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

Pets that provide people with comfort have unique housing rights. The police force refers to these types of pets as Emotional Support Animals. Emotional Support Animals help aid with an emotional or mental disability. An ESA is a medical tool and non a pet. Under Federal Fair Housing Laws, Emotional  Back up Animals must have access to apartments with a no-pet policy and are exempt from pet-related fees.

If yous feel similar you may benefit and qualify for an ESA, you may read this article for more information.

If you are fix to authorize for an emotional support animal alphabetic character, complete the questionnaire to connect with a licensed mental wellness professional today.

Need help? We can help! Get started here
  • FAQ #ane – How practise I tell my landlord I have an ESA?
  • FAQ #two – What do I practise if my landlord rejects my ESA even later I show them my ESA letter?
  • FAQ #three – Tin can a landlord refuse my ESA because it is too young or too old?
  • FAQ #4 – My landlord is requiring me to register my ESA. Can a landlord require ESA registration if I already submitted my ESA letter?
  • FAQ #v – Can a landlord evict me for getting an ESA?
  • FAQ #6 – Tin a landlord question me virtually my mental or emotional disability?
  • FAQ #7 – When can a landlord legally reject an ESA?
How to tell your landlord you have an ESA.

How to Get an ESA Letter to Bear witness my Landlord

In lodge to qualify for an emotional support brute, y'all must outset have an ESA alphabetic character from a licensed mental health professional or LMHP. The ESA letter lets your landlord know that you need the emotional back up animal for your disability and that you qualify nether the Fair Housing Act. If you lot 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 go your ESA alphabetic character to testify your landlord, you tin can either connect with a licensed mental health professional in real life or connect with 1 online. The LMHP will determine if an emotional support animal will benefit yous and provide a written document requesting your ESA to live with yous.

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

Get Started

Living with an Emotional Support Canis familiaris or Cat – A Guide to Dealing with Hard Landlords

Although the constabulary is on your side, telling your landlord you have an Emotional Back up Animal can be stressful. We will accost ordinarily asked questions and provide tips on how to inform your landlord you accept an ESA. Although information technology may be uncomfortable at beginning, standing upwardly for your rights is important. Non just for yourself merely for other people who may need the support of an ESA.

Be confident in telling your landlord about your ESA. It is your right.
Exist confident in telling your landlord about your ESA. Information technology is your right.

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

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

The first step you should have before informing your landlord nearly having an ESA is to understand your rights. Landlords may try to great you by requesting sensitive medical records or your medical history. This is non legal and is in violation of Fair Housing standards. You practice non need to give in to this pressure. Instead, yous should stand up upwards for yourself and other ESA handlers.

From another perspective, your landlord may also only be unaware of ESA laws. You tin can take this opportunity to inform them of your rights. This will let them to better empathise your request for reasonable accommodations.

Either manner, it is important for you to know your legal rights clearly. You lot 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 will need an ESA letter from a therapist. This is mandatory, without an ESA alphabetic character your pet would non be considered an ESA fifty-fifty if they provide you with condolement. If you are currently seeing a therapist, we recommend that you request an ESA letter from them directly. We would also be happy to pair y'all with a top creature therapy therapist if your therapist is unaware of ESA laws.

The 2nd step is submitting your ESA alphabetic character via email, fax, or in person. This shows that you accept the necessary documents for you to live with your emotional support fauna. Emailing your letter will provide proof that you lot take submitted your paperwork to your landlord or homeowners association.

Get started on qualifying for an ESA letter of the alphabet by completing the questionnaire in the link below.

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

FAQ #2 – What do I do if my landlord rejects my ESA even later 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. Y'all will write back to them in an electronic mail stating that you have provided all necessary documentation (which is an ESA letter from an ESA doctor or licensed mental health professional person). You may write back documenting that they are rejecting a reasonable accommodation request . You tin can and so inform them that you lot will exist filing a complaint with the HUD for open discrimination of your disability. At this stage, your landlord will exist pushed to read up on the police force and see that reasonable adaptation is required to emotional support animal handlers. Be calm but gear up to fight for your rights, no one should be forced out of their dwelling house or denied housing due to their disability.

Please annotation that nosotros are non lawyers and this is not legal advice. This is information that our clients have plant helpful and we hope this is helpful to you too.

FAQ #three – Tin a landlord refuse my ESA considering information technology is too young or too quondam?

emotional support animal puppy
An emotional support animal cannot be denied by a landlord just because it is a puppy or kitten. Age is not a gene for an ESA.

