Every day, thousands of people register their emotional support animal (ESA) online to access services like housing, but what are they really getting for their money? The shocking answer is that most are getting absolutely nothing. If you only read one sentence in this article, it’s this: you need to talk to a board-certified doctor or licensed mental health professional to qualify for a legal ESA letter.
If you don’t talk to a licensed health professional, you are being sold an unenforceable document that will not get your pet into your chosen accommodation for free. We have reviewed dozens of websites touting cheap ESA doctors’ letters; nearly all are scams. Below is a list of things to look out for to ensure you aren’t being taken advantage of.
Before diving into how to avoid a scam, we’ll first review what ESAs are and the importance of obtaining an ESA letter.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
Emotional support animals provide comfort and support to a handler. Unlike therapy animals that work with a group of people in specific locations, like hospitals or disaster sites, an ESA is prescribed to one individual and only aids them in their home.
The primary role of an ESA is to provide comfort and security. These animals are particularly beneficial for handlers with emotional or mental disabilities such as anxiety or depression or who require support following bereavement or a traumatic event. While ESAs are valuable for physical and mental health support, their role is more like a pet than a service animal, since they don’t undergo specialized training to perform specific tasks to help with a disability, like retrieving medications or applying Deep Pressure Therapy.
Register your emotional support animal today!
The Importance of an ESA Letter
According to federal and state laws, housing providers are required to make reasonable accommodations for emotional support animals. However, a verbal agreement that your animal is an ESA is not enough. Many landlords and housing providers are entitled to request documentation to validate your ESA, which is where the ESA letter comes in.
An ESA letter is a document written by a licensed mental health care professional that states your need for the animal and how it helps with your mental or emotional disability. It’s important to note that an ESA letter you obtain after speaking face-to-face (in person or online) with a licensed mental healthcare professional in your state is the only legitimate way to validate your emotional support animal. Knowing that fact can arm you against potential scams in the future.
If you have a disability such as anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you might qualify for an ESA letter; however, it is up to the mental health professional to verify this. Therefore, it is vital to see a qualified professional for an ESA letter rather than an agency that claims they can “verify” your animal without having you speak to a professional directly.
Once you qualify, the mental health professional will provide you with a signed ESA letter on official letterhead that can be given to your landlord or housing provider.
The Legal Benefits of an ESA Letter
Aside from verifying the emotional need for your emotional support animal, an ESA letter provides the following benefits:
- Permission to live in housing or accommodation that normally has a no-pets policy
- Exemption from regular restrictions such as pet breed, size, and weight
- Exemption from pet administration fees
These laws are applicable to almost any living situation, including most college dorms or other long-term rentals. Please be aware they do not apply to short term rentals, like Airbnbs or hotels, and they do not grant your ESA public access rights or the right to fly with you for free.
ESA Scams: What to Watch Out For
Having reviewed the importance of an ESA letter, below is a list of things to look out for to avoid ESA scams.
Instant ESA Letter Approval
If you were instantly approved for an ESA letter online after only answering a few questions, you are being scammed. You must talk to a board-certified doctor or mental health professional licensed to practice in your state (either on the phone or in person) to find out if you qualify for an ESA letter.
Shockingly Cheap ESA Letter
Quite simply, if it is too good to be true, then it probably is. Building a large network of licensed, high-quality, board-certified doctors and mental health professionals covering nearly every state is time-consuming and costly. Therefore, a legitimate ESA service will not be exceptionally cheap.
Cheap ESA letter companies cut corners and typically ask you to speak to an overseas doctor who is not licensed to practice in your state. They may even just generate a letter with a fake doctor’s name and signature on it — so be careful!
Legal Certification Claims
Do not fall for sites or agencies that claim they can “certify” your animal to be an ESA in order to give legal rights. There is no such thing as official certification to obtain legal ESA status, so any document claiming to be such is a scam. An ESA letter is the only valid way to prove your animal is an ESA. Keep in mind that a certification or registration can provide additional proof to suspicious landlords that you worked with a legitimate company, but they do not replace ESA letters.
Registration-Only Websites
As stated above, no official registration or certification process exists for ESAs. Even if the agency claims they can give you a registration number, this does not qualify your pet as an ESA without an ESA letter.
Therefore, this is a red flag: if the website “registers” your pet as an emotional support animal but doesn’t put you in contact with a board-certified doctor or mental health professional who is licensed to practice in your state, your pet is not eligible for the benefits of an ESA letter. In other words, a certificate with your dog’s name on it is not a substitute for a doctor’s ESA letter.
Take-Your-Pet-Anywhere Claims
An ESA letter gives your animal the right to live in “no-pet policy” housing without paying a pet security deposit. Any service that claims beyond that is a lie. An ESA letter does not grant you the right to take your pet into any public place like restaurants, theaters, libraries, etc. Your ESA also does not have the legal right to fly with you for free in an airplane cabin. Only service animals such as psychiatric service dogs have the freedom to go nearly anywhere with few restrictions.
Lack of Client Support
ESA approval doesn’t just stop with the ESA letter. Some housing providers may be unaccommodating and demand additional documentation. If this is the case, legitimate ESA doctors will provide ongoing support and documentation as needed. Scam companies, on the other hand, often terminate contact once you’ve paid for their fake ESA letter.
How to Make Sure Your ESA Letter Is Legal
Before choosing an online ESA service, do your due diligence and determine whether the company adheres to the appropriate guidelines for ESA letters. The most important part is contact with the mental health professional, who not only needs to be certified but also licensed to practice in your state.
If you want to be 100% confident that you are getting a legal ESA letter from a board-certified doctor or licensed mental health professional in your state, request a free consultation from our team. We charge slightly more than the discount competitors out there, but you can rest assured that you will receive a real legal document that will get your pet into your apartment, if you qualify. If you don’t qualify, you won’t be charged for the consultation.
In addition, if you have any issues enforcing the doctor’s letter, our internal legal team will handle the matter.
FAQs About Avoiding an ESA Scam
We’ve gathered answers to some of the most commonly asked ESA scam questions below to help you be even more informed.
Can Landlords Verify Whether My ESA Letter Is Legitimate?
Yes. Landlords and housing providers can verify ESA letters by checking the following.
- The ESA letter is written on official letterhead paper.
- The ESA letter provides the contact information of the professional, including phone numbers and email addresses.
- The ESA letter contains the mental health professional’s license number and credentials.
Are Online ESA Letters Legal?
The short answer is yes. While it may seem less valid, ESA letters obtained from a healthcare professional online are just as legitimate as getting them in person as long as all legal requirements are met.
According to the US Department of Housing, health professionals and board-certified doctors are permitted to provide ESA services remotely. In fact, many mental health therapists provide their services online.
However, before going ahead, make sure they’re licensed to practice in your state and are qualified to write an ESA letter. While they may have the credentials, not all health professionals are familiar with ESA letters or how to write one on a client’s behalf.
How Can I Tell If My ESA Letter Is Legit?
Your ESA letter is only legit if you have spoken face-to-face (in person, over the phone, or through video chat) with a mental health professional who is licensed to practice in your state, and they have diagnosed you with a disability and prescribed an ESA for that disability. The letter must be on their official letterhead (even if it’s delivered via email), and it must have their license number, credentials, and contact information.
Staying Safe and Avoiding ESA Scams
If your pet is your best friend and source of support, do not put them at risk with unenforceable, fake ESA letters. Avoid being that your dog cannot live in your apartment building by getting an ESA letter from a credible company like US Support Animals.
We may not be the cheapest service, but remember, you get what you pay for.