Assistance Animals And Fair Housing

Emotional support animals, service animals, and reasonable accommodation. How does the concept of reasonable accommodation play out in property management? Must a property manager accept a tenant's emotional support animal, and under what conditions? What proof can a property manager or landlord require of a tenant who claims a need for an emotional support animal? What about homeowners associations—must accommodation be made in these communities? With some airlines accepting miniature horses on board as service animals, can Apartment 3B be far behind? How does the Fair Housing Act apply, and where does it all stop? This is a topic that sparks questions around what the laws are and how and when they apply in cases of individuals with assistance animals.

This three-hour course explores the issues and options for landlords and property managers surrounding assistance animals, helping real estate professionals recognize scenarios in which the fair housing and disabilities laws apply and helping to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to housing.

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

• An overview of the evolution of fair housing law
• A cross-comparison between the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act
• Definitions related to disability and the types of assistance animals
• A diagnosis of when the Americans with Disabilities Act applies, and when the Fair Housing Act does.
• A discussion as to how to work with clients with assistance animals
• An examination of how to handle reasonable requests for accommodation
• A look at pets in property and where they’re permitted by law
• A discussion on practical application of the laws in property management scenarios
• A sampling of case studies and legal trends as this field of the law continues to evolve
• Interactive activities and scenarios to seal in the new information and frame it in everyday context