505 - Do Landlords Have to Allow Emotional Support Animals? Know the Laws by Joseph Asamoah

<p>If you have a no-pet policy, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that doesn’t apply to service dogs—but you might be shocked when realizing that emotional support animal laws supersede your policy, too.</p><p>That’s because an emotional support animal is not considered a pet. Like a service dog, it is an assistive device to help with a disability, similar to the way a wheelchair provides assistance. Since a service animal is not a pet, a housing provider cannot charge a pet deposit or additional pet rent.</p><p>(What’s the legal basis? Look to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fair Housing Act</a>, or FHA, which was adopted in 1968. Later, in 1988, lawmakers modified federal law to prevent discrimination against families or people with disabilities.)</p><p>You may, however, refuse an animal that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, but you must be able to prove that the specific animal is a threat—general assumptions based on breed or size are not allowed. (read more...)</p><p>https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/landlords-emotional-support-animals</p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>