Emotional back up animals cannot be denied due to their age. Landlords that deny dogs because they are younger and are considered puppies are not following the rules set out by the Fair Housing Act. With that being said, you are responsible for the actions of your ESA. If your puppy causes damages to the building, you are liable. The key is to conspicuously explain to your landlord that there are no age requirements for an ESA and that yous will exist a responsible handler and will make sure your ESA, regardless of age, is well behaved.

FAQ #iv – My landlord is requiring me to register my ESA. Tin a landlord crave ESA registration if I already submitted my ESA letter of the alphabet?

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 thing! Let your landlord know that ESA registries are artificial. All you need is an ESA alphabetic character.

The only type of "registration" you need is your ESA letter of the alphabet. ESA registration is not required past law. The Fair Housing Deed only requires an ESA letter of the alphabet signed by a licensed mental health professional that is written on their official letterhead.

Whether or not you lot order an ESA Certification (separate and not to be confused with an ESA letter) is upwardly to yous. Some people will prefer to order a document or vest instead of arguing with their landlord. You tin can always make this decision, but it is also important that you are enlightened that their request is not mandated by Fair 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 just considering they practise not allow pets.

No, your landlord cannot adios you because they exercise not want you to have an ESA. This is in directly violation of Fair Housing regulations. You are required to request reasonable accommodations for your ESA earlier bringing them into your apartment. If you qualify for an ESA letter, you lot will submit it to your landlord and request reasonable accommodations for your ESA. In one case they grant your asking, you may bring your ESA habitation. You are not required to pay a pet deposit or monthly fee.

Unfortunately, not many landlords or building supers are well versed in ESA regulations. If they bully you, practice not experience worried. Instead, calmly advise them of your rights and have them verify information technology with their squad.

Need help? We can help! Get started here

FAQ #6 – Tin can a landlord question me about 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 you most your inability. They cannot require that you provide medical information in relation to your ESA.

No, they cannot. But this does non mean they will non endeavour. If you e'er feel uncomfortable with your landlord's questions, y'all may request that they email them to y'all. About of the fourth dimension, landlords are simply unaware of the rules surrounding emotional support animals. We recommend that y'all stay calm and clearly explain your rights to them. Let them know that inquiring most your inability is not immune and recommend they seek legal communication before continuing to pressure yous to disembalm details regarding your disability.

FAQ #vii – When can a landlord legally decline an ESA?

There are some weather condition when a landlord can pass up your ESA. Emotional support animal protection is meant to protect a person with an emotional or mental disability, the police force is not fabricated to punish the landlord. This is why there are particular situations where a landlord can refuse an ESA.

  1. First – if the animal is also large for the accommodation size. For example, a horse or a llama may be rejected from a pocket-size studio apartment.
  2. Second – if the building has four units or less and the landlord lives in one of the buildings.
  3. 3rd – information technology is a unmarried-family unit business firm that was rented without a realtor and the possessor owns less than 3 single family homes.
  4. Fourth – if the animate being in the unit of measurement brings an undue financial hardship to the landlord.
  5. Fifth – if the beast causes damages or harm to others in the edifice.

What to exercise if your landlord continues to discriminate confronting your ESA

The first pace would exist to asking that your landlord advise you of their electric current position (refusal, denial, etc.), in writing, every bit required by law. That means email or alphabetic character, just not text.

Then, nosotros recommend that you advise your landlord (in writing) that you are willing to file a HUD complaint nigh open discrimination. We find that the vast majority of landlords will follow the law (even if reluctantly) and approve your ESA rather than violate federal housing laws and disability rights outlined by HUD. It is of import to stand up for yourself and the correct to live with your emotional support creature. When faced with the fear of discrimination, remember that the rules are here to protect you.

Housing Bigotry Complaint Online
Part of Off-white Housing and Equal Opportunity
U.S. Section of Housing and Urban Development
451 seventh Street, S.W. , Room 5242
Washington, D.C. 20410

Other Emotional Support Animal Rights

Too housing access, emotional back up animals are also immune to wing with their handler on airplanes. To learn more than about flight with your ESA, you may read this article.

Qualify for an emotional support animal today!

Start Now!

Go the Dear and Back up y'all deserve.

Disclaimer: Nosotros are non doctors, a medical clinic, lawyers or a law firm and nosotros practise not provide legal, medical, business or tax communication. None of our representatives are lawyers and they also exercise not provide legal, business or taxation 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 chaser. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other advisable professional if you want legal, business or tax communication .