Can you keep a pet in your rental apartment, even if there is a “no-pets” policy, by calling it an emotional support animal? People with disabilities are allowed to keep service animals, such as dogs that help the blind, deaf, mobility impaired, or even those with a mental impairment; but emotional support animals do not fit into this category. One crucial difference between the two is that Service animals are trained for specific tasks that aid the disabled, while emotional support animals are not. Nevertheless, the law states that people who have disabilities must be allowed to have an emotional support animal, if there is psychiatric documentation to show that the animal helps ameliorate the disability. This is considered reasonable accommodation.
If you already have an Emotional Support Animal, then you can prescribe ESA letters to allow you to fly with it or live in a “no-pets” policy housing unit with us!
Note: Massachusetts court cases are following this trend.