Employee Lease Addendum For Emotional Support Animal In Allegheny
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The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) requires landlords and housing facilities to allow service dogs and emotional support animals if the animal is necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the home.
The letter should provide sufficient details about the individual's disability and the animal that is providing emotional support. The letter should include the individual's name, age, and contact information. It should also include the mental health diagnosis and the type of emotional support animal.
As a landlord, you can verify the letter in a number of ways. Keep in mind, however, that you may not, for any reason, have direct contact with your tenant's therapist. Attempting to do so may be considered a violation of federal law and the client could have cause to report you or your business to HUD.
Include the pet's breed, age, and required vaccinations. Clearly outline the rules and responsibilities of both the tenant and landlord regarding pet ownership. This should cover pet waste cleanup, noise control, and property maintenance. Clearly state the consequences of violating the pet addendum.
Identification and Inquiry of Assistive Animals Under the FHA, a landlord is not required to automatically allow a tenant to have an assistive animal. Instead, the tenant must request the reasonable accommodation and the landlord must consider the request.
Wait until a landlord accepts your application and offers you the place, then tell them you have an ESA and ask if that should be reflected in the lease or not. If they withdraw the offer you have a pretty strong case of housing discrimination (assuming you can prove the animal has ESA bona fides).
Immediately write an email and request that all communication concerning the ESA be kept through email. Do not answer any phone calls from your landlords after this. You want a clear paper trail.
Under the federal Fair Housing Act, Utah landlords may not discriminate against those who require the use of service animals or emotional support animals, although Utah only recognizes dogs as service animals.
For a person to legally have an emotional support animal (ESA), the owner must be considered to have a qualifying mental health or psychiatric disability by a licensed mental health professional (e.g., therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.), which is documented by a properly formatted prescription letter.
You can simply ask your doctor if they would be willing to provide you with an ESA letter to support your emotional well-being. Be prepared to discuss how an ESA could benefit your mental health and any specific symptoms or conditions you're experiencing.
