What exactly is an ESA Letter?
An ESA letter is the only way to legally qualify for an emotional support animal. ESA owners in the United States have special rights under federal and state laws. An ESA letter allows a person to live with their animal free of charge, even in buildings that ban pets entirely! ESAs are also exempt from breed, weight, and size limitations on pets.
An ESA letter is the ONLY documentation you need to prove to your landlord that you have an official, legally protected emotional support animal.
How do you get an ESA letter?
An ESA letter has to come from a licensed healthcare professional. We work with licensed therapists and doctors nationwide that are well-versed on the subject of emotional support animals. To qualify for an ESA letter, the therapist or doctor must determine whether you have a mental health condition that is helped by a dog, cat, or other animals.
Want to know if you qualify for an ESA? We can connect you with a licensed therapist online for your ESA letter consultation.
Start your 2 minute assessmentWhat types of mental health issues qualify for an ESA?
Emotional support animals help people suffering from many types of mental health illnesses. Examples include depression, severe anxiety, PTSD, and learning disorders. It’s up to a doctor or therapist to determine whether your condition is eligible for an emotional support animal.
Can my pet be an emotional support animal?
If your pet provides support for your mental and emotional health issues, it may already serve as your ESA. Emotional support animals are usually dogs or cats but can also be birds, rabbits, hamsters, fish, and other small, domesticated pets. ESAs do not require any specialized training.
How can I get started on getting an ESA Letter?
If you need an ESA letter, ESALetters.com is the best solution. Did you know that ESA letters can be obtained online, as long as they’re written and signed by a licensed healthcare provider? We work with a network of licensed professionals who can evaluate you for an ESA letter without any in-person meetings.
If you’re currently living in or planning to move to a building that is unfriendly to pets, but you need the support and love of your animal, an ESA letter can be a lifesaver. With ESALetters.com, you’ll get all the help you need to get your hands on a real, effective ESA letter.
Emotional Support Animal Housing Rights
Pet lovers already understand the powerful impact that animals can have in their lives. Animals can become your best friend and a non-judgmental companion in the toughest of times. U.S. housing laws also recognize how important emotional support animals are to people’s mental health and grant ESA owners special rights.
Under the federal Fair Housing Act and guidelines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), housing providers must provide reasonable accommodation for ESA owners. It doesn’t matter if your building has a policy that bans all pets — emotional support animals are exempt from such limitations!
Emotional support animals are exempt from no-pet policies!
ESALetters.com
The reason for that is because emotional support animals are considered an accommodation for people with mental health disabilities. Housing laws recognize that it would be unfair to deprive a person of something essential to their health and wellbeing.
If you have an ESA letter, you have other rights as well. The landlord’s policies regarding pet size and weight do not apply to emotional support animals. For example, if your building usually bans pets over 20 pounds and you have a large Golden Retriever that is an ESA, your landlord can’t enforce that limit on your dog.
ESA owners are also free from certain financial burdens that may hamper their ability to keep their emotional support animal. Landlords can never charge any fees or deposits for an ESA. Let’s say your landlord typically charges a monthly fee of $40 and a deposit of $800 for all pets. If you have an ESA letter, your landlord cannot legally charge these amounts.
How to get an ESA Letter in 3 Easy Steps
If you need an ESA letter fast, ESALetters.com is the way to go. Our service is private, secure, and, most importantly, actually gets the job done. You will work with a real-life healthcare professional who is licensed for your state. These professionals understand how to write ESA letters that comply with federal and state rules for emotional support animals.
Step 1: Complete the online questionnaire
Starting your path to getting an ESA is quick and easy. Go to the online ESA assessment and answer a few questions about yourself and the current state of your mental health. Your answers will be kept private and confidential and are only shared with the licensed healthcare professional assigned to you.
Step 2: Work directly with a licensed healthcare professional
A licensed healthcare professional will be assigned to you. They will assess your mental health and need for an emotional support animal. You will be able to ask them any questions you have. You will have one dedicated licensed professional helping you throughout the entire process.
Step 3: Receive your ESA Letter
If the healthcare professional determines that you qualify for an ESA letter, you will receive a digital copy. The ESA letter will come on their letterhead and have their signature and license number on it. It will not show that you obtained the letter from ESALetters.com.
Once you have your ESA letter, you can submit it to your landlord and request special accommodation for your emotional support animal.
Why choose ESA Letters?
