If you are an owner-occupied building with no more than four units and or single-family homes sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent, you are exempt from HUD’s rules. In addition, landlords do not have to accommodate ESAs if their presence would create a significant health hazard.

An ESA is technically not a pet, it is an assistance animal, and therefore should be excluded from restrictions limiting pets.

Yes, the only way to qualify for an ESA is to have a letter from a licensed health care professional. An ID card does not confer any legal status on an emotional support animal. For more information on how ESA letters work, please click here: https://esadoctors.com/how-it-works/

As a landlord, you are permitted to deny an ESA if you determine that it poses a safety or health risk to others. In addition, Fair Housing rules allow landlords to deny ESAs if the accommodation would create an “undue financial burden”. An undue financial burden includes cancellation of the landlord’s insurance policies as a result of the ESA. However, alternative coverage must also be considered. If the tenant previously resided in Georgia, that is likely why their letter is from a therapist licensed in that State.

It is possible to have multiple ESAs if your licensed mental health professional recommends them. The ESAs must also not pose a danger to the health and safety of others, and your home should be able to comfortably and humanely accommodate all of your ESAs.