard, and exempt from its pet terms.
Definition 31
Assessment
The evaluation of a residence against the standard's criteria; only a Roch or Roch-licensed assessment can lead to certification.
B
Definition 14
Benchmark Dog
An illustrative medium-to-large companion dog of the Labrador type, used to test whether a size or breed limit is arbitrary.
Definition 15
Breed or Size Restriction
Any rule limiting dogs by breed, type, size, or weight, conformant only if required by law or specifically justified for one home.
Definition 16
Blanket Restriction
A restriction applied across the board without individual assessment, such as 'no dogs' or 'no dogs over 20kg' regardless of behaviour.
Definition 37
Built To / Aligned With
The permitted way to reference the standard without certification, describing an intention to meet it, requiring no permission and using no mark.
C
Definition 6
Common Areas
The shared parts of a residential building used by residents in common, such as lobbies, corridors, lifts, gardens, and amenity rooms.
Definition 7
Community Body
A homeowners association, condominium, strata, or co-operative board that sets rules binding on residents, including dog rules.
Definition 9
Criteria-Based and Consistent
The decision rule that dog decisions are made against published criteria and applied consistently to comparable cases.
Definition 25
Chronic Stressor
A persistent condition in or around the home causing ongoing distress to a dog or its neighbours, which the standard requires to be mitigated.
Definition 27
Complaints and Remediation
The route to raise a concern that a certified provider is failing the standard, and the basis for Roch to review or withdraw certification.
Definition 29
Comply and Disclose
The mechanism by which a provider obeys local law and clearly discloses any legal or contractual constraint that limits the standard.
Definition 32
Certification
Formal recognition by Roch that a residence met the standard's requirements at assessment, not a quality rating or a ranking.
Definition 33
Certification Status
One of three states a residence holds: Certified, Not Yet Certified, or Not Assessed, the default carrying no implication.
Definition 35
Certification Mark
The trademarked badge denoting a residence is Roch Dog Residence Certified, usable only by a residence holding current certification.
D
Definition 1
Dog-Friendly Residence
A long-term home that supports successful dog tenancies through consistent policy, no breed or size bans, fair charges, and welfare provision.
Definition 17
Dog-Related Charge
Any charge a resident pays because they keep a dog: damage deposit, pet rent, non-refundable fee, or penalty.
Definition 18
Damage Deposit
A refundable sum held against dog damage and returned in full where none occurs, with assistance and service animals exempt.
H
N
Definition 20
Non-Refundable Fee
A one-off charge that is not returned, conformant only as a small, defined, cost-reflective administrative amount.
Definition 22
Non-Cost-Reflective Charge
Any dog-related charge materially higher than its genuine cost, or structured to discourage dog ownership rather than recover real cost.
P
Definition 12
Published Dog Policy
A written statement of the terms on which dogs are kept, given to residents and readily accessible before the point of commitment.
Definition 13
Point of Commitment
The moment a person becomes legally bound to a home, such as signing a tenancy, before any non-refundable fee is taken.
Definition 19
Pet Rent
A recurring charge added to rent for a dog, conformant only if reasonable, cost-reflective, disclosed, and within any legal cap.
Definition 21
Penalty
A charge for a defined breach of the dog policy, conformant only where the breach is clear and the charge is capped and reasonable.
Definition 34
Pass or Fail
The model where each requirement is either met or not met, with no partial credit, expressed overall as a certification status.
R
Definition 3
Resident
A tenant or owner-occupier and their household who live in a home on a long-term basis, together with the dog kept there.
Definition 10
Reasonable Conditions
Specific, proportionate, justified conditions a provider may attach to keeping a dog, as opposed to barriers to keeping any dog at all.
Definition 11
Reasonable Refusal
A refusal of a specific dog on specific, documented grounds such as an unsuitable home, a binding covenant, or proven behavioural risk.
Definition 24
Relief and Exercise
The housing environment's support for a dog to relieve itself and exercise, through a safe, suitable place and practical rules.
W
Definition 8
Welcomed, not Permitted
The guiding principle that a residence should support successful dog tenancies, not merely allow dogs grudgingly.
Definition 23
Welfare Essentials
The baseline conditions a dog needs to live well in a home and its common areas: safety, daily relief, safe movement, and stressor mitigation.
Published by Roch Dog Inc
RDRS-DT-01 · 38 definitions · Last updated 2026-05-23