Emotional support animals, or ESAs, offer comfort and assistance to persons suffering from mental and emotional health problems. Owners of ESAs enjoy additional legal protections under federal and state legislation. Some assume that having an emotional support animal requires a doctor’s note. That isn’t entirely correct.
A signed ESA letter from a certified healthcare practitioner is required to have an emotional support animal. An ESA letter can be written by a doctor or a licensed nurse, but it is most often written by a mental health practitioner, such as a psychologist, counselor, social worker, psychiatrist, or other. A therapist who works remotely and offers their services online can also produce an ESA letter.
In this piece, we’ll go through how to obtain an ESA letter and your legal rights as an ESA owner.
What Are the Legal Rights of an ESA?
Emotional support animal owners are protected under federal housing rules. You have the right to live with your emotional support animal even if the building has a “no pets” policy. Your landlord, co-op, HOA, building management, or another housing provider must accommodate your emotional support animal in a fair manner.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, you may be denied ESA lodging if your emotional support animal is destructive or poses a danger or hazard to other residents. An ESA must also be a suitable animal. Dogs, cats, small birds, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, other rodents, fish, and turtles are allowed as emotional support animals by the US Department of Housing.
Emotional support animals are also given specific consideration. Because they are not considered pets but rather a service animals for the disabled, they are excluded from many building restrictions that apply to pets. Housing providers, for example, cannot charge a fee or deposit for an emotional support animal, despite the fact that they may charge residents with ordinary pets.
Size, weight, and breed limits do not apply to emotional support animals. With an ESA letter, you may live with your ESA without fear of prejudice and without the limitations that your landlord may impose on typical pets.
How Do I Get an ESA Doctor’s Note?
An “ESA doctor’s note” is a letter from a licensed healthcare practitioner requesting ESA benefits. Your ESA letter must be written by a qualified practitioner who is familiar with your mental health. An ESA letter can be written by a doctor or a registered nurse, however, the majority of ESA letters are written by certified mental health experts such as therapists and social workers.
To determine who is eligible for an ESA, a registered healthcare expert will assess whether you have a mental or emotional handicap. That is, you have a disorder such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, or ADHD that severely restricts one or more of your primary life activities. If the healthcare expert considers that you fit this requirement and that the presence of an animal might aid in the relief of your pain, they can propose an emotional support animal.
An ESA letter or doctor’s note should include the following information:
An assessment of whether you fulfill the appropriate criterion for a mental or emotional health impairment.
An emotional support animal recommendation.
The signature and license number of a licensed healthcare professional.
The letter should also be dated and provide the contact information for the healthcare professional. An ESA letter is usually written on the letterhead of the licensed healthcare provider. Once you receive an ESA letter, you can notify your landlord that you require an emotional support animal. Unless the landlord has a legitimate exception, they are required to offer a reasonable accommodation.
It is important to note that landlords are not permitted to inquire about your medical condition or past. When it comes to sensitive data regarding your mental health, you have the right to secrecy. A typical ESA letter will include general information about your mental and emotional health-related need for an emotional support animal.
What if I don’t have access to a mental health professional?
If you are unable to locate or contact a mental health professional, you can engage with one online to determine whether you are eligible for ESA. Please keep in mind that ESA registration or certification is not required to qualify for your ESA; all that is required is an ESA letter or a doctor’s note.
Be wary of bogus online ESA letter sites that give out meaningless ESA letters to anybody and everyone. If you submit a forged ESA letter to your landlord, you may find yourself in a difficult and humiliating situation. It is vital to ensure that you have an ESA letter that you can rely on.
If you want to see if you qualify for an ESA letter online, ESA Doctors is the best option. ESA Doctors provides excellent consumer feedback and is fully accredited by the BBB. We will match you with a registered healthcare expert in your state who is familiar with emotional support animals. If you are eligible, the healthcare professional will give you a verified ESA letter that you may submit to your housing provider.
