Does Florida really have its own ESA law?

Yes - section 760.27 of the Florida Statutes is among the most specific assistance-animal provisions in the country. It sets out what a housing provider may ask for, what it may not charge, and when it may still refuse.

Can a Florida landlord charge a pet deposit for my approved ESA?

No. The statute expressly bars a pet deposit or pet fee for an approved emotional support animal. Your ordinary security deposit and your liability for damage the animal causes are untouched by that.

Will a letter from an out-of-state website hold up in Orlando?

Rarely. Florida directs attention to whether the practitioner has genuine knowledge of the person's disability, and documentation generated without that relationship is the precise thing the statute was designed to catch.

My condo board is asking for far more than my landlord ever did. Is that allowed?

A board may request the supporting information the statute permits, but not more. It is not entitled to your diagnosis, your treatment notes or your full medical file, and it may not impose a pet fee on an approved animal.

What is the penalty for misrepresentation in Florida?

Knowingly misrepresenting yourself as qualified for an emotional support animal is a second-degree misdemeanour, and a court may order community service. Accurate documentation is not merely better practice here - it keeps you out of a criminal provision.

Will UF or FSU housing accept an ESA letter?

Yes, and section 760.27 reaches student housing as readily as private rentals. Florida's universities handle these through student accessibility services, and because rooms at UF and FSU are allocated months ahead, a July request is chasing space that was assigned in spring.

The Sunshine State · Licensed in Florida

Florida ESA Letters That Follow SB 1084 Requirements

Florida has specific rules for ESA documentation. We follow them — a Florida-licensed clinician and a genuine evaluation before any letter is issued.

Start free screening How it works

Secure intakeHousing-focused lettersDocument verification

SB 1084-aware process

Florida law (SB 1084) targets ESA fraud and requires real provider involvement. Our letters are built around a legitimate evaluation.

Florida wrote the rules down — section 760.27, Florida Statutes

Most states rely on general fair-housing principles. Florida legislated the detail, and a leasing office here will know it.

The right

A housing provider must consider a written request for a reasonable accommodation for an emotional support animal, and may not charge a pet deposit or pet fee for an approved one.

The proof

Where the disability is not readily apparent, the provider may request supporting information from a health care practitioner — and Florida is specific about what that means.

The practitioner

The statute contemplates a practitioner with personal knowledge of the person’s disability, obtained through the kind of relationship that produces real clinical knowledge rather than a one-question form.

The limit

A provider may still deny where the specific animal poses a direct threat or would cause substantial physical damage that cannot be reduced by another reasonable accommodation.

The penalty

Knowingly misrepresenting oneself as qualified for an emotional support animal is a second-degree misdemeanour in Florida, and courts may add community service.

Why cheap out-of-state letters fail in Florida specifically

Because the statute anticipates them. Florida directs attention to whether the practitioner actually knows the person, which means a website that issues a letter from a clinician the client has never meaningfully interacted with is producing exactly the document section 760.27 was written to filter out. A Miami or Tampa property manager who has read the statute will reject it without needing to argue the clinical merits.

Where complaints go

The Florida Commission on Human Relations handles state-level housing discrimination complaints. HUD runs the parallel federal route under the Fair Housing Act, and the two are independent.

Condos and HOAs

Florida’s enormous condominium and homeowner-association stock means many requests go to a board rather than a landlord. The obligation is the same; the process is slower and more formal, so submit earlier than you think you need to.

Snowbirds and seasonal leases

A short winter lease is still covered housing. The documentation requirement does not soften because the tenancy is seasonal, and a six-month lease starting in November means starting the process in September.

Psychiatric service dogs

Section 760.27 addresses emotional support animals. A PSD is a different question.

A psychiatric service dog is governed by the ADA, and what qualifies it is individually trained work connected to a disability — not documentation. The clinical evaluation records the need behind the training; nothing certifies the dog, in Florida or anywhere else.

Interrupting a dissociative episode Deep pressure during panic Medication reminders Room search before entry Guiding out of an overwhelming space

Florida questions

Florida ESA and PSD questions

Does Florida really have its own ESA law?: Yes — section 760.27 of the Florida Statutes is among the most specific assistance-animal provisions in the country. It sets out what a housing provider may ask for, what it may not charge, and when it may still refuse.
Can a Florida landlord charge a pet deposit for my approved ESA?: No. The statute expressly bars a pet deposit or pet fee for an approved emotional support animal. Your ordinary security deposit and your liability for damage the animal causes are untouched by that.
Will a letter from an out-of-state website hold up in Orlando?: Rarely. Florida directs attention to whether the practitioner has genuine knowledge of the person’s disability, and documentation generated without that relationship is the precise thing the statute was designed to catch.
My condo board is asking for far more than my landlord ever did. Is that allowed?: A board may request the supporting information the statute permits, but not more. It is not entitled to your diagnosis, your treatment notes or your full medical file, and it may not impose a pet fee on an approved animal.
What is the penalty for misrepresentation in Florida?: Knowingly misrepresenting yourself as qualified for an emotional support animal is a second-degree misdemeanour, and a court may order community service. Accurate documentation is not merely better practice here — it keeps you out of a criminal provision.
Will UF or FSU housing accept an ESA letter?: Yes, and section 760.27 reaches student housing as readily as private rentals. Florida's universities handle these through student accessibility services, and because rooms at UF and FSU are allocated months ahead, a July request is chasing space that was assigned in spring.

Florida pricing

Screening is free, and section 760.27 is the reason the evaluation is not.

Figures below come from live plan settings rather than a hardcoded price list.

Package	Turnaround	Included	Price
ESA Housing Letter For One Pet	48 Hours	Official ESA Letter · Licensed Professional Review · 48-Hour Processing · Valid for 1 Year · Digital Copy · Email Support	$149View plan
ESA Housing Letter For Multiple Pets	24 Hours	ESA Letter For Multiple Pets · All Pets Included in One Letter · 24-Hour Priority Processing · Valid for 1 Year · Digital Copy · Priority Phone & Email Support · Renewal Reminders · Save $99!	$159View plan
PSA Letter	48 Hours	Official PSA Letter · Licensed Professional Review · 48-Hour Processing · Valid for 1 Year · Digital Copy · Email Support	$199View plan

Optional

Document bundles

ESA Letter + Certificate Bundle

$175

Official ESA Letter
ESA Certificate
Licensed Professional Review
48-Hour Processing
Valid for 1 Year
Digital Copy
Email Support

Select bundle

PSD Letter + Certificate + ID Card

$225

Official PSD Letter
PSD Certificate
PSD ID Card
Licensed Professional Review
48-Hour Processing
Valid for 1 Year
Digital & Physical Copy
Priority Email Support

Select bundle

Who signs Florida documentation

Florida-licensed practitioners, working to section 760.27.

Routing verifies a current Florida licence before a case is assigned, and the evaluation is built to produce the kind of practitioner knowledge the statute contemplates.

Licensed Mental Health CounselorLicensed Clinical Social WorkerLicensed Marriage & Family TherapistPsychologist or Psychiatrist

Serving Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Hialeah, Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, Cape Coral and communities across Florida.