Are emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals considered service animals under the ADA?

I name the pets allowed in the lease.You cannot restrict service animals and this gets sticky in the case of "companion" animals for those with a disability.

You will get in serious trouble if you do not allow service or companion animals.

And, we actually never had anyone want a reasonable accommodation to have a companion animal.  

In order to be allowed a companion animal, the tenant has to ask for a reasonable accommodation based on their disability.  

Also, be aware there is a growing number of people with pets who try to convince landlords to let them in under the guise that the animal is a service animal, assistance animal, emotional support animal or companion animal.

Here it is cut and pasted:Sample letter for Companion AnimalDATENAME OF PROFESSIONAL (therapist, physician, psychiatrist, rehabilitation counselor)ADDRESSDear [HOUSING AUTHROITY/LANDLORD]:[NAME OF TENANT] is my patient, and has been under my care since [DATE].

@Steven Anderson the form is ambiguous and refers to "keeping" a pet on the property, whatever that means.This fuzziness may aim at preventing landlords from claiming a material breach based on an unregistered companion animal temporarily occupying the property for a reasonable period.

Just say all units are furnished, but you'll remove what they don't want - but then you can charge a larger deposit, which will offset the growing number of "companion" animals that you can't charge any extra deposit for.

It will ask the medical professional if the tenant:1) has been under their regular care for treatment of their disability;2) that the tenant meets the HUD definition of disabled;3) that they require a companion animal in order to be able to live comfortable in your unit, because of their disability.You have every right to require them to meet the definition of disabled and to have a bonafide medical professional verify that they are disabled and require a companion animal because they are disabled - in order to be able to live comfortably in your unit.If the go to HUD and complain that that big meanie landlord didn't let me have my two "service" dogs, HUD will not immediately believe them.