Emotional support animals (ESA) are valuable companions to many individuals with qualifying mental health disabilities or conditions. Not only do these animals provide comfort, but caring for an ESA can give someone a sense of routine and encourage regular positive feelings. Keeping an emotional support animal close by their side is something that many people find essential to their daily well-being.
If you want to add an emotional support animal into your life, it’s essential that you understand the necessity of a valid emotional support animal letter. This letter is the key to ensuring your ESA can stay by your side and provide you comfort, no matter where you live.
What Is an ESA Letter?
An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is a letter that states your need for an emotional support animal. State laws vary, but every state makes it clear that your ESA letter must be written by a mental healthcare provider or doctor licensed in your state. Some states, such as California, put extra provisions on this letter, stating that you must have a relationship of at least 30 days with your chosen medical provider or therapist before they are able to write you an ESA letter.
Within your ESA letter, your provider will state your need, attest to the fact that they are treating you for your condition, and affirm that your emotional support animal can help you better manage your condition. Your provider will not give the details of your condition, and whoever you are presenting the ESA letter to is not legally allowed to ask for the specifics of your mental health condition or disability.
In general, most ESA letters will expire within a year or two after being written and signed by your provider. You will need to obtain another one once your current ESA letter expires to ensure that your companion animal continues being recognized as an ESA.
Who Needs an ESA Letter?
Any individual with a mental health condition or disability who thinks they would benefit from a support animal in their life needs an ESA letter. An ESA letter written by a therapist or another medical professional is essential in making sure that your support animal is valid and protected by certain state and federal regulations.
Typically, the individuals who can benefit most from emotional support animals are people who have a condition that impacts their life, but one that is not severe enough to need the consistent assistance of a service animal. This is because ESAs are not trained like service animals, and they do not complete disability-related tasks. Instead, emotional support animals bring their handler major benefits by simply providing them with love, comfort, routine, and support.
How Much Does an ESA Letter Cost?
Determining the cost of an ESA letter can be difficult, as you cannot compare prices and look at an online website to purchase these letters. ESA letters are something prescribed to you and written for you specifically by a therapist or medical professional; you cannot simply buy one at face value.
In general, the best way to determine how much an ESA letter costs is to figure out the cost of a doctor’s appointment or a mental healthcare appointment. Depending on your insurance or, if you have no insurance, your provider’s fee scale, you can estimate the cost of a visit. Some providers may be willing to write you a letter after your first visit, or you might need several visits to develop a relationship and explore your treatment options before you receive an ESA letter. The cost of your visit or visits to your provider will be the cost of your ESA letter.
As we mentioned above, some states require that you have a relationship with your therapist for at least 30 days before you are eligible to receive a letter; this may mean you need to pay for multiple visits, increasing the overall cost of your ESA letter.
You should also keep in mind that, while less common, it is possible for a doctor’s office or therapist’s office to charge you for a document or paperwork fee. You could pay an additional $5 to $15 on top of your visit cost to receive your official ESA letter.
The Cheapest ESA Letter Isn’t the Best
Technically, ESA letters prescribed by therapists or doctors who are covered under your insurance are free. This does not include the cost of your visit copay or any other appointment fee, and it does not include paperwork costs.
It’s important to be aware that any website or online service offering you an ESA letter for completely free or for a very low cost that you can get instantaneously without a consultation with a doctor or therapist is a scam. These letters are not valid in any state, and trying to get a free ESA letter without adhering to state ESA letter rules can result in your companion animal being denied ESA accommodations. Don’t just look for an inexpensive ESA letter; you need to be aware of how to get an ESA letter through a legitimate process to actually have legal protections.
How Can I Reduce the Cost of an ESA Letter?
If you are concerned about the cost of an ESA letter, you can look into your health insurance plan to see if there is a way to visit covered providers near you or to speak to a therapist virtually for a lower cost. Remember, the cost of your visit and treatment with a provider licensed in your state is the cost of your ESA letter, and this cost can change based on a variety of factors.
In some cases, you may be able to reach out to state-level or city-level mental health services to ask for referrals or help obtaining a mental health provider at a lower cost. Many therapists also work on a sliding scale for low-income individuals, allowing these individuals to receive the treatment and consultations they need in addition to lowering the overall cost of their ESA letter.
