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ESA Guide Updates You Should Know - 2021 Guide
An emotional support animal is any animal that provides mental or psychological support to a person who has a psychological disorder. The need for an ESA is certified through an ESA Letter. This letter qualifies you to be an ESA owner. It is issued by a licensed mental health professional.
Updated Laws about ESA
Two main laws regulate the ESA letter issuance and usage. They are further described below:
Fair Housing Act (FHA)
The fair housing act is issued by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It regulates the living conditions of ESAs and their owners.
This law states that an ESA can live with its owner anywhere. For example, a rented apartment, house, hostel, or dormitory. Therefore, even a no-pet housing society has to allow an ESA to live with its owner.
The ESA letter for housing offers the following privileges to the ESA owners:
There shall be no discrimination against an ESA based on their breed, size, appearance, etc.
No additional charges or security fees can be charged from ESA owners when they get an emotional support animal or enter a new residence.
The landlord can not ask for detailed patient history. They can not inquire about any revealing information or sensitive case history.
The ESA request of a tenant should be answered within ten days. He can not prolong the request unnecessarily.
Your emotional support animal does not need to wear any additional labels, clothing, or accessories that mark them as an ESA.
The animal does not need to get specialized training to be an ESA. Instead, its training is similar to that of normal pets.
The FHA imposes the following duties on an ESA owner:
Your ESA should not pose any harm to the people or the property of the area.
In case any harm is caused by an ESA, then the owner has to pay the damages.
A landlord can deny your ESA request if it is an exotic animal or the cost of keeping that animal is too high.
Travelling Laws
Another law that you should be aware of is the Air Carrier Acess Act. It is the law that previously regulated the traveling conditions of ESAs with their owners. But, because of its abuse by the pet owners, now it is not followed.
The new traveling laws say that there is no compulsion on the airlines to accept the ESAs in the plains to travel with their owners. It is upon the decision of the airlines. Usually, the airlines which accept ESAs require an emotional support animal letter and proper carriage of the animals. Some other common requirements are as follows:
They only accommodate safe animals. These animals include cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, etc. If you have any animal that can threaten other passengers, they will most likely reject your request.
The weight of the animals is also a pressing concern for the airlines because too heavy animals can disturb the balance of the aircraft.
Airlines prefer requests that have been made at least 48 hours before the flight departure. This will help you and the airline to make the necessary arrangements.
Some airlines also ask for a letter from a licensed vet that the animal is in good health and will not cause any diseases to the people on the flight.
So, if you want to travel with a dog, you will have to submit two letters. One will be the emotional support dog letter, and the other will be a health certificate from a vet.
Don’t Wait. Get an ESA letter online or from a nearby mental health professional to enjoy the rights and privileges of an ESA owner.
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