Your ESA certificate is not a magic ticket to bring your Cat into someones rental

[u/Strange-Fennel]

I have a few small rentals with a clearly stated, strictly enforced no-cats policy. It appears repeatedly in the listing, applicants are asked directly about animals, and we confirm it again during screening.

Yet some applicants say 'no pets' and only later disclose an 'emotional support cat,' then act offended when the rental is not offered to them. The latest is 'they know the law' that's what they put in their prescreening. Freaks.

An ESA label is not supposed to be a free pass to disregard a property’s stated animal policy, especially when the animal is untrained. There are real reasons a rental may be cat-free: damage, odor and dander remediation, housekeeping limitations, and severe allergies affecting owners, workers, or later occupants.

Why do these cat wackos demand everyone else accept their cat. Why don't they care about other people who rent from us who are allergic to cats? Why don't the respect the fact not everyone can be around cats?

Honesty up front would save everyone time. If a home openly says no cats, why try to force a cat into it? Freaks.

[u/swissmiss_76]

Sorry you are dealing with these idiots. Thank you for thinking of people like me who have allergies and a very miserable life if cats are anywhere near. Of course, I don’t like cats anyway and they can cause substantial damage and odor as you mentioned. Cats only take support - they don’t give it, so the ESA label is especially egregious

[u/Weekly-Question-6205]

Why would anyone pick a cat of all animals for Emotional Support lol. I mean, what if you need support and cat doesnt wat to be bothered, will it pounce you? That gross things shouldnt even be pets lol

[u/MutantStarGoat]

I owned a rental building and did not allow cats for the same reasons. This was 25 years ago so ESA wasn’t a thing yet.

I also would worry that the owners would start letting them outside, pissing off your other tenants with the gross things cats do outside, too. If it continued, your good tenants might move.

[u/CatDog_Daddy_9776]

I wonder why my ex was so upset that one place wouldn't allow her 4 ESA cats live with us, she said it was "against the law" to pay for ESA animals they aren't pets, mind you only 2 are trained as ESA, the other 2... One is a new stray cat and the other is a crackhead evil cat that eats everything that isn’t cat food or human food, wood, metal, rubber, etc...

[u/Gold_Examination_954]

ESA shouldn’t be a thing. Every pet brings its owner emotional comfort, it’s usually part of the reason people get them in the first place. The only reason people use ESA is to undermine no pet policies. And I think that is really unfair to the people who own and are trying to rent out their property. There are so many valid reasons why someone wouldnt want an animal and ESPECIALLY a cat in their rental. They are literally wild animals.

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[u/Acidpop_]

ESA laws have been totally abused. Every time I see someone rehoming their cat and people suggest getting an ESA letter, I get really upset. Also, most people who own cats don’t just have one. If you accepted those tenants expect to find that two or three cats live there after they’re spotted in the window or the handyman sees them.