If you rely on an emotional support animal (ESA) to help you manage symptoms of your emotional or mental disorder, you understand the importance of ensuring that you and your pet are permitted to live together. Under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Act (FHA), a federal law, landlords and property managers must allow emotional support animals to live with their owners, even in “no pets” buildings. Furthermore, all pet fees are to be waived.
Most landlords will require an ESA letter from the renter’s licensed mental health professional (LMHP) that states the animal’s purpose and importance in the renter’s mental health care. Unfortunately, the increased prevalence of fake ESA letters or fake emotional support dog certifications has caused problems for many people with a legitimate need for ESAs.
The Importance of a Legitimate ESA Letter
A legitimate ESA letter indicating that caring for your pet helps alleviate your severe depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other qualifying condition, is critical for obtaining housing. Many apartment complexes, duplexes, and single-family rental homes may have restrictions on pets, such as limits on the size or breed of the animal, and some do not allow pets at all. Places that permit pets may bill an additional pet deposit fee or require monthly pet fees to offset the extra cleaning of the domicile.
But the Fair Housing Act guarantees that providing an ESA letter will require your landlord to allow your emotional support animal to live with you and waive the extra fees. Even if your pet exceeds size restrictions or is a breed typically not allowed, an ESA letter will ensure your pet is exempt from these restrictions.
The Dangers of a Fake ESA Letter
As many care providers in the mental health field grow to realize the importance of emotional support animals for their clients, the number of people with an ESA has increased. Unfortunately, there has also been an increase in people who take advantage of these privileges, which in turn causes others to become wary of ESAs. For example, the privileges for emotional support animals in airplane cabins were revoked due to the concerns of airline staff and passengers.
Some people who consider their pet an emotional support animal may not have truly been granted the designation. They may not realize they can get a free ESA letter from their current counselor, psychologist, or primary care doctor. Instead, they find a fake ESA letter online or an ESA letter template and simply fill in the blanks with their information and description of the pet.
Worse yet, some unscrupulous pet owners will pretend to have an emotional support animal to secure housing in a pet-free dwelling or avoid paying an extra pet deposit upon move-in. Actions like this hinder the acceptance of real ESAs.
Want to know if you qualify for an ESA? We can connect you with a licensed therapist online for your legitimate ESA letter consultation.
Consequences of Presenting a Fake ESA Letter
If you’re found to have presented a fake ESA letter, you may lose your housing. The landlord can discard your application based on the deception of the letter. You could be faced with the choice of being homeless or having to give up your ESA.
Even worse, presenting a fake ESA letter can be categorized as fraud, which is a crime. You could end up with fines or even jail time.
What a Real ESA Letter Will Contain
Only a licensed mental health professional can write a legitimate ESA letter. It must be on their letterhead and signed by them. Information contained in an ESA letter is privacy-protected by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). It should include all of the following information:
- The name of the LMHP and the name of their practice
- The practice phone number
- The type of license the LMHP holds and the date it was issued
- The state the provider is licensed in
- The type of animal the patient has for an ESA
- That the LMHP writing the letter is currently treating the patient for a disorder listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)
- The date the letter was issued (ESA letters are only valid for one year)
Remember that simply presenting an ESA letter to the airline when boarding doesn’t mean that you will be allowed to take the animal with you, as most airlines stopped allowing ESAs in 2021. For traveling, it’s best to check the policies of your airline and hotel before you finalize your travel arrangements.
Beware of These Common Emotional Support Animal Scams
You may run across many bad information and scams if you’re looking for a cheap ESA letter online. Several red flags indicate that a website is not on the up-and-up and that the letter they provide is fake.
One common misconception that scammers capitalize on is that an emotional support animal has to be registered. This is not true! There is no official emotional support animal registration, and you aren’t legally required to register an ESA.
Other red flags that characterize a fraudulent ESA letter would be:
- You received the letter quickly (ESA letters aren’t automatically granted)
- An LMHP did not write the letter
- There is no contact information for the LMHP
- The healthcare provider isn’t properly licensed
- You’re promised a free or cheap ESA letter
The only situation in which you might obtain a free letter is if you already have a licensed mental health professional who can write it for you. Otherwise, being promised a free ESA letter is suspicious. It likely would not fulfill the requirements set forth by the ADA and would only put you at risk of getting in trouble.
Only a legitimate ESA letter grants you and your emotional support animal privileges.
Getting an ESA Letter Online from ESA Letters
Do you need help with how to get an ESA letter? We can help! ESA Letters works with licensed medical professionals who know the benefits of ESAs. They will provide qualified individuals with the documentation they need to live with the ESAs. The legitimate ESA letter will put you at ease, and you can live happily with your ESA, that supports your emotional and mental health. Contact us today to learn more.
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