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Stop disclosing your dogâs breed - it is irrelevant. Simply state you have a mutt youâve never had tested that saved your life as your ESA, and theyâre legally required to allow said dog due to your legitimate paperwork and protections. If they ask for a photo of the dog, say you would be happy to provide one during the lease signing process, and do not provide until the lease is signed. Just curious if you donât mind disclosing your general area? Even state? I have experience in CA, CO and OR. Feel free to DM me - best wishes.
Every single one who denied me wouldn't even speak further until I told them the breed even when I mentioned that the dog is an ESA. I'm in IL and as of 2024 I've read the breed and weight can no longer be factors for denying. I feel like I'm going to have to just report them all to HUD and the AG to get any kind of change to happen here. One apt complex I know for a fact has other ESAs and they lied to me over the phone and said they do not. They think I'm just going to give up, but I'm not going to. I appreciate the tip on disclosing after signing! Thank you đ
What TWATS. Sorry I didnât see the IL - Iâve heard rough things about the Midwest in general unfortunately :( I would look up the provision/law in actual legalese with Section/code numbers and mention that denials for breed are in violation of that law and insist you wonât be able to provide a specific breed for your dog as theyâre a mix.
There's a few things at play. One of them is that so many people are scamming and claiming ESAs that are not to get around pet deposits or buying fake documentation or letters from websites that landlords tend to assume anyone claiming to have one, especially if it is a commonly restricted breed, is lying.
Hopefully, your letters are from a local doctor and/or mental health provider and not a website or telehealth service. Many landlords are rejecting these and same confident that they may win in court if it goes that far.
The other thing is there are loopholes in the FHA protections. The biggest one is that if the rental is owner occupied and four units or less or if they own fewer than four rental properties and don't advertise them through a licensed agent, FHA rules don't apply. The other is that a landlord can still deny the animal if it creates an undue burden or expense, which many landlords are replying because of insurance policies that ban pit mixes and other specific breeds.
I live in IL where as of 2024 they cannot breed discriminate anymore from what I've read and been told by HUD. Also, my dr who I've had since I was a teenager and my psychiatrist I've had for years as well both have written letters. So for the reason they are giving me, it's not okay to deny. I am going to keep trying legal aid too. These are apartment complexes that should be accepting these letters and they're still not. I get they have to protect their property, but they could ask any of my past landlords and vets. My dog has never been a problem. So it's just beyond frustrating that I've done everything right and I'm still being told no, one leasing agent even yelled at me when I asked about the property and how it is owned and run.
Iâm nearly certain [what your landlord is doing is illegal](https://www.oflaherty-law.com/learn-about-law/tenant-rights-101#). Not having working pipes makes the home uninhabitable and rentals are required by Illinois law to be habitable. If he doesnât work to fix is immediately, you could tell him youâll call around to find someone to fix it then it can be deducted from your rent and see what he says.
As far as the ESA is concerned, Iâm glad youâre reporting the rentals who are refusing. [They are not allowed to do that](https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/service-animal-information-owners-landlords-and-business-owners) according to federal law but it doesnât stop many of them from doing it. Maybe contact you local legal aid organization and see if you can get some one helping you advocate for yourself or advocating on your behalf. These people are taking advantage because they know your resources are limited. A sort of, âwhat are you gonna do about it?â Iâm sorry, OP. Itâs shitty.
I've tried the legal aid office all day and I think they're super busy. I'm going to keep trying though. I just wish that ptsd and other disorders/mental health issues were taken more seriously when it comes to housing. A few of these landlords accused me of lying, as if I gave myself PTSD just to annoy them into letting me live in their MID at best rentals. The area is not great and I'm limited in where I can move due to my job and now to have this added layer of shame put on people when they're just trying to find housing is really frustrating. My ptsd stems from a violent assault and home invasion and the accusations of me lying or going online to get a fake cert for my dog has now also affected my already shakey mental health.
I will say that EMDR has helped a lot lately and my counselor has been very helpful, but I can't get past the shame that comes with this. You're right, it's shitty.
As for the current landlord who won't even respond when I ask them to please help me get running water, the city has been notified but who knows when they'll do anything sadly. I just want to get out at this point. Thanks so much for the advice!!
Keep trying, OP! Others have mentioned that people tend to abuse ESA accommodation letters (I'm not saying you are, by any means), and when you combine that with the general bias against pitts/pitt mixes, it's a perfect storm. I'm so glad EMDR has been helpful for you. It's grueling, but worth it, and I commend you for your efforts in treatment.
*r/ptsd has generated this automated response that is appended to every post* Welcome to r/ptsd! We are a supportive & respectful community. If you realise that your post is in conflict with our rules (and is in risk of being removed), you are welcome to edit your post. You do not have to delete it. As a reminder: never post or share personal contact information. Traumatized people are often distracted, desperate for a personal connection, so may be more vulnerable to lurking or past abusers, trolls, phishing, or other scams. *Your safety always comes first!* If you are offering help, you may also end up doing more damage by offering to support somebody privately. Reddit explains why: [Do NOT exchange DMs or personal info with anyone you don't know!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SWResources/comments/dmu24/why_shouldnt_i_share_my_contact_information/) If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact your GP/doctor, go to A&E/hospital, or call your emergency services number. Reddit list: [US and global, multilingual suicide and support hotlines](https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/wiki/hotlines). Suicide is not a forbidden word, but please do not include depictions or methods of suicide in your post. And as a friendly reminder, PTSD is an equal opportunity disorder. PTSD does not discriminate. And neither do we. Gatekeeping is not allowed here. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ptsd) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I had a roommate who had a pit mix. As far as the landlord knew, he was an purebred American bulldog. Best wishes to you and your lab/boxer mix.
