by Judy Bellack

Talk to apartment owners and operators about the issues plaguing their communities, and fraudulent emotional support animal (ESA) accommodation requests are bound to come up. Industry-wide statistics do not appear to exist, but onsite team after onsite team can testify to the significant uptick in recent years of ESA accommodation requests, legitimate and otherwise. Vetting and verifying these requests can be a challenging and time-consuming process for operators.

There’s no denying that a portion of accommodation requests are made in bad faith, and an entire cottage industry has arisen to provide the supporting materials to help these emotional support animal fraud requests succeed. As owners and operators consider ways to reduce ESA fraud, they should consider the impact that adjusting pet policies and fees could have.

Read Judy Bellack’s article in Rental Housing Journal.