An ESA is a medical tool and not a pet. Under Federal Fair Housing Laws, Emotional  Support Animals must have admission to apartments with a no-pet policy and are exempt from pet-related fees.

Pets that provide people with comfort accept unique housing rights. The law refers to these types of pets equally Emotional Support Animals. Emotional Support Animals help aid with an emotional or mental disability. An ESA is a medical tool and not a pet. Under Federal Fair Housing Laws, Emotional  Support Animals must take access to apartments with a no-pet policy and are exempt from pet-related fees.

If you lot experience like you may benefit and qualify for an ESA, y'all may read this article for more than data.

If you are prepare to qualify for an emotional support animal letter of the alphabet, complete the questionnaire to connect with a licensed mental health professional today.

Need help? We can help! Get started here
  • FAQ #ane – How exercise I tell my landlord I take an ESA?
  • FAQ #2 – What exercise I do if my landlord rejects my ESA even afterwards I bear witness them my ESA letter of the alphabet?
  • FAQ #three – Tin can a landlord reject my ESA considering it is too immature or also old?
  • FAQ #4 – My landlord is requiring me to register my ESA. Can a landlord crave ESA registration if I already submitted my ESA letter?
  • FAQ #5 – Can a landlord evict me for getting an ESA?
  • FAQ #half dozen – Tin can a landlord question me near my mental or emotional disability?
  • FAQ #7 – When can a landlord legally pass up an ESA?
How to tell your landlord you have an ESA.

How to Get an ESA Alphabetic character to Evidence my Landlord

In social club to qualify for an emotional support animate being, you must first take an ESA letter from a licensed mental wellness professional or LMHP. The ESA alphabetic character lets your landlord know that you demand the emotional support animal for your disability and that you qualify under the Off-white Housing Act. If you have an ESA letter of the alphabet from a real LMHP, your landlord cannot deny your request or charge you a pet fee and pet deposit.

In order to get your ESA letter to show your landlord, you tin either connect with a licensed mental health professional in real life or connect with one online. The LMHP will determine if an emotional back up fauna will do good you and provide a written certificate requesting your ESA to live with you.

To connect with a real licensed mental health professional person online, consummate the ESA Questionnaire in the "Get Started" link beneath.

Get Started

Living with an Emotional Support Dog or Cat – A Guide to Dealing with Difficult Landlords

Although the law is on your side, telling your landlord y'all have an Emotional Support Animate being can be stressful. Nosotros will address usually asked questions and provide tips on how to inform your landlord you have an ESA. Although information technology may be uncomfortable at starting time, continuing up for your rights is important. Not only for yourself just for other people who may need the support of an ESA.

Be confident in telling your landlord about your ESA. It is your right.
Be confident in telling your landlord nearly your ESA. It is your right.

FAQ #1 – How do I tell my landlord I take an ESA? Especially if the edifice has a no pet policy or monthly fees/special pet deposit.

Informing your landlord you have an ESA can exist more challenging than informing an airline you are traveling with an ESA. The main issue is that many landlords are unaware of ESA regulations.

The first step you should take earlier informing your landlord well-nigh having an ESA is to understand your rights. Landlords may try to dandy you by requesting sensitive medical records or your medical history. This is not legal and is in violation of Off-white Housing standards. Y'all do not need to give in to this pressure. Instead, you lot should stand upwardly for yourself and other ESA handlers.

From another perspective, your landlord may as well simply be unaware of ESA laws. You can take this opportunity to inform them of your rights. This will allow them to better understand your request for reasonable accommodations.

Either way, it is important for you to know your legal rights clearly. Y'all may read more about ESA housing rights by this article – Guide to Renting with an ESA.

To make your pet into an official ESA, you lot will need an ESA alphabetic character from a therapist. This is mandatory, without an ESA letter of the alphabet your pet would not exist considered an ESA fifty-fifty if they provide you with comfort. If you lot are currently seeing a therapist, nosotros recommend that you lot request an ESA letter from them straight. We would also be happy to pair you with a acme animal therapy therapist if your therapist is unaware of ESA laws.

The second step is submitting your ESA letter via email, fax, or in person. This shows that you lot take the necessary documents for you to alive with your emotional back up fauna. Emailing your letter of the alphabet will provide proof that you have submitted your paperwork to your landlord or homeowners association.

Get started on qualifying for an ESA letter by completing the questionnaire in the link beneath.

Three easy steps to get an ESA Letter with ESA Doctors
Get Started

FAQ #2 – What exercise I practice if my landlord rejects my ESA even after I testify them my ESA letter?

If your landlord persists on rejecting your ESA, you will ask them to write a formal letter reflecting this rejection. You will write back to them in an email stating that you have provided all necessary documentation (which is an ESA letter of the alphabet from an ESA doctor or licensed mental health professional). Y'all may write back documenting that they are rejecting a reasonable adaptation request . You tin can then inform them that you will be filing a complaint with the HUD for open discrimination of your inability. At this stage, your landlord volition be pushed to read up on the police force and see that reasonable accommodation is required to emotional support beast handlers. Exist calm but set to fight for your rights, no one should be forced out of their dwelling house or denied housing due to their disability.

Delight note that we are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. This is data that our clients take found helpful and we hope this is helpful to you too.

