- Price
- $129 for up to 2 pets; $199 for 3 or more
- Delivery
- Signed letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
- State rule
- State Human Rights Law; NYC adds its own guidance
- Where to complain
- New York State Division of Human Rights
How New York ESA Letter works
Book a telehealth evaluation and tell the clinician how your condition affects you and what your animal does for you. If you qualify, a signed letter on letterhead naming their license type, number and state is emailed within 24 hours after approval. If you don't qualify, you won't receive a letter.
Who it’s for, and who it isn’t
May be a fit
- Renters anywhere in New York whose lease bans pets or limits them
- New York City tenants facing a no-dog clause or breed, size or weight limits
- People whose mental health condition is eased by their animal
- Households with more than one support animal
Usually not a fit
- Bringing an ESA into shops, restaurants or offices; ESAs have no public access rights
- Air travel; airlines may treat an ESA as a pet
- Anyone wanting a certificate or registry entry
- Anyone under 18
What’s included
- Telehealth evaluation with a licensed clinician
- Signed letter on letterhead with the clinician's license type, number and state
- $129 for up to 2 animals, or $199 for 3 or more
- Letter emailed within 24 hours after approval
Possible side effects
- No medical side effects; the risk is relying on the letter outside housing
- Outside the city's guidance, untrained ESAs are reviewed case by case under HUD's May 2026 guidance
- Even in New York City you can be billed for real damage the animal causes
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 24 CFR 100.204 require reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, and HUD's May 2026 enforcement guidance says untrained ESAs are assessed case by case. New York's Human Rights Law treats an ESA as an accommodation too, and in New York City the Commission on Human Rights spells out in detail how landlords should handle these requests.
New York law on emotional support animals
No New York statute deals only with ESAs. Instead, a tenant with a disability can rely on the state Human Rights Law and federal fair housing law, which each recognise an ESA as a reasonable accommodation.
Renters in the five boroughs have a third layer: the City Human Rights Law. The city's Commission on Human Rights publishes a fact sheet on ESAs in housing that sets out what landlords should and shouldn't do.
What a New York City landlord can and can't ask
- They can confirm your disability and your need for the animal with your treatment provider
- They can't demand your diagnosis, insist on a particular form or require recent paperwork
- City guidance says no upfront pet deposit or fee should be collected for an ESA; real damage can still be billed
- No-dog clauses and breed, size or weight rules generally give way to an ESA unless the landlord shows undue hardship
If your request is denied in New York
Wherever you live in the state, a refused accommodation is a housing discrimination complaint you can bring to the New York State Division of Human Rights. Federal complaints go to HUD.
Keep your request in writing and save every reply, so the timeline is clear if you need to file.
Prescription treatments are available only to eligible patients after a clinical evaluation by an independently licensed clinician.
New York ESA Letter: common questions
Does New York have a specific ESA law?
No. Requests rest on two general laws, the Fair Housing Act and the state Human Rights Law, with the City Human Rights Law adding protection in New York City.
Can a New York City landlord charge a pet deposit for my ESA?
City guidance says landlords shouldn't collect an upfront pet deposit or fee for an ESA. You can still be charged for real damage.
My building bans large dogs. Does that apply to my ESA?
In the five boroughs, breed, size and weight limits generally yield to an ESA unless the landlord can show undue hardship.
Can my landlord ask what my diagnosis is?
No. Under city guidance a landlord may confirm your disability and need with your provider but can't demand the diagnosis.
Where do I complain outside New York City?
The New York State Division of Human Rights handles housing complaints statewide. HUD takes federal complaints.
What does the letter cost?
$129 covers 1 or 2 pets and $199 covers 3 or more.
Sources
We cite government agencies, professional societies and peer-reviewed research. See our editorial policy.
- Fact sheet: ESAs in New York City housingNYC Commission on Human Rights
- Housing discrimination complaints and civil rights informationNew York State Division of Human Rights
- Enforcement guidance on requests to use an animal as a reasonable accommodation (May 2026)U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development