ESA letter for housing

How ESA Letter works

Book a short telehealth evaluation and answer questions about how you feel day to day and how your animal helps. If the clinician finds that you qualify, they sign a letter and it is emailed to you within 24 hours after approval. If you do not qualify, no letter is issued.

Who it’s for, and who it isn’t

What’s included

• Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
• Signed letter on letterhead with the clinician's license type, number and state
• Covers up to 2 animals for $129, or 3 or more for $199
• Letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
• You pay only for the letter you choose

Possible side effects

• There are no medical side effects; the main risk is relying on the letter for something it does not cover
• A letter does not stop a landlord asking you to pay for damage your animal causes
• Untrained ESAs are now reviewed case by case under federal housing guidance, and fees may be allowed

This isn’t a complete list. Your clinician reviews risks, interactions and warnings with you before prescribing. In an emergency, call 911.

What the evidence says

The Fair Housing Act and HUD's rule at 24 CFR 100.204 require housing providers to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. Under HUD's May 2026 enforcement guidance, requests for untrained emotional support animals are reviewed case by case rather than presumed reasonable, so a clear letter from a clinician who actually evaluated you matters more than ever.

What the letter does and does not do

The letter is evidence for a housing request. It tells your landlord that a licensed clinician has assessed you and believes your animal helps with a disability-related need, which is the information a landlord may ask for when the need is not obvious.

It does not register or certify your animal, and it is not an ID. There is no official ESA registry in the United States, so any website selling one is selling something the law does not recognise.

Housing rules in 2026

Federal housing guidance changed recently. HUD withdrew its 2020 assistance-animal guidance effective September 17, 2025, and in May 2026 issued new enforcement guidance. Under it, untrained emotional support animals are reviewed case by case, and landlords may be allowed to charge fees for them.

What has not changed: the Fair Housing Act still covers reasonable accommodations, landlords still may not demand your diagnosis or medical records, and you are still responsible for any damage. Some states add their own protections, so it is worth checking your state's rules too.

Prices

Pricing is per letter, not per month:

• $129 for 1 or 2 animals
• $199 for 3 or more animals
• College housing ESA letter: $129 (see the college letter page)

ESA or psychiatric service dog

If your dog has been individually trained to do specific tasks for a psychiatric condition, such as interrupting a panic attack, it may be a psychiatric service dog rather than an ESA. That changes the rules that apply. Our PSD letter covers that situation.

When a letter is not the answer

The evaluation is honest: if your clinician does not think an ESA letter is appropriate, they will tell you, and no letter is issued. If you are in crisis, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.