Florida law lets a landlord ask for reliable information from a health care practitioner, not your diagnosis or records. Learn how a Florida-licensed clinician can evaluate whether an ESA is right for you.
Calm answers. Specific rules. A clinician who actually evaluates you.
We'll email you after purchase to upload a photo of your animal.
Three steps, each one built around Florida's housing rules and a clinician's individual judgment.
Complete a short intake about your housing, your animal, and what you are hoping an ESA could help with. Nothing here goes to your landlord.
A mental health professional licensed in Florida reviews your information and speaks with you. Florida Statute 760.27 requires a Florida license or a prior in-person visit, so out-of-state online providers do not qualify.
If the clinician finds an ESA therapeutically appropriate, they write your letter. You give it to your landlord, who cannot charge extra for the animal.
Florida is one of the few states that wrote emotional support animals into statute. These are the parts that decide a request.
| Question | The statute |
|---|---|
| What a landlord may request | Reliable information that reasonably supports a disability and the need for the animal (s. 760.27(2)(b), (c)) |
| Who may supply it | A Florida health care or telehealth practitioner, or an out-of-state practitioner who has seen you in person at least once (s. 760.27(2)(b)4.) |
| What a landlord may not do | Demand a diagnosis or medical records, require their own form, or rely on an online registration alone (s. 760.27(3)) |
| Fees | No extra compensation may be required for the animal (s. 760.27(2)) |
| False documentation | Second-degree misdemeanour plus 30 hours of community service (s. 817.265, 2020) |
Verified, unprompted Trustpilot reviews from Emotional Support Animal customers.
Plain-English answers on what landlords may ask, what they cannot, and what counts as valid documentation.
Florida wrote ESAs into statute. Section 760.27 layers a strict procedural floor on top of the federal Fair Housing Act.
Your housing rights follow you to campus. Here is how ESA requests work at UCF, UF, FIU, USF, and FSU.
Your rights are the same statewide, but Jacksonville, Miami, and Tampa each present a very different rental landscape.
Qualifying turns on whether an ESA is therapeutically appropriate, a determination made by a licensed Florida provider.
A simple, honest path from intake to a signed letter, reviewed by a Florida-licensed therapist.
What landlords and condo associations can and cannot ask under the FHA and Florida Statute 760.27.
Choosing an apartment-friendly ESA in Florida means weighing your needs against the realities of dense rental markets.
A wrongful denial is not the end. Here is how to appeal, escalate, and file a complaint with the state.
Florida requires the issuing clinician to be Florida-licensed (or to have a prior in-person relationship). Online-only out-of-state providers cannot issue valid Florida ESA letters.
Common worries from Florida renters, answered plainly and checked against the statute.
Only a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) — typically an LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, psychologist, psychiatrist, or in some states a licensed primary-care provider — operating within their Florida scope of practice. Florida law (Statute 760.27) also requires the clinician to be Florida-licensed.
We get most customers scheduled for their evaluation within 24 hours. If you're approved, you will receive your ESA letter shortly after your consult.
It documents that an Emotional Support Animal is therapeutically appropriate for you. Landlords must consider it as a reasonable accommodation request under the Fair Housing Act.
No. ESA registries and ID cards are not legally valid. What matters is a letter from a licensed therapist.
Under the FHA, a landlord generally cannot charge a pet deposit or extra rent for an ESA. They may still hold you responsible for any actual damage. State and local rules apply alongside the federal rule.
No. The DOT removed ESAs from the Air Carrier Access Act in 2021. Airlines now treat ESAs as regular pets. If you need to fly with a working animal, look into Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) training instead.
You can appeal in writing, escalate to property management, and ultimately file a complaint with the appropriate state agency. Our team will walk you through the process.
A licensed therapist determines eligibility based on whether an ESA is therapeutically appropriate. Common qualifying conditions include anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other recognized mental-health conditions — but the determination is individual.
Our ESA letter costs $169.99. Our consult is 100% risk-free: if you are denied by the LMHP you are fully refunded, and if your landlord denies you (very rare) and we can't help resolve the issue you'll also receive a full refund. We have no hidden fees.
While no law mandates a hard expiration date for ESA letters, annual renewal is best practice. Landlords can request updated documentation during lease renewals or when you move.
Real, licensed clinicians with decades of experience.
Corina is a licensed psychotherapist with over 15 years of clinical experience specializing in trauma, attachment, anxiety, and depression. Her work is grounded in the understanding that secure emotional bonds play a vital role in psychological well-being, which is why she recognizes the meaningful therapeutic benefits that Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) and Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs) can provide for individuals living with mental health challenges.
Dr. Paul Meyer is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of experience. He specializes in trauma intervention (EMDR, ART) and other effective clinical interventions to address a myriad of psychiatric concerns.
Dr. Meyer enjoys professional football (Green Bay Packers), runs marathons, and loves to assist others with their emotional support animals. He has two Cornish Rex cats that he loves dearly!
Nancy Spitzer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist along with being an International Certified Gambling Counselor, Level 1, a Certified Sex Therapy Informed Professional and a Qualified Supervisor in Florida. She has worked extensively in substance abuse, with woman's issues (infertility), trauma, couples, gambling, intimacy issues and family therapy. Nancy offers individual and group therapy sessions to provide multiple ways to engage in the therapeutic process.
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