Questions a landlord has the right to ask a tenant that needs an emotional support animal.
Emotional support dog laws california landlord.
A public place includes libraries hotels shops restaurants theatres and hospitals.
But it is under fair housing laws.
The need for an emotional support animal is not grounds for reasonable accommodation under the americans with disabilities act.
The laws in california allow a person with a disability to bring a trained service dog or psychiatric service dog to all public places but not emotional support animals.
Landlords and other housing providers in california may not refuse to make reasonable accommodations in their rules or policies if such accommodations are necessary to afford a person with a disability the equal opportunity to use and enjoy a house or.
For the emotional support animal to be legal tenants need documentation from a licenced medical professional stating that the animal is being used to manage a health condition.
Emotional support animals are different from service animals which are governed by additional laws and defined under the americans with disabilities act as a dog.
What are my rights if i have an emotional support animal rather than a service animal or a service animal that is not a dog.
The use of emotional support animals is emerging as a popular way for coping with mental and emotional conditions such as stress anxiety and depression.
This is the case.
In addition federal law allows people with disabilities to bring their emotional support animal onto an airplane.
If the animal causes damage or becomes a threat to other tenants in the building.
As a landlord you must offer reasonable accommodation to renters with emotional support animals or someone who develops a need for one while they are your tenant.
It s likely that you re here because a tenant or future tenant handed you an emotional support animal letter from their therapist and you re interested in finding out what your rights are as a landlord.
As a result the laws protecting service dogs do not similarly cover emotional support animals.
If making accommodations for the emotional support animal places an undue financial hardship on the landlord.
Here are some tips for speaking with your tenant about their emotional support animal.
If the tenant does not meet the qualifying standards the landlord has for all tenants such as having an income that is two and a half times the monthly rent.
In california tenants have the right to bring their service dogs and emotional support animals to live with them in many circumstances.
To learn more see nolo s articles on when california landlords have to allow psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals and how california protects psychiatric service dogs and emotional support animals in the workplace.
And certapet is here to help.
Remember how you ask is important as well.
Attorney katie holt writes.
As a landlord you have the right to ask your tenant the following questions about their emotional support animal.