Are you overwhelmed with anxiety or stress? Do you live in Arizona? Then you may be happy to hear that the federal laws that protect emotional support animals also apply to The Grand Canyon State. Owners of emotional support animals have the right to live with their assistance animals, even in buildings that prohibit pets.
If you feel that an emotional support animal is right for you, complete the questionnaire in the link below to get help from an Arizona licensed mental health professional. Having your ESA letter from an Arizona licensed therapist will allow you to live with your support animal-free from discrimination and fees. In this article, we will talk about how you can get a legitimate ESA letter for Arizona and what you need to know about flying with an emotional support animal.
How Do You Qualify for an ESA in Arizona?
In order to qualify for an ESA letter, you must have a mental or emotional health condition such as severe anxiety, PTSD, phobias, social anxieties, or depression that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
If a licensed healthcare professional determines that your condition meets the appropriate criteria and an emotional support animal would help with your mental health issue, they can give you a signed ESA letter. ESA letters are issued by licensed professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, social workers, doctors, and others. Licensed professionals that work remotely online are also allowed to write ESA letters.
To start working with a professional licensed for Arizona today, click on the link below. After you submit the questionnaire, you will be connected to a licensed healthcare professional specializing in ESA letter recommendations.
Arizona Emotional Support Animal – Apartment Laws
Emotional support animal owners in Arizona have specific rights under federal law that allow them to live with their emotional support animals in apartments, condos, and other types of homes. Emotional support animals are even allowed in “no pets allowed” buildings because they are not considered pets.
Landlords and housing providers are not allowed to charge any fee or deposit for emotional support animals. Emotional support animals cannot be discriminated against solely because they are of a certain breed or size.
The landlord or building manager cannot, under Federal law, evict you or deny you housing solely because you need an animal to help you cope with your mental illness and maintain a normal life. To have these protections, however, you need to present a valid ESA letter to your landlord.
What is in a Legitimate ESA Letter for Arizona?
An ESA letter must have specific information for it to be considered legitimate:
- The ESA letter must be written within one year
- The letter must come from a licensed mental health or medical professional and written on his/her letterhead
- Your condition must substantially limit your ability to participate in at least one major life activity (sleep, work, etc.)
- Details stating your therapist’s license type, issue date, and state where it was issued.
Once you submit your legitimate emotional support animal letter, your landlord must provide you with reasonable accommodation. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, if the landlord can prove your ESA poses a real threat or danger to the health and safety of others, they can evict you, ask you to re-home the ESA, or deny you housing altogether.
Get your official ESA letter today. Click the link below to get started.
Click here to qualify for your ESA letter.
Arizona Emotional Support Animal – Air Travel Laws
In the past, emotional support animals were allowed to board the cabin of airlines free of charge. That ended in 2021, however, due to regulatory changes from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Emotional support animals no longer have the right to board the cabin for free on U.S. airlines.
Owners of psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) can still board the cabin of planes free of charge. A psychiatric service dog is similar to an emotional support animal in that they assist people with mental and emotional disabilities. A PSD, however, is trained to perform a job or tasks relating to the owner’s disability, whereas an ESA is not.
For a helpful guide on how to fly with a psychiatric service dog, click here.
If you’re interested in qualifying for a PSD letter, click on the link below to connect with a licensed healthcare professional. A PSD letter provides documentation that you meet the criteria for owning a psychiatric service dog for purposes of the ADA and Air Carrier Access Act.
If you are interested in a Psychiatric Service Dog Letter, we are happy to connect you with a licensed healthcare provider so they may assist you.
Get your Psychiatric Service Dog Letter Now
Emotional Support Animals in the Workplace
You cannot be discriminated against in Arizona when it comes to having an emotional support animal in your home, but your employer is not required to accept your ESA. You can request that you be allowed to bring your ESA to work, but it must be sanctioned by your employer. Most workplaces do not accept emotional support animals, but there are exceptions. Be aware that employers that accept ESAs will most likely want to see proof of your need for the emotional support animal if they grant your request. They will likely want to see an ESA letter.
Conclusion
Arizona residents are allowed to have emotional support animals in “no pets” housing. However, be sure to get a formal letter written by your mental health professional. Having this letter will validate your need for the ESA and is necessary for obtaining the cooperation of your landlord.
Get Your Arizona ESA Letter Today
Get the Love and Support You Deserve!
I have a letter from a clinic specializing in physiotherapy and psychology, they have approved that I can have service dogs. I come from Mexico to the United States and the apartments in which I am coming to rent and they tell me that the letter is not valid, Someone could help me?
A letter from a licensed healthcare professional is not required if you own a service dog – they are only required for emotional support animals. Some owners of psychiatric service dogs will however obtain PSD letters, see this link for more details: https://esadoctors.com/how-to-get-a-psychiatric-service-dog-letter/
I am glad to know that these animals do NOT have the right to access restaurants and stores.
