You can take an emotional support animal (ESA) into any residential building you currently own or rent, including apartments, condos and houses, college dormitories, and similar residential spaces, even if they prohibit pets. You cannot, however, bring emotional support animals into public areas and businesses that don’t allow animals.
You might be wondering if ESAs can be in places like stores, workplaces, or Airbnb’s. That’s what we’re here to help with. Below, you’ll find the most common questions clients have asked us about where their emotional support animals can go and some ways to work with places that say no but may be flexible. Click any link to skip to that section.
- Can my emotional support animal live with me in a no-pet building?
- Can my emotional support animal be in the common areas?
- Can my emotional support animal live in my university dorm?
- Can my emotional support animal come to class with me?
- Can my emotional support animal board airplanes?
- Can my emotional support animal stay in a hotel or Airbnb?
- Can my emotional support animal come inside a restaurant or store?
- Can my emotional support animal come to work?
- ESAs Are Welcome
Can my emotional support animal live with me in a no-pet building?
Yes, you can live with your emotional support animal even if your building has a no-pet policy. Fair Housing laws protect people with emotional and/or mental health conditions that need ESAs.
Landlords also cannot charge any extra fees or deposits due to your need for an emotional support animal. ESAs are also exempt from other building restrictions relating to pets, such as those regarding size, weight, breed, or animal species.
Note that landlords are exempt from Fair Housing rules in these four situations: (1) in owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units, (2) in single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without using an agent, (3) when the housing is operated by a religious organization, and (4) in private clubs that limit occupancy to members.
Can my emotional support animal be in the common areas?
Yes, emotional support animals in common areas are allowed. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, landlords have to allow tenants with ESAs equal opportunity to use “public and common use spaces.” That means an ESA owner has the right to take their emotional support animal through the lobby, elevator, stairways, and other common areas where other residents are allowed to go.
Can my emotional support animal live in my university dorm?
Yes, emotional support animals can live in university housing. There have been instances where colleges have been penalized for not following FHA guidelines. Students should be aware, however, that universities often have specific requirements when it comes to ESA requests. For more information, you should check with your school for their specific policy regarding emotional support animals in dorms and campus housing.
Can my emotional support animal come to class with me?
Unfortunately no, SAs do not have a legal right to be in classrooms. However, you should check with your school to see if they have any policies regarding emotional support animals on campus. However, most schools will not allow ESAs in a classroom or other school settings, except for housing.
Can my emotional support animal board airplanes?
Unfortunately, due to regulatory changes by the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. airlines no longer recognize emotional support animals.
To fly with your ESA in the cabin, your ESA will have to meet the airline’s restrictions for pets. That usually means your ESA must be able to fit in a small carrier bag. You will also have to pay pet fees.Psychiatric service dogs, on the other hand, can still fly in the cabin free of charge. The passenger will need to submit the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form, which requires self-certification regarding the dog’s service animal status. The passenger must represent that they have a fully trained service dog that assists them with a psychiatric disability. If you’re interested in beginning the process of owning a psychiatric service dog, the licensed healthcare professionals who work with ESA Doctors can help. A licensed professional can determine whether you qualify for a PSD letter. A PSD letter is a signed document from a healthcare professional that states whether you have a qualifying disability for purposes of owning a psychiatric service dog under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Air Carrier Access Act.
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Your ESA may qualify as a PSD
Can my emotional support animal stay in a hotel or Airbnb?
While most hotels and Airbnb do not have a special policy for emotional support animals, many will accept your ESA as a normal pet, sometimes for a fee. Hotels are not covered by ESA Fair Housing rules. Airbnb stays are also not required to allow emotional support animals, but you can always contact them and ask politely. Some hosts allow you to bring an emotional support animal, but you should always check before booking a reservation.
While hotels do not have to accommodate ESAs, they are required to allow psychiatric service dogs.
Can my emotional support animal come inside a restaurant or store?
No, emotional support animals are NOT allowed in stores, restaurants, or other businesses. Emotional support animals do not have the same level of public access as psychiatric service dogs, and each business has the right to accept or deny an ESA. Some businesses allow ESAs and other animals as a courtesy, but it is within their right to refuse to accommodate you.
Can my emotional support animal come to work?
Unfortunately, ESAs do not have workplace rights. There is no federal law that mandates employers to accommodate emotional support animals. Your employer may however have a policy that accepts ESAs, if certain conditions are met. It may be worthwhile to discuss what options you have with your manager or supervisor. Fair warning: most employers do not have a policy allowing ESAs during working hours.
ESAs are Welcome
You should feel confident bringing your emotional support animal into your home if you have submitted an ESA letter to your landlord. ESAs laws are designed to help ESA owners find housing and live with their ESAs without having to pay extra pet fees.If you need an ESA letter, there is no better route than ESA Doctors. We will put you in touch with a licensed professional who can assess your mental and emotional health and issue an ESA letter if you qualify. The entire process is done without office visits and is confidential.
My ESD is a 55 lb dog. Is there any law stating she is not allowed in a small dog area dog park? I prefer staying in a small dog section, big dogs give me anxiety and fear. Does her being an ESD allow her to stay in a small dog section, if she has passed temperament tests at boarding school and goes to a dog day care with a variety of size dogs. Thank you.
