I am unsure on how to move forward with obtaining an ESA letter for my pets. I am considered disabled and have pets I’d like to qualify for ESA, but was recently scammed and ghosted by a website that I had found recommended on Reddit as the “top” website to get them at.
I’m at a loss as to where to even look for reliable letters. Please help.
I moved into an apartment in April of 2025 and registered my ESA with their vendor pet screening and was approved. It is stated in the lease 0.00 monthly pet fee. All good. I renewed my dogs status in pet screening when they said to and again all good.
My lease was up in July. I signed a new lease in June that again stated no monthly pet fee. Then at the beginning of August a new management company took over, although ownership didn’t change. They triple charged me for past months rent and this months rent and junes rent, 5k in charges all itemized. So I contacted them and asked them to correct the charges which includes pet rent for the month before they took over, the current month and the next month. They asked me if I could send them my lease and asked how long my lease was for. Lol I thought that was ridiculous, this is an apartment complex with over 300 apartments, I would think this management company had an online database of current leases.
Anyway, I send it to them 2 separate times because they didn’t respond for 8 days. They finally get back to me and say they removed the charges. I look and they took the charges off except the monthly 50.00 pet fee. I reached out 3 times over 7 days and on the 11th day they responded by saying thank you for letting us know And asking me to show them my approval from the previous company.
I sent them the profile on pet screening, emails of them confirming it, and my lease showing no charge. They said they would forward it to their management and then 2 days later I get a letter that says they are rejecting the accommodation because although it is valid and shows a nexus of the accommodation and the disability, the letter is no longer valid because it was written in April of 2025 when I moved in.
The next part of the letter says that they need supplemental information to make a decision but don’t want medical records or details of my disability and I need to sign a new pet addendum in my portal.
My question is, the lease states 0 monthly pet charge for my dog, lists her as an accommodation, describes her breed, name, and age. can I refuse to sign this new addendum that this new management company is telling me too? Isn’t the lease the binding agreement? And it states that nothing can be added or removed from the agreement while it is in effect. It doesn’t make sense to me that the only thing that has changed is they took over management but isn’t the lease with the owner of the property and not the management company?
I can get another letter from my psychiatrist, who I have to see in person every month anyway. but in the meantime the charges stayed on my account and I have had to pay them to keep my account current. Am I thinking about this clearly or is this valid on their part?
Keep in mind, I was never told the accommodation was being questioned, that my current letter wasn’t recent enough or to give more information until the rejection letter .
I’m looking for advice from anyone familiar with the Fair Housing Act, ESAs, or MAA apartments.
I submitted documentation from my therapist requesting an accommodation for my ESA and a waiver of the pet fees. This is a therapist I’ve worked with consistently for 4 years.
This is NOT someone I found online for a one-time ESA letter. I’ve also never had an issue having these fees waived at previous apartments.
I completely understand the purpose of stricter documentation requirements is to prevent people from getting generic ESA letters online just to avoid pet fees. That’s not my situation, which is why I’m confused by MAA’s response.
My therapist feels that some of MAA’s wording is essentially semantics/a trap, particularly their statement that “paying the fees does not hinder my ability to use and enjoy the space.” They are using that reasoning to deny the accommodation.
I also understand that there were changes to HUD/Fair Housing guidance in** **May 2026, so I’m trying to make sure I’m not relying on outdated information.
I’ll attach the documentation my therapist submitted and MAA’s response. Is this a legitimate basis for denying an ESA accommodation, or is MAA essentially using the wording of its questions to create a reason to deny it? I’d especially appreciate input from anyone familiar with the current 2026 HUD/FHA rules or MAA’s process.
Ive had my ESA cat for 10 year now. She helps me with sticking to routines, executive dysfunction and grounding when im upset. She even has learned to alert me of when i have migraines or might be getting sick. Which as someone with a weak immune system the heads up is something i cant live without. I submitted all of my information weeks before move it as soon as i was accepted into the school (July 29th). They are trying to tell me I have to wait till spring semester because the school has to approve me and the animal despite having a psychologist letter. they also are telling I have to take a test to prove I know the policy as well as get the animal an ID. I feel like making a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. I dont understand why they need me to jump through so many hoops or how it is even legal to make someone do so under ADA law. I also emailed them asking for an expedited review of my ESA accommodation request. As well as asking for the denial on writing and the exact reason why. I was just wondering if its worth filing a report/complaint. Its not like im submitting the request move in week.
Edit: I am not at all trying to compare my cat to a service animal however I'm in Arkansas and they are protected under the Fair Housing Act and I was going through the disabilitys with the university so was unsure if the ADA is what I needed to go through.
I suffer from anxdep (anxiety & depression) and multiple chronic health issues, and recently my family and I were discussing whether getting a pet would help me. In particular, we’ve been looking into service animals due to the amount of stress managing stuff on my own gives me. However, we’ve learned how much service animals cost and how long the process can be, both non-profit and privately. We’ve also seen how many different things service animals can help with, which could be beneficial for me in the future. However, for now we’re considering saving up for an ESA to help with my mental health first, then moving onto training a service animal when we can afford one more. My therapist believes I can overcome these obstacles in my mental health without medication (I don’t react well to them), and it’s made me think of whether I could have one dog to help with my mental health and another who can medically alert. Has anyone ever done this?
Also, my anxiety is pretty bad where it’s hard to go outside much and do things. I can usually handle people fairly well, same with certain tasks like shopping, but my flair ups are part of what’s caused my anxiety to get so bad. We’re thinking if I’m more accompanied, I’ll be more comforted. Especially for any future travel.
Now that I say this, maybe one PSA and one medical alert service animal would work… thoughts on everything? 😅
Thank you in advance!
Hello
Has anyone moved into a "no pets" apartment and then submitted an ESA letter a few month later?
Has the landlord pushed back? Any issues?
EDITED: i am in NYC but looking at apartments on Long Ilsland.
Thanks.
so i’ve moved into my new place and requested to keep a pet cat. the agency told me it shouldn’t be a problem and that she has the paperwork ready - i also have my DSA and emotional support animal recommendation from my doctor.
so the LL hasn’t officially signed the documents but i’ve been reassured that it “shouldn’t be a problem” by one of the lady’s in the agency.
however, i have found a cat and i am meant to pick it up in a week. its littertrained, microchipped - everything. i’m pretty sure it will be accepted from all the information ive given and my supporting documents but there is
obviously that level of uncertainty. in the meantime, if the documents haven’t been signed in the next week, is it worth just hiding the cat?
also i wondered what people’s experiences are with asking LL to keep a pet under the new renters rights.
unfortunately things haven’t aligned the way i wanted them too and i am now very stressed
In 2020, my mom got me a cat to serve as an ESA to help give me a sense of routine and responsibility to help combat my depression. He has gone to college with me and has lived in 2 apartments with me as an ESA. I just moved into a new apartment and they denied his initial paperwork. It was his original paperwork from 2020, so fair. So I got my current psychiatrist to get me updated paperwork. They denied that as well.
They are saying that my disability is not preventing me from paying the fees on him. Okay, sure. But the entire reason I own him is as a tool for my mental health.
What can I do? I know it’s not a huge deal, but it’s kinda the moral of it at this point. I’m upset and don’t understand why they are giving me such a difficult time about it when he is part of my mental health treatment plan.