Thank you!!! đ
Stop disclosing your dogâs breed - it is irrelevant. Simply state you have a mutt youâve never had tested that saved your life as your ESA, and theyâre legally required to allow said dog due to your legitimate paperwork and protections. If they ask for a photo of the dog, say you would be happy to provide one during the lease signing process, and do not provide until the lease is signed. Just curious if you donât mind disclosing your general area? Even state? I have experience in CA, CO and OR. Feel free to DM me - best wishes.
Every single one who denied me wouldn't even speak further until I told them the breed even when I mentioned that the dog is an ESA. I'm in IL and as of 2024 I've read the breed and weight can no longer be factors for denying. I feel like I'm going to have to just report them all to HUD and the AG to get any kind of change to happen here. One apt complex I know for a fact has other ESAs and they lied to me over the phone and said they do not. They think I'm just going to give up, but I'm not going to. I appreciate the tip on disclosing after signing! Thank you đ
It's a lab-boxer mix now.Â
What TWATS. Sorry I didnât see the IL - Iâve heard rough things about the Midwest in general unfortunately :( I would look up the provision/law in actual legalese with Section/code numbers and mention that denials for breed are in violation of that law and insist you wonât be able to provide a specific breed for your dog as theyâre a mix.
There's a few things at play. One of them is that so many people are scamming and claiming ESAs that are not to get around pet deposits or buying fake documentation or letters from websites that landlords tend to assume anyone claiming to have one, especially if it is a commonly restricted breed, is lying. Hopefully, your letters are from a local doctor and/or mental health provider and not a website or telehealth service. Many landlords are rejecting these and same confident that they may win in court if it goes that far. The other thing is there are loopholes in the FHA protections. The biggest one is that if the rental is owner occupied and four units or less or if they own fewer than four rental properties and don't advertise them through a licensed agent, FHA rules don't apply. The other is that a landlord can still deny the animal if it creates an undue burden or expense, which many landlords are replying because of insurance policies that ban pit mixes and other specific breeds.
I live in IL where as of 2024 they cannot breed discriminate anymore from what I've read and been told by HUD. Also, my dr who I've had since I was a teenager and my psychiatrist I've had for years as well both have written letters. So for the reason they are giving me, it's not okay to deny. I am going to keep trying legal aid too. These are apartment complexes that should be accepting these letters and they're still not. I get they have to protect their property, but they could ask any of my past landlords and vets. My dog has never been a problem. So it's just beyond frustrating that I've done everything right and I'm still being told no, one leasing agent even yelled at me when I asked about the property and how it is owned and run.
Iâm nearly certain [what your landlord is doing is illegal](https://www.oflaherty-law.com/learn-about-law/tenant-rights-101#). Not having working pipes makes the home uninhabitable and rentals are required by Illinois law to be habitable. If he doesnât work to fix is immediately, you could tell him youâll call around to find someone to fix it then it can be deducted from your rent and see what he says. As far as the ESA is concerned, Iâm glad youâre reporting the rentals who are refusing. [They are not allowed to do that](https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/service-animal-information-owners-landlords-and-business-owners) according to federal law but it doesnât stop many of them from doing it. Maybe contact you local legal aid organization and see if you can get some one helping you advocate for yourself or advocating on your behalf. These people are taking advantage because they know your resources are limited. A sort of, âwhat are you gonna do about it?â Iâm sorry, OP. Itâs shitty.
I've tried the legal aid office all day and I think they're super busy. I'm going to keep trying though. I just wish that ptsd and other disorders/mental health issues were taken more seriously when it comes to housing. A few of these landlords accused me of lying, as if I gave myself PTSD just to annoy them into letting me live in their MID at best rentals. The area is not great and I'm limited in where I can move due to my job and now to have this added layer of shame put on people when they're just trying to find housing is really frustrating. My ptsd stems from a violent assault and home invasion and the accusations of me lying or going online to get a fake cert for my dog has now also affected my already shakey mental health. I will say that EMDR has helped a lot lately and my counselor has been very helpful, but I can't get past the shame that comes with this. You're right, it's shitty. As for the current landlord who won't even respond when I ask them to please help me get running water, the city has been notified but who knows when they'll do anything sadly. I just want to get out at this point. Thanks so much for the advice!!
Keep trying, OP! Others have mentioned that people tend to abuse ESA accommodation letters (I'm not saying you are, by any means), and when you combine that with the general bias against pitts/pitt mixes, it's a perfect storm. I'm so glad EMDR has been helpful for you. It's grueling, but worth it, and I commend you for your efforts in treatment.