ESA Evaluations and Housing Letters for Maryland Residents

An emotional support animal (ESA) is a companion animal that eases symptoms of a mental or emotional disability. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, a person with a disability can ask a housing provider for a reasonable accommodation to live with an ESA, even in a building with a no-pet policy. For Maryland residents, an ESA letter from a Maryland-licensed clinician is the documentation that supports that request.

When an accommodation is granted, housing providers generally can’t charge pet fees or pet deposits for an assistance animal, though you’re still responsible for any damage. A landlord may deny a request in limited cases, for example if a specific animal poses a direct threat or the property is exempt from the Fair Housing Act, as some small owner-occupied buildings are.

In practice, you give the letter to your landlord or property manager along with your request. It’s best to make the request in writing and keep a copy. Housing providers may ask for reliable documentation when a disability or the need for the animal isn’t obvious, but they generally shouldn’t demand your full medical records or a specific diagnosis.

Honest information protects you. Since the U.S. Department of Transportation rule took effect in January 2021, airlines are no longer required to accept emotional support animals, and most now treat them as pets. An ESA letter won’t guarantee your animal a seat in the cabin. Some airlines still allow small animals in the cabin as pets under their own rules and fees. If you rely on a trained psychiatric service dog, different rules apply.

An ESA is also not a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service dogs are individually trained to perform specific tasks; ESAs provide comfort by their presence. An ESA letter doesn’t give your animal access to restaurants, stores or other public places that don’t allow pets. Workplace requests are handled under different rules as well. Knowing these limits up front helps you avoid disputes and use your letter where it actually applies.

To qualify, you need a mental or emotional condition that substantially limits a major life activity, such as sleeping, working or caring for yourself, and the animal must help ease those effects. People living with anxiety, depression, or trauma and PTSD are among those who sometimes qualify. Approval isn’t automatic. Your clinician will make an honest determination. Some people are approved and some aren’t, and both outcomes are handled with respect.

We evaluate Maryland residents statewide, from Bowie and Hyattsville in Prince George’s County to Silver Spring in Montgomery County. If your evaluation reveals you’d benefit from ongoing care, we can talk about counseling, too. If you’re in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 right away.

The process is simple and respectful of your time. You complete a short questionnaire, then meet with a licensed clinician by secure telehealth to talk about your symptoms, daily life and how your animal helps. If you’re eligible, you receive your ESA letter as a digital file plus a printable PDF to share with your housing provider. The fee is $99. If you’re not approved, you get a full refund.

Your letter is written for your housing provider, so it explains your need for the animal without listing private details. Many people also choose to continue with counseling after their evaluation, to keep working on the symptoms that led them to seek an emotional support animal in the first place.