The present disclosure relates to a control apparatus and method for a device that has been made intelligent through combination with Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent service (for example, smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected car, health care, digital education, small retailers, security and safety-related service, etc.) which is based on IoT-related technology. A method for controlling a first device at the first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may comprise the steps of: receiving control state information on a second device from the second device; acquiring a control signal for the first device; on the basis of at least one of the received control state information and the acquired control signal, selecting one from among at least one or more stored control rules; and executing a control operation for the first device on the basis of the selected control rule.