What a Valid ESA Letter Must Include
Five things every valid ESA letter carries: clinician letterhead and license number, a statement of need, your animal, a Fair Housing Act reference, and a dated signature.
A Valid ESA Letter Must Include
If any one of these is missing, a landlord has a fair reason to push back. Every letter we deliver carries all five.
The clinician's letterhead and license number
The practice name, address, phone and email, plus the professional's license type and number so the housing provider can confirm it with the state licensing board.
Your name and a statement of disability-related need
A clear statement that you are under the clinician's care and that the animal is needed to help with symptoms of your condition. The diagnosis itself is left out, because your landlord has no right to it.
Your animal's name and species
So the accommodation is tied to a specific animal living with you. Additional animals can be named on the same letter for $25 each.
A Fair Housing Act reference
A citation to 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B) framing the letter as support for a reasonable accommodation request, which tells the leasing office exactly which rule they are being asked to apply.
Signature, date and state of licensure
Signed and dated by the clinician, naming the state they are licensed in, which must be your state. An undated or out-of-state letter is the single most common reason a letter gets rejected.
Sources
- Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604 (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School)
- HUD and U.S. Department of Justice, Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations Under the Fair Housing Act, May 17, 2004
- California Health and Safety Code § 122318 (AB 468, ESA documentation rules)
Laws and agency positions change. We last checked this page against these sources on October 24, 2026. It is general information, not legal advice.