Some emotional support animal (ESA) owners have faced the misfortune of submitting an ESA request to their landlord and being rejected because their paperwork is outdated.
In this article, we will help you avoid the embarrassment and inconvenience of being denied ESA accommodation due to expired documentation. We’ll explain when and why ESA letters expire and share best practices for keeping your ESA documents valid.
Do ESA letters expire?
Yes, an ESA letter is considered expired if the health professional who originally wrote it can no longer validate it. If it has been a year since you’ve talked to them, they may not be able to verify the letter is still good, and at that point, you will need to renew your ESA letter. Most landlords will also not accept an ESA letter unless it is dated within the last year.
To fulfill the ESA documentation requirement for housing purposes, a tenant needs an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional establishing their need for an emotional support animal.
The Fair Housing Act and guidance from the U.S. Department of Housing don’t directly address when ESA letters for housing expire, but their guidance does state that you need a valid ESA letter. Despite the lack of definitive guidance on ESA letter expiration, it’s recommended that ESA letters for housing are renewed at least once a year for the following reasons:
- Many housing providers and landlords will refuse to accept an ESA letter dated over one year ago. They will ask the tenant to submit a recent ESA letter to prove their need for an ESA is still relevant.
- A therapist may not validate an ESA letter if it is outdated. Under Fair Housing rules, landlords are not allowed to pry into the tenant’s medical history or request sensitive details regarding the tenant’s condition. However, the landlord can verify that the licensed professional did, in fact, recommend an emotional support animal for a particular tenant.
In a situation where a landlord reaches out for confirmation, a healthcare professional may not be comfortable with verifying an ESA recommendation if the ESA letter on file is dated.
The healthcare professional may need to conduct a more recent evaluation of the individual’s situation and issue a current ESA letter before confirming their recommendation with a third party.
In addition, while emotional support animals are no longer allowed on flights, the old rules regarding ESAs from the U.S. Department of Transportation may be informative. Under those old rules, ESA letters submitted to airlines could be no older than a year. While those rules are no longer in effect and do not apply to housing, they may give some indication of what an appropriate timeframe for a current ESA letter is.
For these reasons, it is recommended that tenants update their ESA letters at least annually.
Is your ESA letter over a year old? Renew your ESA Letter here.
Renew your ESA Housing Letter using the link above.
How do I renew my ESA letter?
To renew your ESA letter, follow these steps:
- Contact the provider that wrote your original ESA letter.
- Ask for a new evaluation.
- Request an updated letter that’s signed with a new date.
- If your provider is no longer available or you need help in a new state, reach out to ESA Doctors.
What should I do if my ESA letter was rejected for being expired?
If your ESA request was rejected due to an expired ESA letter, the best remedy is to speak with the healthcare professional who issued your letter for updated documentation. The healthcare professional may require a re-evaluation to determine whether you still qualify for an ESA letter.
Once you have your updated ESA letter, you should resubmit it right away to your housing provider. Under HUD guidance, landlords are required to work in good faith with their tenants to resolve any hurdles when it comes to ESA accommodations. Landlords also should reconsider an initial denial if an up-to-date ESA letter is subsequently submitted.
If you qualified for an ESA letter from one of the licensed healthcare professionals who work with ESA Doctors, you will automatically receive a notification when your ESA letter is to expire. Tracking down your therapist for an urgent last-minute appointment can sometimes be tricky—it’s a good idea to plan and make sure you’re not stranded with an expired ESA letter.
What if I’m no longer seeing the therapist who originally wrote my ESA letter?
If you have an expired ESA letter and need a new therapist to issue an updated letter, or if you’re interested in qualifying for an ESA for the first time and don’t know where to turn, we can help.
ESADoctors.com connects individuals to real licensed healthcare professionals knowledgeable about ESAs and compassionate about mental and emotional health issues. The licensed professional will help determine whether an ESA can make a positive difference in your life.
What if I’m moving to another state?
If you have moved to another state or are planning to move to another state, you should consider obtaining a new ESA letter even if your current one has not technically expired. There are a few reasons for this:
- The state you move to might have its own rules governing ESA letters. For example, California has specific requirements for ESA letters, including a 30-day relationship requirement. If you are moving to a new state, you will want a healthcare professional who is licensed to help you in that state.
- Many landlords will demand a current ESA letter from a healthcare professional licensed in their state for tenants arriving from another state.
What other reasons are there for renewing an ESA letter?
There are some other reasons to consider renewing an ESA letter. For example, if your emotional support animal has changed, or if you need more than one ESA, you may need an updated letter to reflect that.
