When to Tell Your Landlord About Your Emotional Support Animal

If you have your ESA letter, the next step is to tell your landlord about your emotional support animal and share your letter with them. We recommend telling your landlord about your ESA as soon as possible after getting your ESA letter. That may mean before or after you have signed the lease or moved in. 

As long as you’ve met the requirements for an emotional support animal, your landlord has to consider your ESA request at any time. Still, there are advantages and disadvantages to disclosing at certain times. In this guide, we’ll cover the most common times when you should disclose your ESA. 

Telling the landlord about your ESA…

• While seeing the unit
• Before signing the lease
• After signing the lease
• After moving in

Telling the Landlord While Seeing the Unit

You don’t have to reveal your emotional support animal to the landlord or real estate agent during a showing. However, there are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros: 

• Allows you to be upfront and transparent from the very start of the rental process
• Gives the landlord the opportunity to ask questions, understand your needs, and discuss their pet policies
• May help avoid any surprises or issues down the line if the landlord is willing to accommodate ESAs
• Shows the landlord you are being responsible and proactive

Cons:

• Could potentially discourage the landlord from considering your application if they have reservations about ESAs, even if they are legally required to make reasonable accommodations
• Brings up the emotional support animal topic before you’ve even decided if you want to rent that particular property
• May make the landlord feel put on the spot before they’ve had time to think through the implications

Telling the Landlord Before Signing the Lease

If you already have your ESA, telling your landlord about your animal right before or during the lease signing is perhaps the most common time to disclose. Here are some things to consider:

Pros: 

• Ensures the landlord is fully aware of the situation before any formal rental agreement is in place
• Allows you both to have an open and detailed discussion about the landlord’s pet policies, your documentation, and any necessary accommodations
• Demonstrates your transparency and willingness to work collaboratively with the landlord

Cons:

• The landlord may still ultimately decide not to rent to you based on having an emotional support animal, even if they are required to make reasonable accommodations. Keep in mind they may be violating Fair Housing laws by doing this, so it is unlikely 
• Can create additional stress and uncertainty during the critical leasing process if the landlord is hesitant or unwilling to work with you

Telling the Landlord After Signing the Lease

Some tenants wait until after signing the lease to tell their landlord about their ESA. There are some things to be wary of when it comes to doing that: 

Pros:

• Gives you time to get settled in the new place before having to bring up the emotional support animal
• May allow you to demonstrate that you are a responsible tenant first before disclosing the ESA
• Allows you to get comfortable in your new home before dealing with potential issues

Cons:

• The landlord may feel like you hid or withheld important information from them
• Could lead to a more confrontational discussion if the landlord has concerns or reservations about accommodating an ESA
• Puts you at greater risk of the landlord denying your request or attempting to impose unfair restrictions

Telling the Landlord After Moving In

Sometimes, telling your landlord about your emotional support animal after moving in is unavoidable. Many tenants do not adopt their ESA or qualify for one until after moving in, so disclosing their ESA at that time is natural and expected. 

However, if you already have your ESA, we don’t recommend waiting to tell your landlord about it until after moving in. Your landlord must approve your ESA request before your animal can move into a no-pet building, so ideally, you should get their approval before bringing your ESA home. 

Pros:

• Least disruptive to the actual move-in process itself
• Allows you to get fully settled and comfortable in your new home first before bringing up the ESA

Cons:

• The landlord may be frustrated that you didn’t disclose the information sooner, leading to a more adversarial interaction
• Could lead to a dispute if the landlord isn’t willing to make reasonable accommodations for your emotional support animal
• Puts you at risk of having to find a new home if the landlord refuses to allow the ESA

Keep in mind however that landlords have to consider your ESA request no matter when it comes in. Disclosing after moving in, however, has downsides. This is what HUD had to say about the matter: “An accommodation also may be requested after a housing provider seeks to terminate the resident’s lease or tenancy because of the animal’s presence, although such timing may create an inference against good faith on the part of the person seeking a reasonable accommodation.”

That means that while the housing provider still has to consider your ESA request, moving in prior to getting approval can create an inference against good faith on your part, which is relevant if you and the landlord end up getting into a legal dispute over the matter. 

Generally, the best practice is to be upfront about your emotional support animal as early as possible in the rental process – ideally before signing the lease. This allows for open and transparent communication from the start and can help avoid potential conflicts down the line. 

You have federal and state rights regarding your emotional support animal. Your landlord is obligated to accommodate you and your ESA, so proceed with confidence. However, the specific situation, your relationship with the landlord, and your comfort level may influence the best timing. The key is to balance your need for privacy and comfort with the landlord’s right to know about any animals living on their property.

Regardless of when you choose to disclose, make sure you have the proper documentation, such as an ESA letter from your mental health professional, to prove your need for an emotional support animal.