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?
- Need more public access rights?
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.
Get your Psychiatric Service Dog Letter Now
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.
Need more public access rights?
If you need to take your dog places that an emotional support animal can’t go, you might consider getting a service dog. Psychiatric service dogs have way more public access rights than ESAs. They can go almost anywhere the public is allowed, including stores, restaurants, and public venues. But just because you want to take your dog everywhere doesn’t mean a service dog is right for you.
To qualify for a service dog, you need more than a mental health disability (which is what it takes to get an emotional support animal). You also need a dog that has been trained to perform a task relating to your disability, like deep pressure therapy to stop panic attacks. Interested in pursuing a service dog? A PSD letter can set you on the right path.
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.
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.
My girlfriend has an ESA but my Home Owners Association says we have to remove the dog from the grounds because it is over 25 pounds and she is not an owner therefore she has no rights. Is this true and is there anything I can do?
If your girlfriend is currently living in your home as a primary residence, she has the right to keep her ESA.
Emotional support animals do not have access rights in public places like restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
Can you bring an ESA into a public park where dogs are not allowed?
Emotional support dogs do not have public access rights in public parks where dogs are not allowed.
I have a letter from my therapist saying that my dog is being used to assist me to self-soothe and increases my calming responses and It is her recommendation that I should be allowed to have my dog as my companion in all my daily routines of life which would include attendance at social events and college. How do I register her and everything?
Registration is not required for emotional support animals.
How do you qualify?
Complete the questionnaire in the link below and a licensed mental health professional will assist you.
https://esadoctors.com/esa-questionnaire/
How do you qualify?
Would my ESA be able to go to school with me? The people are usually too much for my social anxiety and I was just wondering.
You would have to ask your school about this. Not all schools will allow emotional support animals on campus.
I have 7 year old begal could she be and emotional support dog?
Yes, your current dog can be an emotional support dog if you qualify.
I was recently told by a store door checker that I can’t take my ESA Dog inside with me. I showed him the Dr.s Letter and he still refused to let me into the store. He told me that the sign outside the store states that Service Dogs only are allowed. Should I bring these to the attention of the Store Manager or should I just leave. I am a VietNam Vet and need my ESA support Dog when I’m out in public.
Unfortunately, the store door checker is correct. Emotional support animals only have access rights to no-pets housing and air travel.
The store door checker is properly informed. It’s a simple matter of bothering to know the clearly stated laws. If you can’t be bothered to look them up yourself. Ask your doctor to send the rules to you.