Emotional Support Animal Requirements
If you think that having a card for an emotional support animal (ESA) translates to a right to take your pet anywhere, think again. That card merely says that your pet has been registered in some database of pet owners who have the money to pay between $70 and $200 to an organization, or organizations as the case may be, which has no official government recognition.
The FHA and the ACAA
Emotional support animal certificates do not entitle their holders to bring in their pets to stores, hotels, trains, restaurants, taxi cabs, buses, and parks. Unlike service dogs, which are legally allowed to be with their owners anywhere the handler is present, ESA dogs and cats are classified by the federal government as untrained companions and are limited access to certain locations. There are a couple of laws, however, that gives ESA owners certain rights.
These are the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act). According to the FHA, you and an ESA (usually a dog) are allowed by law to live in a single-family home, apartment, condominium unit, and other types of housing even if these have existing policies on prohibiting pets to live in them. The ACAA, on the other hand, allows the ESA to fly with its owner without any extra charges.
Both the FHA and the ACAA, however, require corroborating letters, which you have to present to any inquiring authorities. What would it take to get your ESA certified? All you need is a duly-licensed doctor or licensed mental health professional who can vouch for your need for an ESA because of your disability.
How Can I Get an ESA Letter from ESA Doctors?
No Need to Disclose Details
Emotional support animals can help reduce the effects of anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions, but you are not required to disclose these details. A person who needs an ESA is required to present to a landlord, housing authority or rental manager a letter of request stating that he/she has a mental disability with the explanation that accommodation is of the essence.
Fortunately for those with disabilities, there is no need for disclosure of the details of their disability; they are also not required to provide any medical history. Establishing the necessity of the ESA, however, is critical for the individual for him/her to use as well as enjoy residence. This is a demonstration of the relationship between the individual’s functional ability and the ESA’s role as a companion.
If you require an ESA letter from a licensed therapist, fill out the questionnaire at ESADoctors.com. PetPartners, a non-profit, can also be a useful site to check out for information regarding ESA-assisted interaction. ESA’s, by the way, are not exclusive or limited to dogs and may be almost any kind of animal including cats as long as your doctor or therapist confirms the animal to be of benefit to your mental health.
A landlord I’m about to start a new lease with who has informed me my application for the apartment was approved and who was informed in advance about my ESA asked for my letter from my therapist. I have provided it.
Now they are asking for a certificate showing my ESA is certified. What does that even mean? There is no certificate. I received a letter from my licenced mental health professional. They accepted my security deposit and stated if I back out of the apartment I won’t get it back but now they’re saying either I give them the certificate or pay a $500 pet deposit.
What in the world is happening right now. I feel like I’m in the twilight zone. Is this even legal?!!!! They even sent me a picture of a card with a dog’s picture like an ID lol stating ESA on the top of it…… I’m really confused 🤔
The only documentation you need to qualify for an ESA is a letter from a licensed healthcare professional. You absolutely do not need a “certificate”, there is no such thing as an official legally recognized ESA certification program.
Hello, my boyfriend Chris and I have signed a One-year lease for a small rental house we are moving into this weekend, and are moving in with an ESA. We were worried we could not find a home in time for our expected moving-day agreement with our current landlord so we did not disclose we have her. We have gone through so many applications and viewings and each time denied and think it may be because we notified the landlords about our ESA, Chloe. We were told by friends and the research we did prior to applying for housing that we did not have to disclose this information, period, that we had any pets/animals/etc. so we stated we did not have any “pets.” She’s a very well behaved lazy dog and is my boyfriend’s ESA. I am worried our new landlord will have a bad taste in his mouth since we did not tell him prior to signing the lease. I feel awful about it and want to know the proper steps to inform him, I was just worried we would be homeless! :(
At this point we recommend having an honest and open discussion with your landlord about your ESA needs. Under Fair Housing rules, your landlord has to consider your ESA request whenever it comes in. The best approach is always to be friendly and take steps to address any concerns the landlord may have regarding your ESA. Good luck!
Can a 17 year old get an ESA? My parent consents and supports the idea but I’ve read that its only for 18 years and higher? Would it be possible for me to register for an ESA now?
It is possible for minors to qualify for an emotional support animal, but at this time we only assist clients who are 18+.
If I have a Certified Peer support professional with the MHA, can they authorize an ESA?
We’re not sure whether that would qualify as someone who is a licensed healthcare professional. Professionals that issue ESA recommendations are typically licensed therapists, doctors, social workers, nurses and psychiatrists.
Do I have to have my Esa cats vaccinated and do I have to give their shot records to my landlord if requested?
It is not unusual for landlords to make that request.
At what age can a dog be considered and emotional support animal, and what training is required other than the basic commands? Is there a limit on how many ESA’s one person can have?
There is no age requirement for an ESA. An ESA does not require any specific training – they provide support just through their companionship. The number of ESAs you can have depends on what your licensed healthcare professional believes is appropriate for your condition.
Can an untrained, unfixed, unlicensed, unvaccinated pitbull be licensed as an emotional support dog?
Just to clarify, emotional support animals are not “licensed”. The only way to have an official ESA is by possessing a recommendation letter from a licensed healthcare professional. ESAs do not need specialized training to address the owner’s disability, but they should be well-behaved and have basic obedience training. ESAs like all other animals are also subject to licensing requirements for animals generally in the area you live in. Landlords and airlines may also require vaccination records to ensure the animal will not pose a health problem.
Hello. I have a question. I suffer from panic attacks and anxiety, does the animal have to know certain things to be a emotional support animal? my dog Cerberus is still a puppy so I want to train him young.
Emotional support animals, unlike service animals, do not require any special training. However, it is great that you are interested in properly training your dog. All ESA owners should be as responsible as you to ensure their dogs are well behaved wherever they go and are good ambassadors for other ESA owners!
I’ve seen a couple places that say there are no age restrictions on ESA’s but is that written formally anywhere? I’ve been approved for an ESA but my property manager is trying to enforce a policy of no dogs less than one year old (which is their requirement for residents with dogs that are not ESA’s) and I’m not finding formal documentation regarding housing accommodation that talks about age restrictions.
Neither the Fair Housing Act nor guidance from the Department of Housing mentions anything about age requirements. As long as the ESA is not a threat to others, age should not be a relevant consideration.
Do I have to get a letter from a mental health doctor or can I just go see my regular doctor to get the letter?
Physicians are capable of writing ESA letters, but ESA letters generally tend to be from mental health professionals.
Me and my girlfriend are trying to get a puppy in our apartment that has a no pet policy. I suffer from severe anxiety and panic attacks and have got the ESA letter from my therapist. My landlord has handed me amendment to my lease with multiple restrictions such as weight, breed, age, that the dog be housebroken, and proof that it was neutered. I know they cannot restrict based on weight or breed but I have not been able to find any verbage on any official government documents stating that age not be a requirement or that it doesn’t have to be housebroke. I did read that it doesn’t need any specific training which might be applicable regarding house training.
Can you provide me with any citations or references regarding no age restrictions or need to be housebroke.
There is no specific reference to age of the animal in the Fair Housing Act, but landlords are only allowed to determine if the specific assistance animal in question poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. The landlord can also reject an ESA if it causes an undue financial burden on the landlord.