In order to qualify for an emotional support animal, you must first have an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional or LMHP. The ESA letter lets your landlord know that you need the emotional support animal for your disability and that you qualify under the Fair Housing Act.

Landlords can request copies of the animal’s health records to prove the animal is in good health, parasite free and immunized/vaccinated.

By allowing pets at a rental property, landlords have the opportunity to expand the number of potential tenants, increasing their odds in finding the best quality renters. More than 75% of renters own a furry friend, according to an Apartments.com survey.

Landlords used to ban dogs, cats and other pets from apartment buildings due to the damage, odor, noise, liability risk and other concerns. Some “pets” are service or assistance animals for people with disabilities, and landlords are required to accommodate the animals.

Typically a no pets clause do include caged animals. This will be at the discretion of each landlord but in most cases, a landlord will have a zero pets policy across the board regardless of if the pet lives in a cage or not.

The main reason is that tenants sometimes misinterpret the regulation and bypass the no-pet policy. An emotional support animal isn’t considered a pet, so a landlord can’t charge any fees or pet deposits. Landlords know that getting a medical prescription from a psychiatrist isn’t hard.

However, the Equality Act 2010 gives disabled people (including assistance dog owners) essential rights, making it unlawful for landlords or agents to refuse a prospective tenant with an assistance dog on the grounds ‘no pets allowed’.

Assistance dogs are also trained to help people with hearing difficulties, epilepsy, diabetes, physical mobility problems and more. Assistance dogs carry out a variety of practical tasks for people as well as supporting their independence and confidence. Most are instantly recognisable by a harness or jacket.

What to do if your landlord doesn’t allow pets

1. Buy insurance. Assure your landlord that you will purchase (or, even better, already have purchased) renters insurance.
2. Pay a deposit or fee.
3. Market yourself and your pet.
4. Situations in your favor.
5. Situations not in your favor.

In California, the rule requiring landlords to allow assistance animals in housing applies to emotional support animals as well as service dogs and psychiatric service dogs. Service dogs include guide and signal dogs as well as dogs who have been trained to perform specific services for their owners.

Under the laws of the FHA, landlords cannot legally deny emotional support animals unless they are completely unreasonable. They can’t deny housing to a person with any sort of disability, either mental, emotional, or physical. They are required by law to make reasonable accommodations for ESAs.

You may give your landlord your ESA letter before or after you sign the lease. You are not required to let your apartment management company know that you need or may need an emotional support animal. Remember, the manager, owner or landlord must make reasonable accommodation for you and your ESA under Federal Law.

Federal Laws Landlords may not charge the tenant extra “pet” rent or “pet” security deposit for a service or emotional support animal. Landlords may not apply other “pet policy” rules like breed or weight restrictions to service or emotional support animals.

The law allows you to have more than one emotional support animal. Please note that the request must be reasonable. It is acceptable under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) for a person who has been diagnosed with a legitimate condition to have more than one Emotional Support Animal.

There is no Fair Housing mandate to disclose an ESA at the time you apply for an apartment. Landlords are also obligated to consider an ESA request from a tenant whenever they receive it. Remember, federal laws protect your right to live with an emotional support animal.

There are no maximum or minimum size restrictions for emotional support animals—any animal, whether a cat, dog, or bird, can qualify. Also, no matter the breed of dog, they can become ESAs.

While searching for a job, no one may ask you if you have an emotional support animal. Moreover, there is no registry that lists that you are currently living with an emotional support animal. Companies and employer cannot ask about your medical history when interviewing your for a job.

If you answered yes to any of those questions, consult with an attorney licensed to practice in your state before attempting to purchase a firearm. No one cares whether you have an emotional support animal.

Some common mental disabilities that qualify someone for an emotional support animal (ESA) are anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, chronic stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

These are a few examples of mental disabilities that would qualify you for an ESA:

• Anxiety.
• Depression.
• Learning disabilities.
• Attention deficit disorder.
• Chronic stress.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder.

An emotional support animal does its job by just being there, mitigating the symptoms of your anxiety with its calming presence. This means unlike service animals, they don’t perform tasks or undergo any training to qualify as a support pet.

No Federal law requires either service animals or emotional support animals to wear a vest, clothing or harness that designates them as a service or support animal. Many individuals do prefer to have their pet wear a vest or harness identifying them as a service animal to avoid confusion in public places.

The public place cannot require a person to “prove” that their dog is a service dog. A service dog is not required to be registered, certified, or identified as a service dog.

Do service animals have to wear a vest or patch or special harness identifying them as service animals? A. No. The ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag, or specific harness.