I attended this property management council meeting yesterday at the board. We had a speaker from the Florida Board of Realtor. Margy Grant, Esq. discussed the dos and don’ts of accommodating service animals in real estate. We have included the highlights and the full presentation below. Any questions about the information provided will need to be directed to Margy Grant (contact information provided in attached presentation).
- Assistance animals are NOT considered pets
- Assistance animals: An animal that works, provides assistance, or performs tasks for the benefit of a disabled person or provides emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms of a person’s disability
- It is unlawful to not make reasonable accommodations for an assistance animal
- A reasonable request must be submitted orally or in writing
- Pet owners can be held liable for damages caused by the animal and must properly manage the assistance animal
- What housing providers CANNOT ask or require:
- May not ask for documentation if disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal is readily apparent or already known to the housing provider
- May not ask for access to medical records or medical providers, or for detailed information regarding the individual’s disability
- Cannot require an emotional support animal have any specific training
- Cannot require pet insurance or a pet deposit
For more extensive and detailed information from the seminar, please read the attached PDF provided by Margy Grant, Esq.: 2015 Service animals