All Forum Posts by: Mila F.

 I hate sites that won't give a price without going through Request A Demo. I've asked around and not only can I not get a price for petscreening.com I don't think we can "require" that tenants go through them? 

Howdy! 

Licensed therapist here, I write ESA and PSA letters for clients when it's appropriate. They cannot have an ESA letter prior to getting the dog and the dog needs to provide an actual service. So the letter should say something like "soandso dog provides support to my client by calming them when they are anxious...etc etc etc" they need to have a diagnosis that supports an ESA and the dog needs to be old enough to actually provide the service a brand new puppy does not provide services, they require services. The only exception I make for puppies is if it is an actual service animal providing a specific service (such as diabetes dogs, or guide dogs) that will be going through specialized training. Even then, I will write that they are a service animal IN TRAINING and not that they are an ESA. Fake ESA and PSA letters have done such a disservice to the world. 

If they "registered" a dog as an ESA, they paid a fee to a fake site for a fake certification. It will be easy to spot. 

As for requiring spay/neuter, an ESA does not need to be intact to perform their duties, and you cannot breed an ESA because that animal would not be available to perform their duties while they were off reproducing. If they want the animal to be available for breeding, they cannot "register" it as an ESA. You should never breed service animals. 

All of that to come to this, I would not rent to these people. They are obviously lying to you...and I wouldn't rent to them...however, you can require that their dog be neutered IF you accept their ESA letter as valid. Other requirements you can have for their animal is that they be trained to perform whatever service they are performing for that person, be housebroken, not pose a threat to the security of others, not damage your property, and be licensed and vaccinated. 

Disclaimer: My knowledge of this topic extends only to the states I live in or am licensed in. 

 We have a long list of requirements and I've never once in all these years had someone meet every single one of them. I just email that list and notify them they I'm unable to accept their application because they didn't meet one or more of the following qualifications. I never ever discuss which one, no further discussion needed. 

 That right there is enough of a red flag for me. Nope. Decline. 

So the puppy magically became an ESA when they were told they'd have to get him neutered? 

Hopefully you have other, better qualified applicants to go with or can deny this couple on something else (credit, income) so you don't have to deal with their nonsense.

This might help:

https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/process-esa-letters

Good Luck!