ESD’s do not have special access rights in public. Your local laws may or may not restrict where your 55 lb dog can go in a dog park.
I visited my friend at his appartment for a couple hours with my esd and now he is being fined for having a dog there. What should I do?
I would suggest talking to the person giving the fine, or have your friend do it. I’m sure they’ll understamd.
Your friend could talk to your landlord and explain to them that your dog is an ESA to see if they would make an exception but it sounds like he violated his lease agreement. The Fair Housing Act only gives rights to ESA animals that are prescribed to the tenant. Since your ESA is not prescribed to your friend and you are not listed on the lease agreement the landlord is under no obligation to allow special rights for your ESA. It is best for your friend to look over his lease agreement to see what the animal policy is before allowing guests to bring animals onto the premises.
I’m a sophomore in high school. I have an emotional support cat. I have multiple panic attacks a day that I can’t even focus very well in class. If I got a lettter from my psychiatrist that said I could bring her to school with me would I be able to? I’ve looked it up and so far it says that’s all I have to do as long as she’s trained properly for public places and my principal and nurse think it’s necessary. Would I be allowed to bring her with me to the place I need her most ?
I went online and got my daughters Shitizu registered as her EMS dog. Doctor said did not need a letter, got an card showing dog is Registered EMS dog with owners name, dog name, breed and address. Is this correct. She got a tag for her collar that states she is an EMS dog. Certificate also stating she is an EMS dog. She is very well behaved and quiet. Has gone with her to Bingo halls and people said if they would not of known she was there if they had not been told she was. But your saying she is not allowed in a Restaurant or hotel?
ESA Registration is NOT recognized by the law. In order to fully qualify as an emotional support animal, you must have an ESA letter from a licensed health professional. Unfortunately, emotional support animals do not have access rights in restaurants and hotels.
My esa is a bearded dragon he calms me down tremendously. The veterans hospital told me i qualify for a service dog, but i really dont want a dog. Never really had. And a miniature horse? Na im good. Because the administration doesnt recognize aries as a service animal he cant go with me hardly anywhere. People see him and say oh he is not trained he cant help you with ptsd depression or anxiety. But he does all those. On a bad day he will climb out if his terrarium and climb up leg and lay on me and it always cheers me up. I can hold him and he’ll climb up on my shoulder and honestly its weird but i feel safe. When i feel like i have no reason he gives me a reason. When im angry he dosent care he just climbs on my and lays hishead on my chin and it makes me smile. Yes i understand the difference because of the training i have plnty of friends with service dogs i know. He makes life easier. When i feel like im going to have an attack i just rub his back and close my eyes. I fully support esa. They made it easier dor people like me. Its not that im a dog person i just live in a house with a room mate n they have a dog tht they’ve had for years n does not like other animals. So i respect tht. It just sucks that i cant have him with me threw the things i do during the day during the times i need him. When me and a buddy is eating out n the crowd freaks me out i dont have the crutch of him to relax me and i go full blown anxiety and get very paranoid. I suffer from ptsd severe anxiety depression and smaller emotional dissorders.
I was wondering if I can have an AS A I am 13 and i go to Jr high next year is it topically ok yo take an AS A to a Jr high school?
Your school is not required to allow emotional support animals. However, minors are allowed to have emotional support animals.
I just got out of a in patient mental health facility for PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, and not yet diagnosed but being treated for ADD/ADHD. My Psychologist from the hospital is writing me a doctors note saying my dog is my companion dog and the he thinks my dog would Benefit me and help keep me calm. He said I could take him in like Lowe’s and Home Depot but I was wondering if I would be able to bring him into Walmart with me? He is a black lab and is finishing up his training. We were going service dog route but decided to just go ESA. What place can I take him. Some examples would be appreciated. Thanks
Emotional support animals do not have special access rights except for housing and air travel.
Companion dogs/ESA dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs provide an actual service besides just being a calming presence. Service dogs guide people who are blind, can sense when a seizure is coming on, can sense when a diabetic needs insulin and so on.
I have a letter from my medical doctor stating that I would benefit form an ESA. I was told this is a medical need and therefore it should be considered ” equipment” is this it he case? I would in a high stress atmosphere within social services and would like to get a puppy as my ESA. I’ve read lot of the feeds and I’m curious why the ESA has different right then the service animal, they are both prescribed by doctors?
Service animals are specially trained to provide a service for their owner. Emotional support animals are not specially trained to provide a service. The ADA protects the service dog while the ACAA and FHA protects the emotional support animal.
What’s the website that I can go to fo information about the Emotional support animal Or companion animals. My daughter has a doctor’s letter for a companion pet but her school won’t let me just drive on campus with the dog in the car.
I have a one year old bunny and I suffer from depression and anxiety, is there a way I can make him into a emotional support animal? I’ve also seen people who has lied about having emotional support animals in my local furniture store this lady took her dog the manager asked if the dog was emotional support or service animal. She said it like this: No- I mean yes! And then she preceded into the facility and then proceeded to take a nap and when the manager asked her to leave she refused and said she just randomly falls asleep that’s why she has her not so real service or emotional support animal and then proceeded to nap
Rabbits can be emotional support animals. Unfortunately, the lady with the dog does not understand the laws surrounding emotional support animals.