FAQ #3 – Can a landlord refuse my ESA because it is too young or too old?

emotional support animal puppy
An emotional support brute cannot be denied past a landlord merely because it is a puppy or kitten. Age is non a factor for an ESA.

Emotional back up animals cannot be denied due to their age. Landlords that deny dogs considering they are younger and are considered puppies are not following the rules set out by the Off-white Housing Human action. With that existence said, you are responsible for the actions of your ESA. If your puppy causes damages to the building, you are liable. The cardinal is to clearly explain to your landlord that there are no age requirements for an ESA and that yous will be a responsible handler and volition make sure your ESA, regardless of age, is well behaved.

FAQ #4 – My landlord is requiring me to annals my ESA. Tin can a landlord crave ESA registration if I already submitted my ESA letter?

ESA Registration? There is no such thing! Let your landlord know that ESA registries are bogus. All you need is an ESA letter.
ESA Registration? In that location is no such matter! Let your landlord know that ESA registries are bogus. All you need is an ESA letter.

The simply type of "registration" you need is your ESA alphabetic character. ESA registration is not required by law. The Fair Housing Act only requires an ESA alphabetic character signed past a licensed mental wellness professional that is written on their official letterhead.

Whether or not y'all order an ESA Certification (separate and not to exist confused with an ESA letter of the alphabet) is up to you lot. Some people will prefer to order a certificate or vest instead of arguing with their landlord. You can always make this determination, but it is also important that you are aware that their request is not mandated past Off-white Housing.

FAQ #5 – Can a landlord adios me for getting an ESA?

A landlord cannot deny an ESA simply because they do not allow pets.
A landlord cannot deny an ESA but considering they exercise non allow pets.

No, your landlord cannot evict you considering they do not want you to have an ESA. This is in directly violation of Fair Housing regulations. You lot are required to request reasonable accommodations for your ESA before bringing them into your apartment. If you qualify for an ESA letter, you volition submit information technology to your landlord and asking reasonable accommodations for your ESA. Once they grant your request, you lot may bring your ESA dwelling. You are non required to pay a pet deposit or monthly fee.

Unfortunately, non many landlords or edifice supers are well versed in ESA regulations. If they not bad you, practise not feel worried. Instead, calmly advise them of your rights and have them verify it with their team.

Need help? We can help! Get started here

FAQ #6 – Tin a landlord question me well-nigh my mental or emotional disability?

Landlords cannot question you about your disability. They cannot require that you provide medical information in relation to your ESA.
Landlords cannot question yous virtually your disability. They cannot require that you provide medical data in relation to your ESA.

No, they cannot. But this does not mean they will non endeavour. If yous always feel uncomfortable with your landlord's questions, yous may request that they email them to you. Most of the fourth dimension, landlords are but unaware of the rules surrounding emotional support animals. Nosotros recommend that y'all stay calm and clearly explicate your rights to them. Let them know that inquiring well-nigh your disability is not allowed and recommend they seek legal advice before continuing to pressure you to disembalm details regarding your disability.

FAQ #vii – When tin can a landlord legally pass up an ESA?

There are some weather when a landlord can turn down your ESA. Emotional back up animal protection is meant to protect a person with an emotional or mental disability, the constabulary is not made to punish the landlord. This is why at that place are item situations where a landlord can reject an ESA.

  1. First – if the animal is as well large for the accommodation size. For example, a horse or a llama may exist rejected from a modest studio apartment.
  2. Second – if the edifice has iv units or less and the landlord lives in one of the buildings.
  3. 3rd – it is a unmarried-family business firm that was rented without a realtor and the owner owns less than three single family homes.
  4. Fourth – if the creature in the unit brings an undue fiscal hardship to the landlord.
  5. Fifth – if the animal causes damages or harm to others in the building.

What to do if your landlord continues to discriminate against your ESA

The start pace would be to request that your landlord advise you of their electric current position (refusal, denial, etc.), in writing, as required past constabulary. That means email or letter, simply not text.

And so, nosotros recommend that you advise your landlord (in writing) that you are willing to file a HUD complaint about open up discrimination. Nosotros find that the vast majority of landlords will follow the law (fifty-fifty if reluctantly) and corroborate your ESA rather than violate federal housing laws and disability rights outlined by HUD. It is important to stand upward for yourself and the right to live with your emotional back up animal. When faced with the fear of bigotry, remember that the rules are here to protect you.

Housing Discrimination Complaint Online
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
U.Due south. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, S.W. , Room 5242
Washington, D.C. 20410

Other Emotional Support Animal Rights

Also housing access, emotional support animals are also immune to fly with their handler on airplanes. To learn more about flying with your ESA, yous may read this article.

Qualify for an emotional back up fauna today!

Start Now!

Go the Love and Support you lot deserve.

Disclaimer: We are not doctors, a medical clinic, lawyers or a constabulary firm and we exercise not provide legal, medical, business or revenue enhancement advice. None of our representatives are lawyers and they too do not provide legal, business or tax advice. The accuracy, completeness, adequacy or currency of the content is not warranted or guaranteed. Our sites and services are not substitutes for the advice or services of an attorney. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other advisable professional if you want legal, business or taxation advice .