Emotional support animal- pet deposit pet fee

[Yashar Fred]

Is Pet/emotional support animal one of protected classes during tenant screening ?

I have a potential tenant who has a “licensed emotional support pet” i am not keen to have pet on premises but if all application package looks good we can accept pet (pet addendum , deposit and fee) . Is this allowed against ESA ? 

[Adrienne Bryson]

Emotional Support Animals are protected like Service Animals. IIRC you are not allowed to charge pet fees but you are allowed to charge the tenant for any damage caused by the animal. In my state you are also able to deny if allowing the animal would be an "undue burden" but I'm not sure what that would mean exactly.

You are also entitled to require "demonstration of need". This would be a letter from a physician or therapist explaining that the prospective tenant has a medical need for the animal.

There is *no such thing* as a license, certificate, or registration for ESAs or SAs. These are things shady websites sell most often to people who just want to take their regular pets in the store and on planes with them.

(Not a lawyer, just a lady with a service dog.)