Landlord ESA Letter Sample: How to write one?

According to the legislation, you must request accommodation from your landlord for your emotional support animal. The letters listed below should be sent to your landlord together with the prescriptive ESA letter you received from one of our psychotherapists.

Even if your building is not generally pet-friendly, the Fair Housing Act requires your landlord to allow you to keep an emotional support animal [within reasonable limits].

It is better to put your request in writing, as with any request you make of your landlord. The paper trail that is created by a written request makes it simple to maintain track of your communication on the subject. You may consult the actual copies of the letters issued if any issues should arise.

The letter doesn't have to be extensive; it should only make clear that you need a place for your service animal. To prove to your landlord that your emotional support animal is a real service animal, you should provide proof of its status with the letter.

Before you create your own letter, make sure you get a letter from a registered healthcare practitioner since the FHA will not accept an emotional support animal without one.

You may want to provide your landlord a short description of the animal so they can assess if it causes any concerns or difficulties for the other tenants in the complex.

You may use the form we've provided below to write a letter asking your landlord for permission to use an emotional support animal.

Dear [Name of Landlord],

I'm writing to seek fair accommodation for my service animal, who will live with me in my rental at [Rental Address], in line with the Fair Housing Act.

I need this animal's support 24/7 since I have a handicap. I've included a note from my doctor attesting to my need for this kind of support.

[Include a short explanation of your ESA] is the animal in concern?

You may contact me by phone at 997-665-4444 or by email at [your email address] if you want to talk about this topic in more detail.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Sending an ESA letter to your landlord: How to do It?

You can use a very straightforward two-step process to share an ESA letter with your landlord or real estate company: 

Inform and spread. Know your rights and how to assert them if your landlord refuses to respect them, as we'll discuss further in this article. However, make sure you have a valid ESA Letter before you speak to your landlord.

Getting an ESA Letter: A Guide

You may be allowed to have an emotional support animal (ESA) and bring it into housing with a "no pets" policy if you have an emotional or mental disability and your pet gives you comfort and confidence in difficult times.

A certified mental health professional must issue a personalized ESA letter for an emotional support animal to be recognized officially. 

You must receive a diagnosis by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders from a qualified professional. Your impairment must be stated in the diagnosis as affecting your capacity to carry out daily tasks.

The licensed mental health professional may be a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or another one. You can still get assistance even if you cannot afford to see a mental health professional frequently or if you have no contacts in the neighborhood where your apartment is located. 

You can connect online with a licensed therapist who is licensed in the state where you are located thanks to ESA Doctors.

2. Emotional Support Animal Letter Sample

You should also include a letter that you wrote, in addition to the recommendation from your preferred licensed professional. The formal letter will have this letter attached. 

You may get started by utilizing this example letter for housing an emotional support animal.

[Date]

[Building manager or landlord name]

[Building manager or landlord's address]

Re: Emotional Support Animal Request for Reasonable Accommodation

Please accept my sincere condolences.

I live at [your address here] and my name is [your name here]. I am considered a person with a disability under the Fair Housing Act. I am constrained in [describing how your disability affects your daily life] because of my disability.

To ensure that I have an equal chance to dwell in my house, I'm asking for reasonable accommodation so that my emotional support animal may live with me. Additionally, [explain how your emotional support animal helps you, for example, "reduces my anxiety" or "provides important comfort in times of stress"].

You can find documentation from my healthcare provider that explains how this accommodation helps me with my disability in the attachment.

I would appreciate a written response within ten business days. Please get in touch with me at [your phone number or email address] if you have any queries regarding my accommodation request.

I appreciate your thoughts and time.

Regards,

[Your name]

Read:- How to Write a Cover Letter For a Part-Time Job (8 Samples)

3. Landlord ESA letter template

Hello, Mr. Doe

I occupy apartment #363 at 231 Main Street. Due to a mental health condition, I am unable to live alone. My psychologist has recommended an emotional support animal even though the laws state that pets are not permitted to maintain my emotional well-being. Therefore, by the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, I am asking for reasonable accommodation (42 U.S.C. 3601, et seq.).

My psychotherapist's certification of my condition and the functional constraints I encounter, together with a prescription for an emotional support animal to assist me to make up for my disability, is attached.

I am unable to sleep, stop shaking, socialize, maintain a job, or take care of myself due to my condition, as stated in the letter from my psychotherapist. I request that you change your current pet policies to allow me to keep an emotional support animal as recommended. 

Being around a companion animal would provide me the camaraderie, emotional support, and purpose to live that I need to get through the challenges I confront every day.

Please respond to this accommodation request in writing within ten business days, or by June 9th. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

4. Emotional support animal letter sample

[Date]

Building Manager John Doe
Main Street, 231
33180 Miami, Florida

Hello Mr. Doe!

I'm making an application to occupy apartment #363 at 231 Main Street. Due to a mental health condition, I am unable to live alone. My psychologist has recommended an emotional support animal even though the laws state that pets are not permitted to maintain my emotional well-being. 

Therefore, by the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, I am asking for a reasonable accommodation (42 U.S.C. 3601, et seq.).

