[nagdu] FYI FW: [GDBLounge] Fwd: landlords asking for service animal documentation

Michael Hingson mike at michaelhingson.com
Mon Jun 8 21:42:05 UTC 2015


I thought this might be of interest to some. 

 

 

Best,

 

 

Michael Hingson

 

 

From: GDBLounge [mailto:gdblounge-bounces at lists.blindcanadians.ca] On Behalf Of Sheila Styron
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2015 1:55 PM
To: Guide Dogs for the Blind Lounge
Subject: [GDBLounge] Fwd: landlords asking for service animal documentation

 

I am forwarding some applicable text cut and pasted, just the applicable section. There is a link to the original PDF if anybody wants to read more. 

Best, Sheila

816-896-6552


Begin forwarded message:

From: Sheila Styron <SStyron at thewholeperson.org <mailto:SStyron at thewholeperson.org> >
Date: June 8, 2015 at 3:44:58 PM CDT
To: "'sheilastyron at gmail.com <mailto:sheilastyron at gmail.com> '" <sheilastyron at gmail.com <mailto:sheilastyron at gmail.com> >
Subject: landlords asking for service animal documentation


On April 25th, 2013 HUD issued new guidelines for housing Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals in an effort to clarify the law for landlords, Service Dog handlers and Emotional Support Animal owners. The new wording brings it closer in-line with the ADA. You may view the original PDF <http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=servanimals_ntcfheo2013-01.pdf>  or review the text below.


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
WASHINGTON, DC 20410-2000
OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Housing providers may ask individuals who have disabilities that are not readily apparent or known to the provider to submit reliable documentation of a disability and their disability-related need for an assistance animal. If the disability is readily apparent or known but the disability-related need for the assistance animal is not, the housing provider may ask the individual to provide documentation of the disability-related need for an assistance animal. For example, the housing provider may ask persons who are seeking a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal that provides emotional support to provide documentation from a physician, psychiatrist, social worker, or other mental health professional that the animal provides emotional support that alleviates one or more of the identified symptoms or effects of an existing disability. Such documentation is sufficient if it establishes that an individual has a disability and that the animal in question will provide some type of disability-related assistance or emotional support.
However, a housing provider may not ask a tenant or applicant to provide documentation showing the disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal if the disability or disability-related need is readily apparent or already known to the provider. For example, persons who are blind or have low vision may not be asked to provide documentation of their disability or their disability-related need for a guide dog.

A housing provider also may not ask an applicant or tenant to provide access to medical records or medical providers or provide detailed or extensive information or documentation of a person’s physical or mental impairments. Like all reasonable accommodation requests, the determination of whether a person has a disability-related need for an assistance animal involves an individualized assessment. A request for a reasonable accommodation may not be unreasonably denied, or conditioned on payment of a fee or deposit or other terms and conditions applied to applicants or residents with pets, and a response may not be unreasonably delayed. Persons with disabilities who believe a request for a reasonable accommodation has been improperly denied may file a complaint with HUD.’

Section II: The ADA Definition of “Service Animal”
In addition to their reasonable accommodation obligations under the FHAct and Section 504, housing providers may also have separate obligations under the ADA. 

 

 

 

Sheila Styron, ACTCP

Public Policy Specialist

 

The Whole Person

3710 Main Street, Kansas City, MO  64111 

direct  816-627-2217  |  main 816-561-0304  |  mobile  816-896-6552|  fax  816-931-0529

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