female patient talking with female therapist
Emotional support animals (ESA) are valuable animals to many, and it’s important that you make sure your emotional support animal is valid. Only by having a valid ESA can you request accommodations and ensure that these accommodations will be met. Part of ensuring that your emotional support animal is valid is receiving an emotional support animal (ESA) letter written by a mental healthcare professional. Our article gives you more information about this important documentation and how you might be able to obtain one in your state.
What Is an ESA Letter?
An emotional support animal letter is a letter written by a licensed mental healthcare provider for their patient. This letter will attest to the patient’s need for an emotional support animal and state other important details such as the mental healthcare provider’s licensing information, contact information, and signature. An ESA letter must be written on the letterhead of the mental healthcare provider, and it must also contain details about the emotional support animal, such as breed and age.
Without an emotional support animal letter, you cannot request housing accommodations for your ESA. These accommodations are important to many individuals, as living with their emotional support animal and avoiding breed or pet restrictions as federal protections allow is essential to their well-being.
How Do I Get My Therapist to Write Me an ESA Letter?
Obtaining a legitimate ESA letter can seem tricky at first; there are many websites that offer easy access to instantaneous emotional support animal letters. However, these websites are typically scams, as your ESA letter must be written by a therapist or other mental healthcare provider licensed in your state. Depending on state laws, you may need to have a relationship established with your mental healthcare provider for at least thirty days before you are eligible to receive an ESA letter.
These regulations are put in place to reduce the number of false emotional support animals and ensure that those receiving accommodations for their ESA are those who truly need them as part of an overall treatment and symptom relief plan.
If you believe that you would benefit from an emotional support animal in your life, then you will need to schedule an appointment with a mental healthcare provider licensed in your state. Speak with them about your symptoms and concerns, and they will evaluate your need for an ESA. Once you have been approved, your mental healthcare provider will write you an ESA letter stating your need, and you can begin using this letter to request accommodations immediately.
Common conditions that may qualify for the assistance of an emotional support animal include anxiety, chronic stress, mood disorders, depression, and sensory disorders.
What Can I Do with My ESA Letter?
While emotional support animals do not have as many protected rights as service animals, they are granted certain protections; your ESA letter entitles you to these protections and allows you to request accommodations.
The biggest right that your ESA letter grants you is the right to reasonable housing with your emotional support animal. Once you have an ESA letter written and signed by your therapist, you can show this letter to landlords and rental agencies to ensure your emotional support animal lives alongside you. This is especially helpful in areas with breed or pet restrictions, as you will be exempt from these. You will also be exempt from paying any additional fees for pet rent or pet-specific security deposits, as these can be considered discrimination against those who need to live with their ESA to feel relief from their mental health symptoms.
Can My ESA Accommodations Request Be Denied?
Your ESA accommodation request may be denied in certain circumstances, even if you have a valid ESA letter from your mental healthcare provider. This typically occurs when your ESA is out of control, aggressive, dangerous, or destructive.
You might also have your ESA request denied if you are attempting to live with an ESA in an area that doesn’t allow you to care for them properly, such as bringing an exotic animal into an apartment or very large animals into a small housing space.
Obtaining a Valid ESA Letter
An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is essential to take advantage of your federally protected rights when it comes to living with your emotional support animal. A therapist or other mental healthcare provider licensed in your state will need to write this letter for you after approving you for an ESA in your treatment plan. Make an appointment with a provider in your state and check state laws to start the process of obtaining a valid ESA letter and receiving the benefits you need from an emotional support animal.
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