My psychotherapist's certification of my condition and the functional constraints I encounter, together with a prescription for an emotional support animal to assist me to make up for my disability, is attached. I've also included a pet résumé and references attesting to the excellent manners of my emotional support animal.

I am unable to sleep, stop shaking, socialize, maintain a job, or take care of myself due to my condition, as stated in the letter from my psychotherapist. I am requesting that you change your current pet policies to allow me to keep Scooby, my therapist's suggested emotional support animal. 

Being around a companion animal would provide me the camaraderie, emotional support, and purpose to live that I need to get through the challenges I confront every day.

Please respond to this accommodation request in writing within ten business days, or by June 9th. I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

5. ESA Letter Sample for Landlord

An example ESA letter for a landlord is shown below:

DATE

NAME OF PROFESSIONAL IN MENTAL HEALTH (therapist, physician, psychiatrist, rehabilitation counselor)

ADDRESS

Regards, [Landlord]

I have been taking care of [NAME OF PATIENT] since [DATE]. I thus have a thorough understanding of their background and the functional restrictions brought on by their impairment.

[FIRST NAME] has particular restrictions regarding [DISABILITY] as a result of their mental condition. I am recommending an emotional support animal to help [FIRST NAME] deal with their impairment to enable them to live more independently and improve their capacity to utilize and enjoy the home you own to the fullest.

I am aware of the therapeutic advantages that service animals, like the one [FIRST NAME] has, may provide for those with disabilities. If you have any questions about my proposal that [FULL NAME OF PATIENT] has an emotional support animal, I'd be pleased to respond. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any further inquiries.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

6. Sample Letter Requesting Reasonable Accommodation from Landlord

[Date]

[Landlord/Building Manager]

[Address of Landlord/Building Manager]

Re: Request for a Reasonable Accommodation

Greetings, [Building Manager/Landlord]

At [your address], I reside. I meet the criteria for a person with a handicap under the Fair Housing Act. My inability to [describe how your handicap impacts your day-to-day activities] is limited by my impairment.

I'm asking for reasonable accommodation so that my [service animal/emotional support animal] may live with me so that I can use and enjoy my house equally. My [service animal/emotional support animal] aids me in [describe the duties or tasks your service animal carries out or the ways in which your emotional support animal helps you, for example, "to alleviate my anxiety].

If the need associated with a handicap is not immediately obvious, mention:

The documentation from my healthcare provider, which is included, explains how this accommodation will help me with my impairment.

I would like a written response within the next ten (10) business days. Please do not hesitate to contact me at [your phone number or email address] if you have any queries concerning my request. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

7. Sample Letter to Landlord Requesting Reasonable Accommodations 

[Date]

Larry Landlord Raleigh, North Carolina 12345 123 Main Street

Re: Request for a Reasonable Accommodation

My Dear Landlord:

I occupy Apartments Pleasant apartment 101. I meet the criteria for a person with a handicap under the Fair Housing Act. My inability to engage with others is a result of my impairment.

I am asking for reasonable accommodation so that my emotional support animal may live with me in order to guarantee that I have equal access to my house. Kitty, my emotional support cat, aids in reducing my anxiety.

Please find my healthcare provider's letter of verification, which details how this accommodation would help me with my impairment, attached.

I would like a written response within the next ten (10) business days. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (123) 456-7890 or [email protected] if you have any queries concerning my request. I appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Sincerely,

Smith, Anna

8. Template for a Verification Letter from a Healthcare Professional

Dear Apartment Manager/Landlord/Housing Authority/Homeowners Association]

My patient [Full name of patient] has been under my care as of [date]. I am aware of his or her medical background and the significant functional limits caused by their impairment.

Due to his or her impairment, [patient's name] has certain restrictions on things like [social contact, dealing with stress or anxiety, and high blood pressure]. 

I am recommending [kind of animal] as an assistance animal to help [patient's name] manage symptoms related to his/her impairment in order to lessen these challenges, improve his/her capacity to live independently, and fully utilize and enjoy his/her house.

We appreciate you making [patient name] this fair accommodation.

Sincerely,

[Title and signature of the professional]

9. Example of a Letter of Verification from a Medical Professional

Dear Landlord Larry:

My patient, Jon Smith, has been under my care for the last three years. His medical background and the significant functional limits caused by his handicap are both something I am acquainted with.

Mr. Smith has certain restrictions on social engagement with others as a result of his recognized impairment. I advise him to get a cat as an emotional support animal in order to lessen his troubles and improve his capacity for self-sufficiency. Mr. Smith will be able to better control his disability-related symptoms thanks to this.

I appreciate you giving Mr. Smith this acceptable accommodation.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Conclusion

Adapt the aforementioned template to your requirements. You may remind your landlord of your rights by using passages from the Fair Housing Act if you think he may not be familiar with the regulations governing service animals.

There are no regulations dictating when you must inform your landlord that you have an emotional support animal (ESA). If you are worried about prejudice, you may choose to tell your landlord about the emotional support animal before signing the lease or postpone it until later.

Your message may be delivered in person, emailed, or sent by normal mail. Your request must be answered by your landlord within 10 days of receiving the letter. Please contact him again before the 10 days are done. Always maintain copies of any communication you have about the subject, in case problems should develop.