Hi Kristin - That's great information. Colorado is now considering a law that would make falsely claiming a service animal a misdemeanor, in response to all of the phony certifications available online. It's going to be interesting to see how they work all of that out.

Kristin it's wise to be aware of the Fair housing rules and regs....good post!

I love the post. All property managers and landlords must read it.

Very nice post.  It is important to know the rules and apply them accordingly.

The ADA site (at the link you provided in the article) explicitly defines a service animal as "a DOG that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability."  The task must be DIRECTLY related to the person's disability.  If the task is not obvious (such as a seeing eye dog for a prospective tenant who presents as being blind), then it is acceptble to inquire "What task has the dog been trained to perform."

Although laws, rules, or practices may vary from one state to another, it appears that the ADA is steering clear of lending their weight to emotional support animals, because they are not individually trained to perform a specifc task.

As this is an evolving area of focus with much confusion, it's best to keep current on what is happening in your local market to ensure you remain in compliance and stay out of hot water.