How To Rent An Apartment With A Service Dog

can a landlord refuse a service dog

Service dogs, equally the best partner for people with disabilities, deed as a personal baby-sit to protect their possessor from dangers, attacks, and accidents all the time. Co-ordinate to the Americans with Disabilities Human action (ADA), service dogs are allowed to accompany the owner to well-nigh whatsoever location, including places where pets are prohibited. Nonetheless, many owners are not aware of the required procedure when applying for a "No Pets" apartment. Landlords or property managers may want to enforce pet policies and request proof or documentation of your service dog. Is that legal? Do they have the correct to ask about your disabilities? Can they adios you from the flat? The answers to these questions can exist institute in this post.

In this article

1. The housing rights of service dogs

2. Talk with landlords: things you lot need to know

2.1. Documents (Service canis familiaris papers)

2.2. Pet rent or deposit for a service dog

2.3. Other fees

2.4. Weight and brood restriction

2.5. Vaccinations

3. Unlawful discrimination

The housing rights of service dogs

The Fair Housing Laws require landlords or property owners to provide reasonable accommodation for tenants who have concrete or mental disabilities. This also includes assistance animals that help to better the health of their owners.

Since service dogs are not considered household "pets", they are not subject to the general pet policies. Therefore, if a tenant applies to alive with a service animate being for their disabilities, landlords cannot refuse this request or charge pet fees based on their own pet rules. Too service dogs, landlords must also permit emotional back up animals to live with their owners in comfortable accommodation, provided the animals practise not pose a threat to others on the property.

Talk with landlords: things y'all need to know

When you accept found an ideal home and intend to talk with the landlord, there are two ways to talk near your service partner:

One is to stay calm and explain which tasks your service canis familiaris can perform for yous, which is suitable for individuals with invisible disabilities.

If your landlord still hesitates to take your application, the 2nd method may greatly increase the likelihood by providing certain documentation (e.g. service canis familiaris certificate, service dog training document and letter from professionals) or wearing service dog "outfits" (e.m. vest, ID tag, and bandana.)

Note the next five points when talking with your landlord:

ane. Documents (Service dog papers)

You are not required to disclose your disability and to submit diagnostic documents. Landlords only need to know that you lot are disabled and your service animal can benefit your wellness and safe. However, they can ask for proof that your service dog has been certified by a medical professional. The usual document is a letter from doctors stating that your inability may benefit from your service dog. In improver, landlords are too permitted to ask for some sort of proof that your service dog is specially trained for your disability , which can reassure other residents in the same building. It is recommended to include a photo and identification data of your pup in an ID card so that they tin can be compared with the information in the document.

However, the landlord cannot continue to inquire near the details of your disability. Only this could happen if your disability is non visible and obvious.

2. Pet rent or deposit for a service domestic dog

Every bit mentioned above, a service dog is not considered a pet. Therefore, the landlords must waive any monthly pet rent, security deposit and other fees related to their pet policies.

3. Other fees

You lot might not be exempt from paying any compensation for damage caused by the deterioration of furniture and the damage to public equipment. It is recommended that you lot train your service dog as soon as possible and correct any unwanted behaviors, every bit the performance of a service dog is representative of the entire service canis familiaris team. However, sometimes we can not avoid certain accidental damages such as the remains of vomiting, signs of teething and other damages that the owner may pay for.

4. Weight and breed restriction

The ADA does not limit the size, weight and brood of service dogs residing in a property. This means that the corresponding items in the pet rules of the landlord practice not apply to your canine helper. Whether a canis familiaris lives happily and comfortably are related to their breeds and the space of activities.

5. Vaccinations

Landlords tin can request that they be presented with the electric current vaccinations of your service dog. Although this measure out is non included in the ADA, information technology is a reasonable request for the safety of other residents.

Unlawful discrimination

Many tenants are nevertheless not certain whether their service dog is discriminated against. You may feel the post-obit situations when applying for accommodation:

• The landlord requests you lot to fill out his/her form about your state of health, local licensing or contempo vaccinations.

•They may as well evict the tenant who picks upwards a service domestic dog after moving into the flat.

In fact, similar cases have violated the law. Tenants are non required to submit whatever form to the landlord, but they can write a letter to the landlord to request adequate adaptation. If he all the same rejects your application, inform him of past cases where landlords take had to pay a specific punishment for discrimination. Y'all could also pursue the matter by filing a complaint with the U.Due south. Department of Justice.