Understanding Assistance and Emotional Support Animals: Common Scenarios and Guidelines

💡Assistance animals, including emotional support animals, require special consideration under the Fair Housing Act.

📝Documentation provided by residents for assistance animals should be thoroughly reviewed to ensure its reliability and accuracy.

🚫Pet restrictions, including breed and size limitations, usually do not apply to assistance animals if properly verified.

✅Housing providers should follow a clear process when considering requests for multiple assistance animals and evaluate the individual need for each animal.

🔍Online-purchased emotional support animal letters may not always meet the criteria for reliable verification and should be examined carefully.

Can pet restrictions be applied to assistance animals?

—Pet restrictions, including breed and size limitations, generally do not apply to assistance animals if properly verified.

What should I do if a resident or prospect does not disclose their assistance animal?

—Follow your community's policies and procedures to address the situation and verify whether the animal qualifies as an assistance animal.

Can a resident have more than one assistance animal?

—Residents may request multiple assistance animals, but each animal's individual need should be assessed to determine whether it qualifies.

How should I handle online-purchased emotional support animal letters?

—Online-purchased letters should be carefully scrutinized to ensure they meet the criteria for reliable verification.

What is the process for granting reasonable accommodation for assistance animals?

—Housing providers should have a clear process in place to evaluate and process requests for reasonable accommodation, including assistance animals.

00:17Welcome to the second season of the Fair Housing Insiders, where we discuss important topics related to fair housing.

01:55Today's topic focuses on assistance animals and emotional support animals, particularly in common scenarios faced by property managers.

05:46When a prospect presents an emotional support animal, it is important to follow the proper procedure for verifying the animal's status.

06:51If an existing resident is found to have an undisclosed pet, it should be evaluated whether the pet qualifies as an assistance animal.

10:34When an approved applicant requests multiple assistance animals, each animal's individual need should be assessed before making a decision.

11:58Be cautious when evaluating online-purchased emotional support animal letters, as they may not always provide reliable verification.

13:59Multiple assistance animal requests are becoming more common, and housing providers should be prepared to handle these situations.

15:51Stay informed about fair housing regulations and consider utilizing the resources provided by the Fair Housing Institute.