Support animals are no longer a niche thing you hear about fleetingly on the news. There's been an absolutely massive rise in the number of them in recent years.
HOAs have to be prepared to deal with this onslaught. Otherwise, you could become a victim of false support animal claims and the consequences that come with smelly, hair-shedding, possibly aggressive pets. What Ohio HOA pet policies should you be aware of in the Columbus area?
Let's take a look at Columbus HOA regulations, general support animal guide guidelines, and everything in between.
What Is a Support Animal?
Also known as an emotional support animal (or ESA), this is a pet that serves some therapeutic role. In particular, assisting someone with mental health difficulties like PTSD or anxiety. An ESA can be any type of animal, not just a dog.
Support Animals vs. Service Animals
It's important that we immediately dispense with a common confusion that arises from the term "support animal." It boils down to this: support animals are not service animals. The ADA does not give ESAs the same protections.
Service animals have received specialized training to assist their owner with a particular disability. They are essential for the owner to live their everyday life. ESAs, on the other hand, are usually not essential, they are just a therapeutic tool.
How to Get a Support Animal
It's a common misconception that anyone can claim that their pet is a service animal. Nothing could be further from the truth. One must obtain a written document from their licensed therapist for an ESA to count.
Support Animals and the HOA
So how does this apply to an HOA? With service animals, the HOA can do nothing to keep them out of the neighborhood. Owners of service animals do not have to disclose having one, nor their disability.
Ask your expert association manager about ESAs, however, and you'll get a different answer. ESA rules are very different from service animal housing rules.
HOAs Cannot Restrict Support Animals
While they don't have the same protections, ESA owners in Colombus cannot be denied housing. Further, any sort of pet deposit doesn't apply to them. It's only the damage that they cause that their owner is responsible for.
HOAs Can Verify
On the bright side, Columbus association management can do quite a bit to verify that an ESA is actually an ESA. In an effort to increase property value, they are allowed to:
- Request written certification from the therapist
- Require a clean bill of health for the animal
- Evict owners with threatening animals
As you can see, you would need strong proof to deny or evict an ESA owner. It's only if they lie about it, or cause problems later, that you have recourse.
Work with PMI
Support animals are not the same as service animals. However, they do not count as pets, and HOAs cannot bar their owners. Still, the HOA can verify the ESA, request health records, and evict based on threatening behavior.
PMI Scioto Metro in Columbus, OH, is your friend in HOA management. Testimonials from happy customers praise us for solving their problems quickly, courteously, and professionally. Schedule a consult with us today so we can give you the same satisfaction.
