Seven Dos & Don’ts for Handling Requests for Assistance Animals

Disability discrimination claims, which account for more than half of all fair housing complaints, are often based on disputes over requests by applicants or residents with disabilities to have assistance animals.

The reasonable accommodation provisions of the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), which bans housing discrimination against individuals with disabilities, come into play whenever an individual with a disability wants to use an assistance animal in sites that either prohibit or impose restrictions or conditions on pets at the site.