All Forum Posts by: Aram Y.

Thanks for the reply Tracy. I have read the links you sent - was somewhat familiar with them already, but thanks.

A few important details:
The letter provided does NOT have the following requirements as I have read on many online resources say it must.
- not on the therapist's official letterhead, just a typed out letter in Google docs that was forwarded by the tenant - anyone could have written it. Does include the name and license # of a therapist 130 miles away.
- does not indicate the tenant is a current or past patient, just that they have evaluated their history and concluded.
- does not indicate the ESA is a treatment (or prescription) for any condition - just a mental and behavioral health condition.
- does not have a signature
- does not have specific wording to comply with regulations (legal diagnosis, statement of treatment, ESA prescription, etc.)

I believe CA passed a law (1/22) requiring the therapist to see the patient for 30 days prior to issuing an ESA recommendation and letter.

Lastly, this tenant ASKED to bring a pet into their unit (exact text: I do want to have pets one day. Can I put down a pet deposit to get one?) a year ago, not due to a disability, but because they wanted one - which  was declined. This seems like a blatant abuse of the ESA intent.

The fact is that they intended and asked to get a pet a year ago. When they were denied, they resorted to an ESA letter to get around the no-pet clause. Could a rejection based on the validity of the letter AND that they got the letter only because they wanted a pet be potentially troublesome with the FHA?

Enforce the late fee, every single time - provided it's in the lease agreement.

I have a 4-year tenant living in a no-pet building. They texted me 1 year ago to say they may not want to renew their lease because they were looking to get a pet in the future - and to also to point out another tenant who had an ESA dog - that tenant has since moved out. I had responded at the time that pets were not allowed in the building, but that the other tenant had a legitimate reason and documentation to have one and had gone down the right path in doing so.

Now, a year later, just after a 1 year lease renewal, they have produced a very sketchy looking ESA letter (a letter typed on a Google document with no official letterhead) from a licensed therapist 120+ miles away indicating they need a cat as an ESA. The letter is dated exactly 30 days prior to when they submitted it to me - not sure if they were seeing them 30 days prior to that date. They are now talking about adopting a cat (using the word 'pet' as opposed to 'animal' - ESA).

IF they indicated they wanted to get a pet and were denied a year ago, can the ESA request be rejected as it's very likely bogus? Obviously, they went shopping for an ESA therapist who would give them a letter so they can get a pet. Can the therapist be called out for fraud as well?

100% ok if this tenant leaves - not a good or a bad tenant.