Housing access for trained dogs
Full and equal access to housing for a person with a guide, hearing or service dog, with no extra compensation for the dog and liability for damage it does.
Virginia · Assistance animals and rental deposits
Virginia ESA Letters for Renters Who Were Quoted a Pet Deposit
First comes a free online screening, and then a private telehealth evaluation with a clinician who holds a Virginia license. If your situation supports it, the clinician writes the emotional support animal letter or PSD letter you give your landlord, apartment office or HOA, never a registry listing. The Virginia rules on pet charges and deposits follow.
Va. Code 36-96.3:1 cited
VA-licensed clinicians
Screened free first
| Pet deposit | $0 |
|---|---|
| Pet fee | $0 |
| Pet rent | $0 a month |
| Security deposit | Up to 2 months' rent |
| Move-in damage report | Within 5 days |
- 1
Tell us about your symptoms and home
Answer a few questions online about what you live with, the animal that helps and the Virginia home you lease.
- 2
Meet your Virginia clinician by telehealth
A clinician licensed in Virginia reviews your answers and evaluates you in a secure session.
- 3
Receive the clinician's written answer
When the clinician supports a letter, it reaches your account in digital form; when not, you hear the reason, and the refund policy covers what you paid for the plan.
Pricing
Transparent, One-Time Pricing for Virginia Letters
Compare the current evaluation fees, read live from our checkout. There is no charge for the Virginia screening. You buy a plan at checkout before your clinician's evaluation; if the Virginia-licensed clinician finds a letter is not supported, you may ask for the payment back, and the refund policy allows that request for 30 days after purchase. Questions? Read our FAQ page or contact us.
ESA Housing Letter For One Pet
Clinical review for one emotional support animal and a Virginia housing letter.
$149.00/ one-time
- Official ESA letter if supported
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Email support
- 24-48 Hour
Most Popular
ESA Housing Letter For Multiple Pets
One evaluation covering the support provided by each of your animals in a Virginia home.
$159.00/ one-time
- ESA letter for multiple pets
- All approved pets on one letter
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Priority phone and email support
- Renewal reminders
- 24-48 Hour
PSA Letter
A psychiatric service dog evaluation with a clinician licensed in Virginia.
$199.00/ one-time
- Official PSD letter if supported
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Email support
- 24-48 Hour
Bundle Packages
Compare the combined letter and document options.
Bundle
ESA Letter + Certificate Bundle
An ESA letter and certificate together in one document package.
$199.00/ one-time
- Official ESA letter if supported
- ESA certificate
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Email support
- 24-48 Hour
Letter + Certificate + ID
PSD Letter + Certificate + ID Card
A PSD letter, certificate and ID card in one package.
$225.00/ one-time
- Official PSD letter if supported
- PSD certificate
- PSD ID card
- Licensed professional review
- Valid for 1 year
- Digital copy
- Priority email support
- 24-48 Hour
Clinical review
Secure payment
Digital documents
One-time plan fee
Need help choosing? Take the free screening first or compare every plan. Documentation depends on clinical approval; optional certificates and cards do not establish access rights.
Why Virginians Use American Service Animals for Housing Letters
Virginia landlords give weight to a housing letter written by a licensed clinician who evaluated you, whether it supports an ESA or a psychiatric service dog.
| Question | A registration website | American Service Animals |
|---|---|---|
| What you receive | A certificate or ID number, usually bought online | A letter written by a clinician licensed in Virginia after an evaluation |
| Virginia's therapeutic relationship test | No care is provided, so there is no therapeutic relationship | Documentation from a licensed mental health provider who evaluated you, a source section 36-96.3:1 names |
| What your landlord can check | A certificate number to look up on the seller's own site | The clinician's license, through the Virginia Department of Health Professions License Lookup |
| If the answer is no | You may still be sold a certificate | No letter, and our refund policy covers a request made within 30 days of purchase |
Every Virginia ESA letter and psychiatric service dog letter we deliver comes from that evaluation, never from a form you complete alone.
Virginia's Pet Fee Rule for Assistance Animals
Va. Code 36-96.3:1 settles the money question for anyone keeping an assistance animal in a Virginia dwelling.
