Florida Landlord Guide to Assistance Animal Requests
A resident hands you a letter and asks to keep an animal your pet policy would refuse. Florida's statute tells you exactly what you may ask, what you may not charge and when you may say no. This guide walks landlords, managers and association boards through it.
You may ask for
- Reliable information when the need is not apparent
- Information for each animal
- Proof of license and vaccination
You may not
- Ask for a diagnosis or records
- Require your own form or a notary
- Charge pet rent, fees or deposits
Who Counts as a Housing Provider
Florida's statute reaches any person or entity whose housing conduct is covered by the federal Fair Housing Act or Section 504, including owners and lessors. In practice that means most of these.
Individual landlords
Owners renting a house, condo or duplex, subject to a few narrow exemptions.
Property managers
Leasing offices and management companies acting for an owner.
Condo and HOA boards
Associations that enforce animal rules in their governing documents.
Housing authorities
Public and federally assisted housing, which also answers to Section 504.
What Florida Lets You Ask For
Section 760.27 lists three things. Asking for anything beyond them invites a complaint.
Reliable information
When the disability is not readily apparent, information that reasonably supports the disability-related need for the animal.
One set per animal
A resident asking for two animals can be asked to support the need for each one.
License and shots
Proof that the animal meets state and local licensing and vaccination rules, such as a county tag and rabies certificate.
Lines Florida Says Not to Cross
These are written into the statute, so they are the easiest mistakes to avoid.
- No diagnosis requestsDo not ask for the diagnosis, its severity or medical records.
- No mandatory formDo not require your own form or a notarized statement.
- No denial for the wrong channelDo not refuse only because the request skipped your usual process.
- No extra chargesDo not add pet rent, a pet deposit or a pet fee for an approved animal.
Request Review Flow
Answer each question about the request in front of you. The flow ends with a suggested response and wording you can adapt.
A general guide to Florida's statute, not legal advice. For a contested request, talk to a Florida attorney before you decide.
Checking Who Wrote the Letter
Florida names the sources whose information counts. The license number on the letter is the fastest thing to check.
What You Can and Cannot Collect
You cannot charge for the animal itself, but you are not left without protection for your property.
When a Refusal Holds Up
Each of these must fit the specific animal, resident or property, and should be explained in writing.
Unreliable information
A source Florida does not accept, or no support for the need.
Direct threat
Based on this animal's actual conduct, not its breed.
Serious damage
Substantial physical damage that reasonable steps cannot prevent.
Exempt owner
Some owners of three or fewer houses renting without an agent, or small owner-occupied buildings.
Undue burden
A request that would impose an undue burden or change the nature of the housing.
The tenant-side view of the same rules is on our can a landlord deny an ESA page.
After HUD's May 2026 Change
HUD's new posture changed federal enforcement, not Florida's statute. Plan your policies around both.
What moved
- HUD now finds reasonable cause only for animals trained to do disability-related work or tasks.
- Waiving a pet policy for an untrained animal is no longer presumed reasonable by HUD.
- HUD has signaled rulemaking to align with the ADA definition.
What still binds you
- Section 760.27's limits on questions, forms and extra charges.
- The Fair Housing Act itself, private lawsuits and court decisions.
- The Florida Commission on Human Relations, which takes complaints within one year.
For Condo and HOA Boards
An association that enforces animal rules is a housing provider for these requests, and its own fining rules add another layer.
Handling Suspected Fake Documentation
Florida penalizes fraud on both sides of the counter, but the right response is verification, not accusation.
False ESA information
Knowingly providing fraudulent information for an emotional support animal is a second-degree misdemeanor with 30 hours of community service.
Fake service animals
Misrepresenting an animal as a service animal carries the same penalty under the service animal statute.
What to do
Check the license, ask for information Florida allows, and decide on the record. Keep your notes factual.
If a Resident Asks Where to Get a Letter
Our letters come from Florida-licensed clinicians and carry license details you can check. Prices below are live.
Landlord Questions, Answered
Can I charge pet rent for an ESA in Florida?
No. Florida does not allow a housing provider to require extra compensation for an approved emotional support animal. The resident remains responsible for any damage the animal causes.
Can I charge a pet deposit for a service animal?
No. Florida's service animal statute bars extra compensation for a service animal in housing. A standard security deposit that every tenant pays is a different matter.
What documentation may I ask for?
When the disability is not apparent, reliable information that shows the disability-related need, information for each animal, and proof of any required license and vaccination. Not the diagnosis, its severity or medical records.
Can I refuse a letter from an online provider?
You may treat it as insufficient if an out-of-state provider never gave the resident in-person care, or if the only proof is an internet registration or ID card. Letters from Florida-licensed or Florida-registered telehealth providers qualify.
How quickly do I have to answer a request?
The statute sets no fixed deadline, but a long delay after complete information can be treated as a denial. Answer promptly and in writing.
Does the 2026 HUD change mean I can refuse every ESA?
No. HUD narrowed its own enforcement in May 2026, but Florida Statute 760.27, the Fair Housing Act and the courts still apply to each request.
More Guides for Florida Providers
General information for Florida housing providers, current as of September 2026. It is not legal advice, and the outcome of any request depends on its facts; consult a Florida attorney about a specific case. We are not affiliated with HUD or the Florida Commission on Human Relations. In a crisis, residents can call or text 988.
Point Residents to Letters You Can Verify
Our free screening leads to a letter from a Florida-licensed clinician, with the license details your review needs.
