If you want to know about living with an emotional support dog in Texas, you have come to the right place. If you live in Austin, Dallas, Houston, or any other city in Texas, the same rules apply for living with an emotional support dog in an apartment complex.
Ready to qualify for an ESA Letter in Texas?
You can see if you qualify for an ESA Letter by completing the ESA questionnaire in the “Get Started” link below. A licensed mental health professional will assist you directly in the process. If they determine that you qualify for an Emotional Support Animal for Texas, they can write you an ESA Letter on their official letterhead.
Laws about emotional support dogs in Texas apartments
Texas apartments must follow federal rules regarding emotional support animals.
The federal Fair Housing Act and guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Housing protects owners of emotional support animals in Texas.
Under these rules, housing providers are not allowed to discriminate against tenants who need an emotional support animal. Even buildings that prohibit pets must reasonably accommodate tenants who own emotional support animals. ESAs are not considered pets, they are assistance animals for people with mental health issues. Thus, they are generally exempt from pet rules a residential building may enforce.
In addition, ESA owners are exempt from pet fees, pet deposits and size/breed restrictions. Fair Housing laws prohibit Texas landlords from discriminating against tenants solely due to their need for an emotional support animal.
Connect with a licensed Texas Professional by clicking the image below
Qualifying for an Emotional Support Animal in Texas
To qualify for an emotional support animal in Texas, a person must have a mental or emotional health disability and a need for an emotional support animal to assist with that disability. Mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, bi-polar disorder and panic disorders can qualify, as long as they substantially limit one or more major life activities.
An emotional support animal does not need any specialized training. They are dogs, cats, birds, fish and other small, domesticated pets that provide comfort just through their presence. Many people already own a pet that may effectively be serving as their emotional support animal.
You prove you have met the qualifications for an emotional support animal by showing your landlord a signed ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional.
Getting Approval for an Emotional Support Animal
Asking your landlord for permission may sound scary, but fear not! Your landlord is legally required to reasonably accommodate ESAs if you have an ESA letter.
Before moving your emotional support animal into a no-pets building, your housing provider has the right to verify your request. Under HUD guidelines, housing providers have to promptly consider a tenant’s ESA request and ESA letter.
Housing providers can only reject an emotional support animal if they have a valid excuse. For example, they can properly deny an ESA that has demonstrated itself to be dangerous or unsafe around others. An ESA that has caused significant property damage can also be excluded.
Before approaching your landlord about an emotional support animal, it’s important to be prepared. You should have an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional verifying your need for an emotional support animal.
If you need a Texas licensed healthcare professional to evaluate whether you qualify for an ESA letter, we can help. ESA Doctors can connect you to a Texas professional that can help with your ESA needs. Just click on the link below to get started today.
Qualify for an emotional support dog letter below
Get the Love and Support you deserve.
I have a doctors letter for an ESA I applied at an apartment complex but they are saying my letter from my doctor is from 2020 and they need it dat d within the last 90 days
Why when I have the same dog
You generally do need a letter that is no less than a year old. The reason is that a healthcare provider would not be able to confirm an ESA letter is still valid if the most recent evaluation they have on file is several years old. Please see this post for more details: https://esadoctors.com/do-esa-letters-expire-how-to-renew/
I put in a request for and ESA and provided my apartment with a letter from my provided. They came back and stated they needed what my disability hinders me from doing and what my dogs assist with. The state that under HUD they are allowed to request this. Is this true?
Under HUD guidelines landlords cannot ask for specific details about a tenant’s condition. ESAs also do not perform specific tasks like service dogs. They provide comfort just by being present.