Can a Landlord Deny an Emotional Support Dog?
Pet
therapy is proven helpful for managing anxiety, depression, etc. If you have
your own home, you will have no problem living with your emotional support dog.
But, if you are a renter, you may require to show your emotional support dog letter to your landlord to live with it. What if your landlord says that
your ESA isn’t allowed? Can a landlord do so? Let’s discuss.
Can Your Landlord Deny For Emotional Support Dog?
A
landlord can’t deny an emotional support dog, even if you are living in a
region with a no-pet policy. If they do so, they are violating the FHA.
However, before bringing your dog in your apartment, you need to request your
landlord for the same.
What
is The Fair Housing Act (FHA)?
The FHA was passed in 1968 to protect the housing rights of individuals with disabilities. This says that landlords and managers are required to ensure reasonable housing to people with disabilities. Moreover, they should make reasonable accommodation to those who are getting emotional support from pets.
By law, individuals with mental and emotional disabilities can legally live with their support animals without paying extra pet deposits.
Thus,
if you have a pet that is helping you in managing a mental health condition,
such as anxiety, depression, etc., you can legally live with your emotional
support dog in a rented apartment. Your landlord can ask you to share your
emotional support dog letter, but can’t deny you housing.
When Can a Landlord Reject
an Emotional Support Dog?
- If the building has four units & one unit is occupied by the
owner
- If the emotional support dog is too large for the apartment
- If the emotional support dog letter is expired
- If the ESA causes damage to others or become a threat to other
tenants
How to Register Your
Emotional Support Dog
To
register your emotional support dog, you must get an ESA letter from a licensed
mental health professional, such as a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist.
Your therapist will carefully analyze your condition to evaluate whether you
require an ESA for your disability.
Here’s How to Register Your
Emotional Support Dog Online
- Sign up for an account online
- Fill a prequalification form, which will take a few minutes.
- Talk to a therapist online via video chat
- Receive your emotional support dog letter in PDF format via email. Just download the file and take a printout yourself
Summing
it up, under the Fair Housing Act, you are legally allowed to live with your
emotional support dog in a rented apartment. However, you may require to show
the emotional support housing letter if your landlord requests it. But, he
can’t deny you housing because you have an ESA.
Being
the owner, it’s your responsibility to ensure your emotional support dog is
well-behaved in the public. If your dog causes troubles to others or it’s too
large in size for the apartment, your landlord can deny your support animal.
So, it’s good to select the right dog and train it to develop and maintain a
positive behavior.
