For individuals living with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, the presence of an emotional support animal (ESA) can be an invaluable part of their treatment plan. Dogs, cats, and other assistance animals provide comfort and reassurance to people struggling with important activities like attending school, work, or social events.
Yet, to live with your ESA in many housing situations, you may need an official emotional support animal letter demonstrating that your support animal is critical to helping you cope with your mental health issues and the challenges of everyday life.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of securing a valid ESA letter that you can use for housing and other purposes. We’ll discuss eligibility, the application and evaluation process, and the legal protections you are entitled to with a legitimate emotional support animal letter. Let’s dive in!
Why You Need an ESA Letter
While most people recognize the importance of a service animal in the lives of individuals with disabilities, the term “assistance animal” also covers emotional support animals. As such, ESA owners enjoy certain legal rights and protections if they have been issued an ESA letter by a licensed provider.
Legal Protections of an ESA Letter
With an emotional support animal letter, ESA owners can access a wide range of housing options, regardless of policies that typically prohibit pets. Likewise, ESA owners are exempt from pet-related rent, fees, or deposits charged by their landlord or housing management company.
This is because emotional support animals are more than pets—they are assistance animals that help alleviate the effects or symptoms of a mental health condition or emotional disability. Under the terms of the Fair Housing Act, housing providers are prohibited from discriminating against individuals based on a disability, including mental health disabilities.
Thus, ESA owners with a legitimate need to live with their support animal are not subject to the same fees and restrictions as “ordinary” pet owners.
Step 1: Determine if You Qualify for an ESA
An ESA letter can be incredibly helpful for individuals who depend on the comfort and companionship provided by their emotional support dog, cat, or other animal.
Even though emotional support animals do not need to complete specific training or carry out practical tasks—unlike service animals—ESAs often offer valuable assistance, from easing the symptoms of a panic attack to helping individuals follow through on employment commitments. With nothing more than their presence, they can help alleviate some of the effects of their owner’s mental health condition.
Animals of any breed or species can be considered emotional support animals, solely based on the emotional assistance they provide their owners.
Who Can Qualify for an ESA Letter?
To secure an official ESA letter, you must have a legitimate need to live with an emotional support animal. Only a licensed mental health practitioner can affirm this need based on an evaluation of your mental health history.
While any individual with a mental illness or disorder can qualify for an ESA, here are some of the mental disorders most commonly associated with ESA ownership:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Insomnia
- Agoraphobia
- Other phobias
Step 2: Choosing the Right Licensed Mental Health Professional
Emotional support letters must be issued by licensed mental health professionals. This includes psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, physicians, and licensed clinical social workers.
How to Spot Legitimate Providers
If you already see a doctor or therapist for your mental health needs, talk to them about securing an ESA letter. Alternatively, you can choose a telehealth company that helps arrange consultations with licensed mental health professionals. An ESA letter can be secured after an in-person consultation or a virtual appointment, as long as the appointment involves a discussion of your symptoms.
Whether online or in person, make sure you select a legitimate provider staffed by qualified clinicians with experience working with ESA owners. Only a mental health professional licensed in your state of residence can issue an official ESA letter, so avoid companies that promise letters without arranging consultations for their clients.
Step 3: Complete the Application Process
If you choose to work with an in-person provider, you may need to complete patient registration forms with details of your name, address, and date of birth. This is similar to the process with telehealth providers, who will typically require intake forms before you can meet with a clinician.
What to Expect During Your Consultation
To get a general idea of your symptoms and whether you might qualify for an ESA, some telehealth providers offer online quizzes as the first step in the application process. However, a reputable provider will not issue an official ESA letter until you complete a consultation appointment.
You will need to meet with a mental health clinician to discuss your symptoms and how living with an emotional support animal helps to alleviate those symptoms. The focus of the evaluation will be along these lines regardless of whether you have a face-to-face, telephone, or video appointment.
While it may seem intimidating to attend a mental health evaluation if you aren’t familiar with therapy or counseling sessions, please rest assured that your appointment will be with a professional mental health practitioner who will treat you with dignity and respect.
Your appointment will be covered by doctor-patient confidentiality, and your provider will be compliant with HIPAA. They will not share anything discussed at your appointment (including your possible diagnosis) without your permission.
Step 4: Receive and Review Your ESA Letter
If your clinician decides that your symptoms constitute a mental health condition and that you are likely to benefit from the companionship of an emotional support animal, they will issue an official ESA letter that you can immediately begin using for housing.
If the letter is issued by a telehealth company, you are likely to receive an electronic version within two or three days of your evaluation, though some companies also offer an express service.
What Makes an ESA Letter Legitimate?
Before presenting your ESA letter to your housing provider, ensure that it has all of the necessary information to constitute an official document. This includes the clinician’s name, license number, state of licensing, and contact information. It should also include the letter’s date of issue and your name and date of birth.
Lastly, it should verify that you have a mental health condition that would be improved by the presence of an ESA, though the letter does not need to list your diagnosis or specific symptoms.
