Laws about assistance animals are basically the same for all the states. But is the treatment really the same everywhere? In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about emotional support animals in Florida condos. Let’s start with the basics.
If you believe an emotional support animal would benefit your life, complete the questionnaire in the link below and connect with a licensed therapist today.
What are Emotional Support Animals?
Emotional support animals are a type of assistance animal that helps people cope with their mental or emotional disability through love and companionship.
These animals are usually dogs and cats. However, they can be other types of domesticated animals such as rabbits, lizards, rats, birds, etc.
The most important things are:
- The animal is domesticated
- It is not a danger to anyone
- It’s potty trained, friendly, and calm
- A licensed mental health professional prescribed and ESA
- The animal helps ease your symptoms
How do you get to live with emotional support animals in Florida condos?
In order to live with an ESA, you must have an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional.
People with mental or emotional disabilities need continuous support. Hence, it’s only natural that people who own animals that can help battle the disorder live with these pets. But just because this is so important for an individual’s mental health, the process isn’t any simpler.
There are requirements owners have to meet in order to live with their emotional support animals in Florida condos.
First, they need to get a diagnosis of their mental or emotional disability. The diagnosis needs to come from a licensed psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical social worker, or other mental health professional.
Next, the patient needs to be evaluated for the disorder. During an evaluation, the therapist can determine if the patient could actually benefit from an emotional support animal. If this is the case, the patient gets an emotional support animal letter. This letter is a prescription for an ESA. There are certain criteria the letter needs to satisfy but your therapist should know this.
Click here to get started on qualifying for your ESA letter.
To live with emotional support animals in Florida condos, show this letter to housing managers. And make sure you get the document from an authorized person. Otherwise, your request for accommodation won’t get you through the front door.
If you want to live in a no-pet facility in Florida, you can’t just show up with your animal. You need to file a request with the homeowners association and present your ESA letter.
In the process, you might need to answer some questions. Once they verify you, you’ll get access. Note that you can also apply for rental properties.
However, if your animal is destructive or causes harm to other residents, they can deny accommodation. This can also happen to owners of emotional support animals in Florida condos if the animal is too large (ie. a horse in a condo) or if the animal is dangerous.
Homeowners’ doubts about emotional support animals in Florida condos
There are certain benefits that come from owning an emotional support animal. Apart from the obvious, which is easing symptoms of mental health disorders, there are other perks.
Owners can bring their ESAs into housing facilities and board them on planes without having to pay any extra pet fees. The laws such as the Fair Housing Act and Air Carrier Access Act make this possible.
Emotional support animal owners can live in “no-pets” condos and apartments without paying additional pet fees or deposits.
Unfortunately, some people have started to try and go around ESA regulations. These people will try and register their pet as an ESA without getting the correct documents from a licensed therapist.
These practices have made it harder for people to live with emotional support animals in Florida condos.
Homeowners associations are getting more accommodation requests every day. And some of these requests are invalid. This is because many people are registering emotional support animals online from sites that don’t have the authorization to give them. As a result, even people who make valid requests are being scrutinized by HOAs.
Before filing your request, do your homework and get a valid emotional support animal letter from a real licensed mental health professional. When you do this, unless your animal is a threat to other tenants, you shouldn’t have much trouble.
Another exception can be that providing accommodation for you and your companion would cause a great financial or administrative burden to the facility. This goes beyond the scope of “reasonable” accommodation so, in theory, the request can be denied.
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals can provide health benefits to their owners and let them live a more balanced life.
Emotional support animals can be a huge relief for someone suffering from a physical, psychological, or mental illness. These comfort animals can provide the support and love to help those immobilized by their disorders. If you see someone with an emotional support animal, choose compassion over judgement.
Get your emotional support animal letter online.
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I live in a condo and large breed dogs has gotten way out of had. Anyone can go online claim dog is ESA and get letter for the board. We just had an “ESA” pit bull mix bite someone unprovoked from the back. What are the options for the board to limit everyone from claiming their dog is ESA. Service dogs I totally agree with but ESA have gotten way out of had…
Landlords do not have to accommodate emotional support animals that pose a threat to the safety or health of others. If a resident’s ESA has attacked someone, that is certainly grounds to deny that tenant’s ESA accommodation. Tenants do not have to tolerate a neighbor’s emotional support animal that threatens their safety.
my mil is moving into my condo and there is a weight limit no issue she has him registered as a esa they said it has to be a medical dr that she is currently seeing in person. her sea is from a licensed psych and they are giving me a hard time what do I do
You are absolutely allowed to get an ESA letter from a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist. In fact, most ESA letters are NOT from physicians, they are from mental health specialists such as therapists. Please see this link for more info: https://esadoctors.com/who-can-write-an-esa-letter/
My association is telling me that only I am allowed to take my dog for a walk around the complex since she is my ESA. I live with my boyfriend and he walks her sometimes when I am not home or unable to. Can they tell me who is allowed to walk my dog? Would it be animal neglect if we waited until only I was able to walk her?
As an ESA owner you are allowed to have others take care of your dog.