The main legal rights for emotional support animals are housing-related. Find out how to disclose your ESA to your landlord or HOA, housing rights, and more here.
Learn about bringing your ESA or service dog to your college campus.
Practical tips and advice for dealing with your HOA when you have an ESA or service dog.
Guides for renters who want to live with their pet, ESA or service dog.
Getting an ESA letter for housing is an easy three step process that can be done online as long as the healthcare professional is licensed...
The law protects owners of emotional support animals (ESAs). Housing providers must accommodate ESA owners, even if they have a policy or lease that prohibits...
Yes, you can get your pet deposit back once your pet becomes an emotional support animal, and you will no longer have to pay any monthly pet fees. That's because, under HUD’s housing rules, ESAs are completely exempt from pet fees, pet deposits, and pet application fees. Re [...]
Living with an emotional support animal (ESA) can make all the difference when managing a mental health condition, working through trauma or grief, and finding the strength to care for yourself. However, when you’re looking for an apartment, townhome, or other leased housin [...]
According to a 2020 Harris Poll, about 30% of Americans are looking to move to less densely populated areas. Gone are the times when people flocked to the cities — the most coveted regions are now more suburban or rural. In 2020, about 5% of New Yorkers moved out of the city. Pos [...]
Congratulations, your therapist or doctor just approved you for an emotional support animal and gave you a signed ESA letter! Once you receive your ESA letter, your pet — or future pet — has officially qualified as an emotional support animal. As an ESA owner, you have special r [...]
Yes, under federal and state rules, landlords have to reasonably accommodate tenants that need an ESA to support their mental health. Even if they have a building policy that prohibits all pets.
Fair housing rules generally apply to most public and private landlords. That includes rental apartments, co-ops and HOAs. A few smaller landlords are exempt: owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units and single-family homes sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agent.
Landlords are entitled to see only one document to confirm a tenant’s animal is an ESA. That document is an ESA letter signed by a licensed healthcare professional. Landlords cannot ask for other documents like IDs, licenses or certificates.