Can I Print an ESA Letter Off the Internet?
Obtaining an ESA letter online can be a tricky subject, as there are plenty of valid ways to do this, but there are also several methods that are scams. It’s important to understand state regulations when it comes to ESA letters and what your rights are with an ESA letter to avoid falling victim to an ESA letter scam.
You cannot print an ESA letter off the internet if the letter you are trying to print off has not been prescribed to you by a licensed mental healthcare provider or another medical professional who is treating you for a certain mental health condition or disability. This means that purchasing a letter from a website that only gives out templated letters, finding an ESA letter in Google Search results and printing it, or printing out someone else’s ESA letter is not a valid way to obtain this document.
However, if you meet with a therapist online or over the phone, your concerns are listened to, and a provider licensed in your state approves you for an ESA letter, they may end up emailing you this letter or uploading it to an online portal for your use. Since this ESA letter is obtained through the proper channels and customized for you, it will be valid and you can print the ESA letter or save it to your files as needed, as long as it meets all ESA letter standards.
What Can I Do With My ESA Letter?
Your ESA letter is what grants you the right to live alongside your emotional support animal, regardless of any pet or breed restrictions that your housing has in place. This can be especially important in apartments or other housing units that don’t allow pets or spaces that restrict certain types of dogs, such as disallowing German shepherds or pitbulls from living in the apartment.
With a valid ESA letter, your animal can live with you without worrying about these restrictions. You will also not be required to pay pet fees, pet deposits, or recurring pet rent with a valid ESA letter. That being said, you will be required to pay for anything that your emotional support animal destroys or damages on the property you are renting.
Will My ESA Letter Be Denied?
Your ESA letter may be legally denied in a handful of circumstances. We list these below so you can have an idea of what is or isn’t a legal denial of your rights:
- Your ESA letter is not a valid, official letter written for you by a mental healthcare provider or a medical professional who adheres to state rules when writing the letter.
- Your ESA letter is valid, but your ESA accommodations request is unreasonable, such as keeping exotic animals or animals that won’t fit in an apartment.
- Your ESA letter is valid, but your ESA is aggressive, destructive, or dangerous to themselves, the property, and others on the property.
Outside of these circumstances, it’s against the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) to deny your right to live in housing alongside your emotional support animal when the request is reasonable. You may need to escalate your case or seek legal assistance if you are having trouble obtaining housing accommodations even with a valid ESA letter.
Affordable ESA Letter: How US Service Animals Helps
If you are looking for a cheap way to get an ESA letter, you are struggling with health insurance, or you are having trouble finding an available mental healthcare provider in your area to prescribe you an ESA letter, US Service Animals can help you out. We offer risk-free consultations with a licensed medical professional about your mental health condition or disability, and your concerns when it comes to adopting an emotional support animal.
After you schedule your consultation and speak to one of our professionals, they will either approve you or deny your ESA. If you are approved, you will then pay for the consultation and receive your valid ESA letter; you do not pay US Service Animals if the provider you are connected with does not approve an emotional support animal in your treatment plan.
This easy and convenient care makes it simple to add an emotional support animal to your life without the stress of navigating health insurance or potentially expensive doctor or therapist visits. Instead, just reach out to us for a consultation, and let us guide you through the simple process of obtaining a valid ESA letter.
Obtaining a Valid, Cheap ESA Letter
Emotional support animals are some of the most wonderful animal companions around today, and these pets come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The individuals who benefit from ESAs in their daily lives must keep these animals at their side in order to receive positive feelings, support, and comfort from their presence. The key to keeping your companion animal with you no matter where you live is a valid ESA letter.
Reach out to us at US Service Animals to learn more about cheap ESA letters and how we can help you obtain – and maintain – the emotional animal support you need.
Emotional support animals (ESA) are valuable companions to many individuals with qualifying mental health disabilities or conditions. Not only do these animals provide comfort, but caring for an ESA can give someone a sense of routine and encourage regular positive feelings. Keeping an emotional support animal close by their side is something that many people find essential to their daily well-being.
If you want to add an emotional support animal into your life, it’s essential that you understand the necessity of a valid emotional support animal letter. This letter is the key to ensuring your ESA can stay by your side and provide you comfort, no matter where you live.