Anyone keeping an assistance animal in a Virginia dwelling owes no pet fee, no pet deposit and no added rent for it.
Pet fee: none
A one-time or nonrefundable pet charge does not apply.
Pet deposit: none
Refundable or not, a deposit held because of the animal is off the table.
Extra rent: none
Monthly pet rent, or any rent increase tied to the animal, is ruled out.
Damage you still owe
You pay for physical damage the animal causes, if residents with pets are responsible for such damage under the lease or state law.
Rules for all residents
You follow the lease and community rules that apply to every resident, as long as they do not interfere with an equal opportunity to use your home.
Virginia's Fair Housing Law counts an animal that gives emotional support for a disability as an assistance animal. In the statute's words it is not a pet, and no individual training or certification is required.
HUD's May 22, 2026 memo changed how HUD itself handles federal complaints about untrained animals. It did not amend the Virginia Code, where these rules sit.
Virginia Lease Charges: Pet, Assistance Animal or Every Tenant
The same move-in packet reads differently for a pet, an assistance animal and any tenant at all.
If the animal is a pet
- A refundable pet deposit, counted inside the two-month deposit cap
- A nonrefundable pet fee or monthly pet rent, if the lease provides for it
- Damage beyond reasonable wear and tear
- A pet addendum with extra lease terms for the animal
If it is an assistance animal
- Never a pet deposit
- Never a pet fee
- Never pet rent or other added rent
- Physical damage it causes, when pet owners are responsible for damage
For any Virginia tenant
- A security deposit of up to two months' rent
- Damage insurance premiums the landlord may require, counted as rent, with deposit and premiums together capped at two months' rent
- Renter's insurance, if the lease requires it
- Accrued rent and the charges the lease sets out
How Much Can a Virginia Landlord Charge for a Security Deposit?
Va. Code 55.1-1226 caps the deposit at two months' periodic rent, whatever the landlord calls it.
Monthly rent$1,600
× 2 =
Highest deposit$3,200
An example; your cap is twice your own monthly rent.
- A refundable pet deposit is part of the security deposit under Virginia's definition, so for a pet it fits inside the same cap. For an assistance animal it is not charged at all.
- Damage insurance can stand in for the deposit if the landlord allows it, and you may switch to paying the full deposit at any time without the landlord's consent.
- If the landlord requires damage insurance and a deposit, the two together may not exceed two months' rent.
The Virginia Deposit Calendar, Move-In to Refund
The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act sets each date; mark them on your lease.
Moving in and living there
- Within 5 days of occupancy
The landlord gives you a written report of damage already in the unit.
- 5 days after you get it
Object in writing to anything wrong in the report, or it is deemed correct.
- During the lease
A deduction from the deposit during the lease must be explained in writing, with reasons, within 30 days of the decision.
Moving out and the refund
- Within 5 days of your notice
The landlord tells you in writing that you may attend the move-out inspection.
- Within 72 hours of handover
If you asked in writing to attend, the inspection happens within 72 hours of delivering possession.
- Within 45 days
An itemized written disposition of the deposit, with any refund, after the later of the lease end or your move-out.
- Plus 15 days
If damage exceeds the deposit and needs a contractor, a notice inside the 45 days gives the landlord 15 more days to itemize.
A landlord who willfully breaks section 55.1-1226 can be ordered to return the deposit with actual damages and reasonable attorney fees.
Do Service Dogs Pay Pet Fees in Virginia Rentals?
No, and two statutes say so.
The assistance animal rule too
A trained dog is also an assistance animal, so the pet fee, deposit and extra-rent rule applies too.
Deadlines to sue
A lawsuit within one year, preserved only if you sue or send a written statement of the claim by registered mail within 180 days.
House Rules Still Apply to an Assistance Animal in Virginia
Approval removes the pet charges, not the community's ordinary rules.
- Leash and waste rules that bind every resident
- Noise and nuisance terms in the lease
- Damage you would owe as a pet owner
- No rule may block your equal chance to use your home and the common areas
Section 36-96.3:1 asks you to follow the rental agreement and the property's rules for all residents, so long as they leave you an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling.
What Documentation a Virginia Landlord May Ask For
Section 36-96.3:1 sets out when a landlord may ask for proof and what kind.
