If you're planning on bringing your emotional service animal to Florida State University, it's important to understand the process of getting your animal approved by your FSU apartment. Emotional service animals have certain legal protections that make it very difficult for a landlord to refuse to house them, but in order to enjoy those protections, you have to have the proper documentation. This article will walk you through the steps you should take to register your emotional service animal with apartments near FSU.
Perks of having an ESA at FSU apartments
Having an emotional service animal comes with certain privileges. By law, apartments can't refuse to house any type of service animal, even if they're not pet friendly. It's also illegal to charge additional pet fees for emotional service animals and other service animals. These perks alone make it very advantageous to register your pet as an emotional service animal.
However, not just any pet can be registered as an ESA. There are many online services that claim to add you and your pet to national ESA registries, and many websites that sell ESA vests for dogs, but these are all scams. Yes, every single one of them. In truth, all you legally need to register your animal as an ESA is the proper documentation from your psychiatrist.
How to register your ESA at FSU apartments
While the process will vary among apartments near FSU, to register your pet as an emotional service animal, you typically need two things. First you'll have to ask your psychiatrist to write you a letter describing your need for an emotional service animal. This typically includes a specific diagnosis and a short description of how having the animal would help your condition. The second thing you'll need is documentation that your animal is up to date on its vaccines. Cats and dogs are typically required to have rabies vaccinations. Other vaccinations are optional, but recommended.
Your apartment will also require basic information about your animals, such as weight, coloring, gender, and pictures of the animals. This is so that they can confirm that the animals you bring are the same ones that are registered ESAs.
This information should be enough for your FSU apartment to allow you to live with your ESA, but always contact them ahead of time and check if they need anything else first. Be sure to send the proper documentation well ahead of your arrival to the apartment so that they have time to verify the information and get it into their system.
What would prevent you from keeping an ESA?
Emotional service animals have certain legal protections that make it very difficult for a landlord to refuse to house them, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Most leases will have a clause in their documentation that landlords have the right to refuse to house the animal if they endanger other tenants and guests or if they destroy property. This means that if your emotional service cat starts clawing up your furnished apartment, your landlord may have the right to kick it out.