Step 5: Using Your ESA Letter for Housing and Travel
Once you receive your ESA letter, you can present it to your landlord or housing manager as evidence that you have a legitimate and legally protected need to live with your assistance animal.
Understanding Your Legal Protections
With your ESA letter in hand, your landlord or property manager is legally required by the Fair Housing Act to permit you to live with your emotional support animal, regardless of any pet restrictions they have in place. Furthermore, as the letter demonstrates that the ESA is an assistance animal rather than a pet, you should not be required to pay deposits or fees associated with pet ownership.
To help ensure that your ESA letter is accepted by your landlord without argument and avoid potential disputes, present the letter as soon as possible, especially if you are moving into a new apartment or condominium. If your housing provider does not accept your letter and attempts to prohibit you from living with your ESA, you can file a complaint with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Alternatively, to avoid legal action, your landlord may be able to contact your mental health clinician or telehealth provider directly to confirm your need for an emotional support animal.
Limitations to ESA Letters
Keep in mind that your request for accommodations to live with your ESA must be reasonable. For example, it would not be reasonable to expect to live in a tiny apartment with multiple large and possibly destructive dogs. It is also your responsibility as an ESA owner to ensure that your animal is kept under control at all times and does not endanger any people, pets, or property.
You should also be aware that an ESA letter does not guarantee you the right to travel with your ESA or take them to public places that typically forbid pets and other animals, like schools, offices, libraries, shopping malls, and theaters.
According to the Air Carrier Access Act, only service dogs (including psychiatric service dogs) are exempt from an airline’s usual pet fees and policies. If you want to guarantee that your ESA can join you while traveling or entering “no pets” public spaces, the support animal will need to complete the necessary training to become a psychiatric service dog (note that this only applies to dogs). Otherwise, the decision is up to the airline representative or the owner or manager of the establishment.
Common Challenges During the ESA Application Process
Securing an ESA letter is relatively straightforward when you have a legitimate need to live with your assistance animal and choose a verified provider to issue your letter.
Avoiding Scams and Misleading Providers
Unfortunately, several online scams and illegitimate providers promise ESA letters without delivering proper mental health evaluations. When choosing a telehealth provider, verify that you will meet with a qualified clinician licensed in your state as part of the application process.
Avoid any company that promises “instant” ESA letters based solely on the results of an online questionnaire, as it is a legal requirement to have a consultation with a clinician, either remotely or in person.
When choosing a telehealth provider, it’s a good idea to read reviews from customers who have previously used the service. Select a platform that is transparent about the qualifications of its clinicians and has a customer service team that can assist you if any issues arise during the process.
Additionally, avoid providers that promise to “register” or “certify” your emotional support animal with a database for an additional fee. The only document necessary for emotional support animal registration is an ESA letter verifying your mental health needs.
Conclusion
The assistance that emotional support dogs, cats, and other animals provide their owners cannot be overstated. Far more than pets, these support animals help individuals cope with the challenges of living with a mental illness or emotional disorder.
Thankfully, the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal and state laws offer significant protection for individuals who depend on the companionship of an emotional support animal.
With a valid ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional, there should be no barriers preventing ESA owners from living with their emotional support animals—no matter what their housing situation entails.
FAQs
To learn more about the application and approval process for ESA letters, check out our answers to these commonly asked questions about emotional support animals.
What qualifies someone for an ESA letter?
To qualify for an ESA letter, you must have a legitimate need to live with an emotional support animal that eases the symptoms of a mental health condition. Examples of qualifying conditions include anxiety, depression, phobias, and PTSD.
How long does the application process take?
Usually, the ESA application process is very straightforward. Most telehealth providers can arrange a consultation with a licensed clinician almost immediately, so you should get your letter within a couple of days if the provider determines that you qualify.
Please note that certain U.S. states (e.g., California, Montana, Arkansas, Iowa, and Louisiana) have imposed a minimum requirement of 30 days for the client and clinician to know each other before an ESA letter can be issued. Residents of those states may need to wait longer for their ESA letters or attend multiple appointments.
Can I get an ESA letter online?
Yes, there are numerous reputable online providers that issue emotional support animal certification in the form of an ESA letter. Telehealth platforms like Pettable specialize in connecting ESA owners with qualified clinicians who have experience evaluating mental health needs and providing ESA letters for housing.
How do I know if my ESA letter is legitimate?
To ensure that your ESA letter is legitimate, make sure that it includes your clinician’s name, license number, and state of licensing. It should list your name and date of birth and verify that you have a mental health condition that would be eased by the presence of an emotional support animal.
What are the common mistakes to avoid when applying for an ESA letter?
One of the biggest mistakes that people make when applying for an ESA letter is to choose an unlicensed provider that issues fraudulent letters. However, these providers are usually easy to identify as they promise letters to anyone who pays a fee without requiring a formal mental health evaluation with a clinician.