Not only will you get a working ESA letter through ESALetters.com, but the experienced support team will be there every step of the way to provide ongoing support. Even if you run into difficulties with your landlord months or years later, our support team will be there to provide you with advice and guidance.
Our goal is to make sure you can live at home in peace with your emotional support animal without being harassed by your housing provider. ESA Letters is faster and cheaper than seeing a therapist in person, and you can do it all without having to leave your home.
The convenience, speed, and cost of ESA Letters are unmatched. You can feel confident knowing that if you don’t qualify for an ESA letter with one of our healthcare professionals for any reason at all, you will receive 100% of your money back.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS
animal typically kept in the home. Your current pet may already be serving as your emotional support animal! Unlike service dogs, ESAs do not need any expensive, specialized training. They do their jobs just by being your loyal friend in tough times.
An ESA letter for housing has to come from a licensed healthcare professional. The letter should mention you by name and state that you need an ESA to help alleviate symptoms of a mental health disorder. An ESA letter will be on the provider’s letterhead and should also contain their licensing and contact information. An ESA letter does not need to include specific details about your condition, which would be extremely confidential.
You do not need any other documentation for an emotional support animal other than an ESA letter. You do not need to certify or register your ESA or buy an ID card.
Once you have your ESA letter, you can give it to your landlord to prove that you own an emotional support animal. You can submit an ESA letter before you sign a lease or after. Landlords are required to accommodate ESAs unless they have an exemption under HUD rules.
The right to live with your ESA is not without limits. HUD rules state that landlords must reasonably accommodate your ESA. There are circumstances where it would not be reasonable for them to allow your ESA in the building. For example, if the landlord has tangible proof that your ESA is dangerous or a health hazard to other tenants, they have the right to deny your ESA.
Certain landlords are also exempt from ESA rules. For example, owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units and single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without an agent.
ESA letters must be written and signed by a licensed healthcare professional. That includes professionals such as:
• Doctors
• Psychiatrists
• Psychologists
• Social Workers
• Nurses
• Counselors
If you’re struggling with mental health issues, it’s important to seek help from a professional right away. If you’re specifically looking for help with an ESA letter, it can be useful to find someone that specializes in ESA letters or is at least familiar with how to write them.
You can have more than one ESA as long as they are covered by your ESA letter. It is not unusual for someone to have two or more emotional support animals. However, your healthcare professional may not approve all of your pets as ESAs, and landlords may limit the number you can have, especially if it would create a crowded or unsafe environment for the animals.
To determine whether you’re eligible for an ESA, you should seek the help of a licensed therapist or doctor that can evaluate your mental health. Under HUD’s rules, your mental health condition is a disability that can qualify for an ESA if it “substantially limits one or major life activities” like working, sleeping, or socializing.
Below are some of the conditions that ESAs help with:
• Depression
• Anorexia or Bulimia
• Bi-Polar disorder
• Anxiety disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Panic disorder
• Agoraphobia
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Autism
ESAs are not considered pets, therefore they are not subject to pet rules. Limitations regarding size, weight, and number are not applicable. However, the number of ESAs you can have must be within reason. For example, if you have so many ESAs that it creates a health or safety issue, then the landlord is within their right to limit the number you can have.
Landlords cannot deny your ESA just because it is a certain breed. For example, if you own a Pitbull that is banned by the building’s policies, the landlord must still accept your dog as an emotional support animal. Unless they have proof that your Pitbull poses a safety or health threat to others.
Note that some jurisdictions also have bans on certain breeds. Whether your ESA is allowed in these jurisdictions can get complicated, so it’s always best to check local regulations in advance and get professional legal advice.
Absolutely not! Even if the building charges all pet owners in the building a fee or deposit, it is prohibited for emotional support animal owners. Landlords that charge an ESA owner a fee or deposit can get in trouble with HUD and even be sued.
However, be aware that you’re still responsible for any damage caused by your ESA. If your ESA severely damages your apartment, your landlord can deduct the repair expenses from your general security deposit.
Yes, many states have laws that protect emotional support animals in housing. California, New York, Florida, and many other states have such rules. It’s important to be aware of what rules apply in your particular location.
For example, did you know, in California you must have a relationship with a healthcare provider for at least 30 days before they can give you an ESA letter? The professionals that work with ESA Letters are aware of these rules and make sure they give you an ESA letter that is legitimate and compliant with federal and state law.
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