How do we inform retailers they are subject to lawsuits for allowing these animals in?
A retailer is not subject to a lawsuit just because they let in an ESA or any other animal. Retailers are free to let in any animals they choose, they are just not mandated to allow in ESAs by law.
If a common room in a Arizona housing community has a no pets sign posted on the entrance, can they then allow emotional support animals in that room? Can a resident ask to see the documentation from a licensed provider to verify the status of the animal?
Another resident is not entitled to see the tenant’s ESA letter, but the housing provider or landlord is. ESAs are generally allowed in common areas where other residents are allowed to go, unless there is a health or safety reason they shouldn’t be there.
I have issues when the ESA are aggressive and over the weight in condo community, also I think people take advantage of how easy it is to get the ESA to by pass the restrictions
If there is an ESA that is being aggressive towards people or other animals, that is not acceptable. A landlord can remove an ESA for threatening the safety of others.
Please provide the law where you state above that “Emotional support animal owners in Arizona have specific rights under federal law that allow them to live with their emotional support animals in apartments, condos, and other types of homes. Emotional support animals are even allowed in “no pets allowed” buildings because they are not considered pets. “
Please see this post for more information about federal guidelines for ESAs: https://esadoctors.com/hud-housing-rules-emotional-support-animals/
I feel for a person who needs an ESA to manage daily life my problem comes into it when they are in places where food is sold or prepared. I also am angered by the number of people who use this law simply because they want their pet to go everywhere with them in their purse. My father is highly allergic to dogs and often must leave some restaurant because someone has an online ESA letter but that same person has no problem going on vacation to Hawaii without their ESA. I wish their was a way that it could be harder for people to take advantage of this law.
This is a very common misconception that people have: Emotional support animals DO NOT have the right to be in public places such as restaurants or grocery stores. Only service dogs have that right under the ADA, and ESAs are NOT service animals. They have different rights for housing and air travel under the FHA and ACAA.
I am looking to rent an apartment in Tucson. We have 4 small dogs two of which are emotional support animals. When filling out the application do I list that I have 2 pets? Most places I have called do not understand the law. Any help is appreciated. Thank you
We recommend always being open and honest with your landlord about your ESAs and non-ESA pets. We understand that landlords can sometimes be uninformed about ESA laws, but it may lead to more headache later if your landlord thinks you were trying to hide the number of pets you have, whether they are ESAs or not.
What about quantity? I can accept a person needing an emotional support dog and will be willing to let it live in my rental home if the renter supplies a letter from a doctor. However what happens if I get a request for three dogs, and each one has a letter from a different doctor? This would be doctor shopping to get around a regulation.
ESA owners often need more than one ESA to support their mental and emotional health. Usually, the tenant’s ESA letter from one licensed mental health professional will reference the number of ESAs they need. We have not run across the situation you describe, but yes, if someone had three letters from three different doctors, each for a different dog, that may have been a runaround to not being able to find a doctor or other LMHP that would recommend multiple ESAs. We would never support that kind of action.
Thank you for advocating for individuals like me who DO NEED THREE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS! My husband and I have medical conditions: anxiety that is life altering. People who do not have medical/mental conditions will never understand how much our ESAs or our dogs or cats can assist us in the day to day. I am barely able to make appointments and getting the ESA’s conveniently is a GOD send due to my severe anxiety. It’s taken us a long time to gain the courage to realize that we needed these dogs to get certified for the help that they have always given us! I do not take them into places but that’s just our needs because I rarely leave home. Landlords need to be educated on laws or get consultants to handle such laws and delicate matters if they want to be landlords. Having a home and living should not be seen as a sin to others.
What about co-ops? I’m a real estate agent in AZ and do a lot of business in a “no pet” policy park where the person owns the manufactured home and a “share” of the land. The board has made it clear that no pets are allowed–not even service or emotional support animals. Since the board has to approve someone to be in the park, they would deny the person based on the fact that they have an animal. Even if it’s an indoor cat that is an emotional support animal and the person has a certificate for the animal. Is this legal? They insist it is because they are a co-op, not an HOA. Please advise. I think they are waiting for a lawsuit to happen. They are preventing owners from selling their homes and buyers from purchasing.
Co-ops are also subject to Fair Housing laws. Denying a person housing due to having an assistance animal may be considered discrimination.
Hi my name is larissa vera and I would like to know if the state of arizona plans to add more rights to support animals? , please I hope you answer my question. Another question I have is if emotional support animals are allow to go to stores and restaurants? I hope you answer my questions n.n
Emotional support animals do not have access rights in stores and restaurants.