On January 28, 2020, HUD issued a memo providing guidance on Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation under the Fair Housing Act.
HUD states this guidance is to help housing providers distinguish between a person with a non-obvious disability who has a legitimate need for an assistance animal and a person without a disability who simply wants to have a pet or avoid the costs and limitations imposed by housing providers’ pet policies, such as pet fees or deposits.
Specific guidance is provided on:
* Dealing with residents who bring in documentation from the Internet for assistance animals and
* The type of animals that a reasonable accommodation should be granted for and the exceptions to this.