How to Qualify for An Emotional Support Animal

To qualify for an emotional support animal under the Fair Housing Act, you need to follow these three steps:

1. Get evaluated by a licensed mental health professional
2. Get a signed and dated ESA letter from them. 
3. Give the ESA letter to your landlord so you can bring your support animal into “no pets” housing without paying pet fees or being subject to weight and size restrictions. 

The most important step is getting an ESA letter that meets HUD’s housing rules for emotional support animals. Make sure your ESA letter has the following:

• The provider’s license number and contact information
• A statement that you have a mental health condition that substantially limits a major life activity
• Confirmation that an emotional support animal would help you
• The date the letter was issued
• The provider’s signature

You should also ensure that your ESA letter is not more than a year old when submitting it to your housing provider. Your landlord might contact the mental health professional to verify the letter, and your provider will need a recent evaluation (within one year) on file to confirm your ESA letter is still valid. Having an ESA letter that is outdated or unverifiable can disqualify you from having an emotional support animal in no-pets housing. 

What Disorders Qualify You as An Emotional Support Animal Owner

Emotional support animals can have many health benefits. Some conditions that qualify for an ESA letter include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Panic Disorders
• Learning disorders
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Tourette’s syndrome and tic disorders
• Motor skill disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Dysphorias and dysmorphias

No matter the condition, it has to be severe enough to “substantially limit” one of your major life activities. That includes activities like working, studying, sleeping, and socializing. 

Emotional Support Animal Training

The great thing about emotional support animals is that they don’t need to be trained to perform any specialized tasks the way a psychiatric service dog would.  An emotional support animal does its job to make you feel better by just being there for you. Your pet might already be doing a great job as your emotional support animal before you can officially call it one by getting an ESA letter.

See if you qualify for an Emotional Support Animal letter by clicking the button below.

Get Your ESA Letter

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