Before people give other people the hope of keeping their pet... Learn about the advice your giving them... because landlords already have!! Just because you pay $$ for your dog to become a therapy dog or an emotional dog, does not mean the landlord HAS to accept them! See below... What is an emotional support animal and what are the requirements to obtain one? An emotional support animal is not a pet. An emotional support animal is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. The person seeking the emotional support animal must have a verifiable disability (the reason cannot just be a need for companionship). The animal is viewed as a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (the FHA) to those housing communities that have a no pets rule. In other words, just as a wheelchair provides a person with a physical limitation the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, an emotional support animal provides a person with a mental or psychiatric disability the same opportunity to live independently. Most times, an emotional support animal will be seen as a reasonable accommodation for a person with such a disability. Failure to make reasonable accommodations by changing rules or policies can be a violation of the FHA unless the accommodation would be an undue financial burden on the landlord or cause a fundamental alteration to the premises. To qualify, a person must meet the federal definition of disability and must have a note from a physician or other medical professional stating that a person has a disability and that the reasonable accommodation (here, the emotional support animal) provides benefit for the individual with the disability. The emotional support animal alleviates or mitigates some of the symptoms of the disability. No specific training of the animal is required. Does the FHA apply to all housing? The Fair Housing Act does apply to almost all housing types including those for sale or rent. This includes apartments, condominiums, and single family homes. There are some major exceptions, such as buildings with four or fewer units where the landlord lives in one of the units. The law also excludes private owners who do not own more than three single family homes, do not use real estate agents or brokers, and do not engage in discriminatory advertising practices. What documentation do I need to provide to have an emotional support animal? If a person needs an emotional support animal to help alleviate the symptoms of a disability, he or she must first make the request to his or her landlord. Most sources indicate that the request should be in writing and explain how the reasonable accommodation helps or mitigates symptoms of the disability. While the tenant or owner does not need to disclose the disability, he or she will need to provide documentation from a doctor or other health professional (therapist or psychologist). The documentation is typically a note from his or her doctor.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 17:32:48 +0000
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