How to Write an Effective Emotional Support Animal Letter to Your Landlord

Do you have an emotional support animal (ESA) and want to move them into your new home? Unless you own your new home, your landlord may have restrictions on the types of pets you can have. However, most landlords will let tenants have an emotional support animal.

To get your landlord's permission, you need to send an official ESA letter signed by a licensed mental health professional. This can take a lot of time and effort. That's why you should let DoNotPay craft the letter for you.

DoNotPay can also help you craft ESA letters for the following:

• Dogs
• Airlines
• Housing
• United Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• American Airlines

What Is an Emotional Support Animal?

An emotional support animal benefits an individual with a disability. The animal provides companionship and support to the individual to help alleviate some of the disability.

If you're planning on moving to any rental property, you need to send your landlord an ESA letter, letting them know that you need your emotional support animal to live with you.

What Is an ESA Letter?

An emotional support animal is an official document that proves a person's need for an ESA to treat their disability. An ESA must be written and signed by a licensed mental health professional in your state and secure ESA access to rental housing regardless of pet policies.

There are ten things an ESA letter should have.

1. An official letterhead
2. The name of the licensed medical health professional
3. The name of the practice
4. Phone number of the practice
5. The type of medical license
6. The date the medical license was issued
7. The state of the therapist's jurisdiction
8. The type of animal
9. That they are currently your therapist and are still treating you for a disability that's recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical model (DSM)
10. The date the letter was issued.

Example of ESA Letter for Landlord

Here's a sample of an ESA letter for a landlord:

DATE

NAME OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL (therapist, physician, psychiatrist, rehabilitation counselor)

ADDRESS

Dear [Landlord]:

[NAME OF PATIENT] is my patient and has been under my care since [DATE]. Therefore, I am intimately familiar with their history and the functional limitations imposed by their disability.

Because of mental illness, [FIRST NAME] has certain limitations regarding [DISABILITY]. To help alleviate these difficulties and enhance their ability to live independently and use and enjoy the dwelling unit you own fully, I am prescribing an emotional support animal that will assist [FIRST NAME] in coping with their disability.

I am familiar with the therapeutic benefits of assistance animals for people with disabilities, such as that [FIRST NAME] has. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have concerning my recommendation that [FULL NAME OF PATIENT] have an emotional support animal. Should you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Signature

How to Get an Emotional Support Animal Letter to Your Landlord by Yourself

Under the Fair Housing Act, all ESA owners can bring their ESAs into their rental homes even if they are otherwise a "no pets allowed" property. However, the only way to prove that your pet is an ESA is through an ESA letter signed by a licensed medical health professional.

If you already have a personal mental health care provider, request an appointment and have them provide you with an official ESA letter. Another way to get a letter is to book an online appointment with a certified mental health professional and get a signed letter within a few days.

Next Steps for Getting an Emotional Support Animal Letter to Your Landlord if You Can't Do It Yourself

Through our new Service and Emotional Support Animals solution, DoNotPay can help you with all your ESA-related concerns, including contacting your landlord about your ESA and finding the most affordable online ESA-letter service.

Here's how DoNotPay can help:

1. Search "service animal" on DoNotPay.

2. Select the type of issue you need help with, including contacting your landlord about your ESA/service animal, asking your airline about ESA options, or requesting ESA/service accommodations at other venues.

3. Answer a series of questions about your current situation and the details of your ESA/service animal, so we can generate the best results for you.

And that's it! Depending on your issue, DoNotPay will generate a letter to your landlord and mail it on your behalf, contact the airline agency and get back to you with an answer, or send a letter to your mental health professional requesting an ESA letter.

Why Use DoNotPay to Get an Emotional Support Animal Letter to Your Landlord

Here's why you should let DoNotPay help you get an emotional support letter from your landlord.

More DoNotPay Products for Your Pets

DoNotPay also has these pet-related products:

• Lost and Found Pets
• Pet Custody Agreement
• Pet Licenses
• Report on Animal Abuse

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

Helping you get an emotional support animal letter to your landlord is just one of many things DoNotPay can help you with. DoNotPay also provides the following services:

• Animal control
• Canceling any service or subscription
• Airline flight compensation
• Hotel upgrades
• Small claims court