Have you been wondering if you should allow your tenant to have an emotional support animal living in their rental property?
This is an understandable question to ask because in 2020, more people than ever before have emotional support animals regardless if they have a real issue that requires them to have one or not.
What Exactly Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal isn’t classified as a regular pet, it’s more like a service dog than anything else because its specific purpose is to help the owner with their disability.
When you look at a legitimate animal, it’s easy to see where there places are in society. Emotional support animals that had been professionally trained to know how to not only provide their owners with assistance, they also are trained to spot other health issues like seizures.
The big question regarding these animals is should you allow your tenants to have one living with them in the rental property? The answer to this question is it depends solely upon if the tenant has a note from a medical professional which clarifies that they have a legitimate need to have one.
Ask Your Tenant for An ESA Letter
As you mentioned above, the key to success with allowing your tenant to have an emotional support animal living with them in their rental property is for the tenant to provide you with an ESA letter from a qualified medical professional which states the need that the tenant has to have an emotional support animal living with him.
The purpose of this animal should be to alleviate symptoms or act as a buffer to assist the tenant with their disability. If the tenant is unable to supply you with an ESA letter, the animal can be classified as a pet and this means that you can easily fall back on your pet policy.
What If It’s A Legitimate Emotional Support Animal?
Let’s say that the emotional support animal is legitimate, in this case, if it’s a dog, for example, your goal should be to accommodate the tenant as much as possible. This means that you should consider adding an area specifically for them to take their dog potty outside and you should also provide the tenant with baggies that they can use for scooping up the poo.
Although there are many cases where an emotional support animal is legitimate, if that animal proves to be a nuisance to your other tenants, or neighbors, in the area, you have grounds for eviction but, it’s always best to go above and beyond the call of duty with accommodating the tenant as much as possible because of the simple fact that these animals can go a long way at helping tenants you have real emotional issues.
Contact Rent Portland Homes
To learn more about emotional support animals or, to speak with us about the property management services that we can offer you, click here to connect with us online.
