Boards should assume good faith in service or emotional support animal requests. They must remove
the emotions and attributed motives, defer to processes, and avoid knee-jerk responses.
Some residents may try to game the process, but boards must not lose sight of the underlying legal
issues in this situation. People with disabilities have a right to reasonable accommodation, and that
should take precedence.
Boards walk a fine line when there is pushback on a resident with an animal. Boards need to be
circumspect in handling such inquiries and respond without providing too much detail about the
individual. For example, boards could simply state that a resident requested an animal, and the board
reviewed and approved the request with the advice of counsel.
Boards can also reevaluate restrictive pet policies if residents are upset about service animals in the
community. Community values change over time, so rules enacted many years ago may not be relevant
to current residents.
What's the Best Way for a Board to
Address Concerns About Abuse or Fraud
Related Emotional Support Animals
in a Community?