When proof may be requested
If neither the disability nor the need is obvious, reliable documentation of both may be requested. If the disability is obvious but the need is not, only the need may be verified. If both are known, no further verification may be requested.
Valid sources of proof
Virginia names four kinds of source: a mental health service provider, someone with an unrestricted state license, certification or registration to serve people with disabilities, a free peer support group member who knows of your disability, and a caregiver, reliable third party or government agency with actual knowledge of it.
Fraudulent paperwork is illegal
Supplying fraudulent supporting documentation is a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, for any of those sources.
When a Virginia Landlord Keeps Charging Pet Fees
Raise it in writing first, then use the state's complaint process if needed.
Write to the landlord first
Write to the landlord, cite section 36-96.3:1, list each pet charge and ask for it to stop and for amounts paid since approval to be credited.
Pay rent while you dispute
Paying rent late or short because of a fee dispute can give the landlord grounds to seek possession.
Complain to the Fair Housing Office
The Virginia Fair Housing Office accepts written housing discrimination complaints; the deadline is one year from when the practice happened or stopped.
Save every page of the paper trail
Save the lease, the ledger lines, your request, your letter and every reply. A complaint or a deposit dispute turns on what you can show in writing.
Virginia Deposit and Pet Fee Questions
Eight answers on deposits, pet charges and service dogs in Virginia rentals.
Is an emotional support animal exempt from pet deposits in Virginia?
Yes. Under Va. Code 36-96.3:1, a person with a disability who keeps an assistance animal in a dwelling cannot be charged a pet fee, a pet deposit or added rent for it, and Virginia counts an animal that gives emotional support for a disability as an assistance animal. You still make the accommodation request and may be asked for reliable documentation.
How much can a Virginia landlord charge for a security deposit?
No more than two months' periodic rent, under Va. Code 55.1-1226. A refundable pet deposit counts as part of the security deposit under Virginia's definition, but an assistance animal brings no pet deposit at all.
How long does a Virginia landlord have to return a security deposit?
45 days after the tenancy ends or you move out, whichever is later. The landlord must send a written, itemized list of deductions with any refund due, and when repairs run past the deposit and need a contractor, timely notice adds 15 days for the itemized bill.
Can a Virginia landlord deduct ESA damage from my deposit?
Yes, for real damage. Va. Code 36-96.3:1 makes you responsible for physical damage the animal causes if residents with pets are responsible for damage, and 55.1-1226 lets the deposit cover damage beyond reasonable wear and tear.
Does an ESA letter waive the pet deposit in Virginia?
The letter is the documentation; the protection comes from Va. Code 36-96.3:1 once your request to keep an assistance animal is granted. Send the letter with a written request and ask that every pet charge be removed.
Do service dogs pay pet fees in a Virginia rental?
No. Va. Code 51.5-45 gives a person with a guide, hearing or service dog full and equal access to housing without extra compensation for the dog, though the handler is liable for damage the dog causes. A trained dog is also an assistance animal under the Fair Housing Law.
Can my landlord raise the regular deposit because of my assistance animal?
A deposit raised because the animal lives with you would be a pet deposit by another name, which 36-96.3:1 rules out. The landlord can still charge the deposit every tenant pays, up to two months' rent.
I already paid pet rent. Can I get it back?
Ask in writing for pet charges to stop from the date your request was granted and for amounts collected after that date to be refunded or credited. If the landlord refuses, the Virginia Fair Housing Office takes complaints within one year.
Virginia Rental Guides for Assistance Animal Owners
Virginia pages on renting, documentation and the cities we serve.
Virginia law pages
Costs and situations
Virginia city pages
General information for Virginia renters, current as of October 2026, and not legal advice. It draws on Va. Code 36-96.1:1, 36-96.3:1, 36-96.9, 51.5-45, 51.5-46, 55.1-1200, 55.1-1206, 55.1-1214 and 55.1-1226; Virginia statutes, HUD guidance and individual leases can change, so check the current text before you rely on it. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988, day or night.
Talk to a Virginia Clinician Before You Pay a Pet Fee
Begin with the free screening. If a clinician licensed in Virginia supports your request, your ESA letter or PSD letter is ready to attach to it.
Every Virginia county
Licensed letter writers
Begins free online
