Emotional Support Animals

[Mona V.]

My rental has a no-pet policy. Mainly because the septic field of the house was just repaired and its all dirt, an animal can really destroy it fast. Its seriously costly and if its destroyed now I really wouldn't have much to repair anymore. A lot of people contact me and when I deny saying they mentioned pets and we have a no-pet policy, they claim its an ESA . I went through all the forums I could find here and I have gone through the Fair Housing Laws regarding disabilities and ESAs, but still have some unanswered questions.

Can I deny based on - "The presence of the assistance animal would pose an undue financial and administrative burden to the provider"?

If not, I would like to give them a form and require them to get it filled by their licenced medical provider, like a lot of people mentioned in forums. But I could not find a copy of such a form anywhere. I see only the letters from the fake ESA certification sites when I search. Can anyone point me to a solid form to use for verification, a letter which I can ask them to take to their doctor to fill. 

Is it ok to call the medical provider too for verification?

Thanks!

[Nathan Gesner]

@Mona V. read the North Carolina Disability Rights packet. It's a pretty good overview and includes a sample form near the end.

Fraud is rampant. Most people claiming an ESA are liars trying to sneak in their pet. They purchase certificates online or even get a "diagnosis" from a licensed physician over the internet. I do not accept any of those. I also do not accept an old letter. I give them a form that must be completed by their healthcare provider. This scares away the majority.

You are allowed to verify the disability and the service the animal provides. That's it. 

Something else to remember: many people will claim to have more than one animal prescribed for the same issue. You are not required to permit that. Even under the disability act, only one service animal is permitted per disability. A person could have one dog that alerts them to seizures and another that guides them. I know of no legal requirement to permit multiple animals for anxiety.

I discovered that if you educate yourself and develop policies, it will scare most of the fraud away.