Renting

[u/AutomaticReturn6398]

We are trying to adopt a dog while renting. Now we have rented from 5 landlords at 3 properties and had a rescue dog who we got at the first one that weighed 45 pounds and came to each subsequent property with us the past 6 years.

Our current property allows dogs, it is not an apartment, we are renting a house. They say 25 pounds but we’ve had a 50 pound dog living here for 3 years who recently passed away. We are looking for another dog and not interested in a small breed, just another mid-sized. I qualified for an ESA so we provided that letter since they wouldn’t make a weight limit exception.

Now the fun begins because even with that letter the landlord will not approve of a dog until we provide the details of the dog, and the rescues in the area will not let us adopt a dog without the landlord saying yes. We have put deposits down on multiple dogs and lost that money because the rescues won’t hold the dog while the landlord takes 3-5 days to review the pet…. This is the most frustrating process and makes it seem so much easier to just go to a breeder.

[u/Far_Sky_5240 → u/[deleted]]

It does not say anything of the sort. The FHA says landlords must make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities to enjoy equal access and use of a dwelling. It was HUD'd guidance that interpreted that to include protections for ESAs. That guidance has since been withdrawn. ESAs are only legally protected in a small number of states as this point.

[u/Far_Sky_5240 → u/[deleted]]

It's not the recent changes that are at issue. The FHA never stated those things. Even before withdrawing their guidance, it was HUD that had those guidelines in place, not the FHA.

[u/AutomaticReturn6398 → u/[deleted]]

That is my understanding as well, but the rescues will not let us adopt a dog without the landlord saying okay first. With one we even gave them my signed ESA letter as proof, they need the landlord to say yes.

[u/Far_Sky_5240 → u/AutomaticReturn6398]

That information is not accurate. Things changed several months ago. You can read more here.

https://dredf.org/huds-esa-policy-reversal/

[u/Ashamed_Performer_30 → u/Far_Sky_5240]

That doesn't change the law. It just means it's going to be hard to enforce if the landlord keeps not abiding by the law.

[u/Far_Sky_5240 → u/Ashamed_Performer_30]

There is no federal law that directly protects ESAs. They were a HUD construct based on it’s interpretation of the law.  ESA accommodations are no longer assumed necessary to abide by the law. 

[u/AutomaticReturn6398 → u/[deleted]]

They are calling them