FHA Emotional Support Animals
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Emotional Support Dogs again?
The March 25, 2026 decision from the Connecticut Supreme Court in Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities v Mansions takes a small but significant step toward limiting misuse of the Fair Housing Act as a way to avoid pet deposits or “no pets” rules. For full disclosure purposes, I represented the winning landlord throughout… Continue reading
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Disability Rights under the Trump Administration.
Coming on the heels of my presentation of this title (available at Trump and Disability Rights) HUD and Senator Elizabeth Warren have both made significant announcements about fair housing enforcement. On September 17 HUD announced that it was withdrawing a number of guidance documents, including FHEO 2013-01 and 2020-01 and concerning assistance animals. These guidances… Continue reading
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HUD was wrong about pet deposits – it’s as simple as that.
I’ve written quite a few times in the last decade about the absurdity of HUD’s position that landlords cannot charge a fee or deposit for an assistance or emotional support animal.¹ HUD’s position has never made sense because asking for the waiver of a fee or deposit is just another kind of accommodation claim that… Continue reading
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ADA and FHA Enforcement News
Letting someone else do your work for you is a very efficient way to write a blog, but I won’t use any form of AI because it seems to be a lot more A than I. Instead this time I’m pointing you to the work of others, with a few conclusions of my own. Let’s… Continue reading
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Shooting the messenger in FHA cases revisited.
Some time ago I blogged on a case in which a lease broker was sued for conveying to a prospective tenant the owner’s discriminatory refusal to rent.¹ Today I’m taking another look at the shooting the messenger problem, this time with a difference; the messenger was an insurance broker. Thanks to Bill Goren for call… Continue reading