Your condition and reasons for needing an ESA may have also changed, in which case you will want your licensed healthcare professional to know.
Finally, it’s also possible that ESA rules may have changed in your jurisdiction. Typically, older ESA accommodations are grandfathered in, but that may not always be the case. You may feel more comfortable knowing that you have an ESA letter that is fully compliant with all the latest guidelines.
Other Questions Regarding ESA Letter Expiration
If you need to renew your ESA letter with your current licensed healthcare professional, the best way to get an updated letter is to reach out to them directly. If you obtained an ESA letter through a healthcare professional who works with ESA Doctors, you can reach out to our support team, and they will help you with the renewal process.
Depending on the circumstances, your healthcare professional may require an additional evaluation and information from you in order to renew your ESA letter.
If you need an ESA letter from a new provider (for example, if you recently moved or your former doctor/therapist can no longer help you), you will need to be evaluated by your new provider for an ESA letter.
It may be helpful for your new provider to know about your former history with emotional support animals, but they will need to make their own determination about whether you qualify for an ESA letter.
Yes, it is possible to renew your ESA letter or get an all new ESA letter from a healthcare professional online. Telehealth providers play a vital role for people who can’t do in-person visits for various reasons or just prefer not to. For example, online services are an ideal option for people with mobility issues, financial limitations, busy schedules, COVID worries, or anxiety about in-person visits.
HUD guidelines allow for online remote providers to write ESA letters as long as they are properly licensed and have evaluated the individual. If you are obtaining an ESA letter from any online source, you should make sure that your ESA letter is coming from an actual healthcare professional who is licensed in your state.
ESA letters can be written by licensed doctors, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, and social workers. It’s useful to find someone who is familiar with emotional support animal rules and has experience writing ESA letters.
If you need a current ESA letter, ESA Doctors can help connect you to a friendly professional who is licensed for your state. The healthcare professionals who work with ESA Doctors work remotely, so they can help you without the need for in-person visits. ESA Doctors is fully accredited with an A+ rating from the BBB and garners rave reviews from clients for the valuable service they provide. If you think an emotional support animal could change your life, get started by clicking on the link below today.
Do you need to connect with a licensed medical health professional to renew your ESA Letter? We can help.
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How easy it is to renew? Even though ESA is not formally a pet, we know it is person’s pet and family member and won’t be able to just give it up after the year. (I have 4 pet goats I need to certify for housing purposes – buying a house in residential area. I’m in FL and state doesn’t allow goats in residential zones – how doable is this?) Need to be 100% sure I’d be able to dependably renew.
The LMHP will renew their letter if your mental health condition still requires the use of an emotional support animal.
Can my HOA require me to buy a vest, leash, collar that identifies my dog as an ESA?
No, those items are not required for emotional support animals.
if our dog gets registered to y daughters name can I future wise also register it to myself
ESAs are not “registered”. In order to have an ESA, you need a letter from a licensed healthcare professional. The letter is personal to the person the LHCP evaluated. For more information about the ESA process, please visit this link: https://esadoctors.com/how-it-works/
Can the Hoa ask a unit owner for a renewal letter annually. It seems ridiculous that my esa needs to be renewed when I am not under a lease. I await your reply.
That is not required by HUD and is an unusual request. There is a valid argument to be made for an updated letter if the one the tenant provides is very dated, but an annual update is not the norm.
In a HOA/ CONDO- can the Board ask the Licensed person to verify under penalty of perjury that the person has a need for an ESA?
No, the latest HUD guidance specifically prohibited this.
What about health care for the animal? I am on the Board of my condo association and we have an owner with an ESA. Can we require updated health info (vaccination info) annually on the animal?
Unfortunately we’re not aware of a clear cut answer on that issue.
My apartment has a policy that the dog has to be atleast one year old. I was planning to get a 6 month old dog as my ESA. Will the ESA letter cover the age restrictions (apart from breed restrictions )
Under Fair Housing rules, there is no age minimum for emotional support animals. ESAs are also not considered pets under Fair Housing rules, and building rules that may apply to pets do not apply to ESAs.
If there are weight restrictions for pets can this be applied to ESA?
Landlords cannot apply weight restrictions to ESAs.
What if my ESA dog dies and I get another dog
An ESA letter is usually a general recommendation for an animal by the licensed provider. If you adopt another dog it would probably still be covered, but you may need your licensed healthcare professional to update your letter.
how to renew?
The LMHPs we work with are able to renew your letter each year or as often as your needs require.