Naples, Florida is known for its serene beaches, luxurious communities, and growing retiree population. While its relaxed pace offers comfort to many, residentsâespecially seasonal renters, retirees, and those living in HOA or condo-regulated housingâcan still face emotional stress, loneliness, or anxiety. An emotional support animal (ESA) offers a proven way to support mental well-being and gain legal housing protections.
Pettable is trusted nationwide for providing fast, legally compliant ESA letters tailored to each stateâs requirementsâincluding Florida. Our process is fully online, and our clinicians are licensed in Florida, ensuring your letter is valid and accepted by landlords and condo boards across Naples.
At Pettable, we make getting your ESA letter simple and stress-free. Our secure, fast, and fully remote process ensures that Naples residents can connect with licensed mental health professionals without leaving home. In just a few steps, youâll be on your way to securing the housing or travel rights you and your pet deserve:

All ESA letters through Pettable fully comply with Florida law. Each letter is issued by a licensed Florida provider who has a legitimate therapeutic relationship and personal knowledge of your mental health, ensuring it meets all state legal standards.


From companionship to calm, ESAs offer a range of benefits that are especially impactful in Naples:
- Emotional support for anxiety, depression, PTSD, or chronic loneliness
- Housing protections in condos, gated communities, and strict HOAs
- Ideal year-round climate for bonding with your ESA outdoors
ESAs are especially beneficial for:
- Retirees facing isolation or life transitions
- Snowbirds adjusting to seasonal moves
- Adults managing long-term stress, depression, or PTSD
- Families supporting children with anxiety or emotional challenges
Whether you're a full-time resident or seasonal snowbird, a valid ESA letter lets you keep your emotional support animal in housingâeven if pets are typically restricted.
ESA Laws in Florida That Affect Naples Residents
Under the Fair Housing Act and Florida Statute 760.27, Naples residents are legally protected when they have a valid ESA letter:
- Landlords and HOAs must accommodate your ESA.
- You cannot be charged pet rent, pet deposits, or additional fees.
- ESA letters must come from licensed Florida providers who understand your condition.
- Public access is not grantedâESAs are not allowed in restaurants, shops, or other public places unless pet-friendly.
Additional protections include:
- No discrimination: Breed, size, or species restrictions do not apply if the animal is reasonable.
- Timely responses: Landlords must reply to ESA accommodation requests within a reasonable timeframe.
- Documentation boundaries: Landlords can request your ESA letter but not access private medical records.
Pettable ESA letters follow all Florida state laws. Your letter will come from a licensed Florida professional who knows your mental health history and can provide valid documentation that meets legal requirements.
Even with housing protections, ESA owners must follow local regulations in Naples:
- Licensing: Dogs and cats must be licensed and vaccinated by Collier County.
- Leash laws: Dogs must be leashed in public, unless in designated off-leash areas.
- Tethering rules: Humane treatment laws applyâno excessive tethering.
- Noise ordinances: Barking or disruptive animals can lead to HOA or neighbor complaints.
- Waste pickup: Owners must clean up after pets in public.
These rules apply to all pet owners and ESA handlers alike. Learn about Collier County pet laws.

While ESAs do not have public access rights under ADA, Naples offers many pet-welcoming areas for leashed outdoor time and bonding. Enjoy an ocean breeze walk with your ESA at Naples Dog Park, or browse local boutiques with your companion at Waterside Shops. These everyday moments can boost emotional clarity and reduce stress.
- Naples Dog Park â Fenced, shady, and divided by dog size
- Bone Hook Brewing Company â A craft-beer taproom with a covered patio where leashed dogs are welcome.
- Janeâs CafĂ© on 3rd â Popular breakfast/brunch spot in open-air courtyards; dogs often greet regulars.
- M Waterfront Grille â Upscale waterfront dining with a pet-welcoming alfresco terrace.
- Chez BoĂ«t â French bistro in Crayton Cove offering organic dog treats and water views from the terrace.â
- Sunburst CafĂ© â Costa Rican-inspired cafĂ© with a relaxed, dog-friendly patio for breakfast and lunch.
- Waterside Shops â High-end outdoor mall welcoming leashed pets
- Paws Pet Boutique â Charming shop for pet gear and giftsâ
- Pet Supplies Plus â Kings Lake Square â Local location with pet-friendly in-store shopping
Always verify pet policies and leash rules, and remember that businesses are not legally required to allow ESAs unless they are housing providers.
Understanding the legal difference matters:
- Emotional Support Animals (ESAs): Offer comfort for emotional conditions. No training required. Protected in housing only.
- Service Animals: Trained to perform specific tasks for a disability. Protected under the ADA with full public access rights.
In Florida, falsely claiming an ESA is a service animal is a misdemeanor offense punishable by fines and community service.
Frequently Asked Questions
An emotional support animal helps individuals who are suffering from mental and/or emotional disabilities by providing support.
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Once previously overlooked mental health conditions are more easily diagnosed as medical professional learn more about mental health and in many cases, an ESA is a critical part of the coping process. While ESAs are not the same as service animals because they are not trained to perform a specific task, an ESA can be just as important to a person as a service animal. ESAs are responsible providing their owners with a comforting presence which can facilitate the performing of daily life's tasks. Just like service animals, ESAs have right under state and federal laws.
A Licensed Professional In Your State - All of our Licensed Mental Health Professionals are fully qualified and have passed board exams. The LMHP we select if you reside in Florida will be one that is legally qualified to approve ESA Letters for the state of Florida.
Most of the time, no. It used to be that ESAs were required to be allowed on any flight with any airline. Recently, however, this has changed. Airlines are no longer required to accommodate support animals â only service animals.
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Some companies have still kept their ESA programs in place. But many domestic airlines have chosen not to. Be sure to check with airlines before choosing your flight to find out if they will accommodate your furry companion.
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If your ESA will not be accommodated by the airline, they will need to fly with you as any other pet would â including any fees or regulations applicable for flying with a pet.
Yes, absolutely. In 2020, a new law was enacted in Florida to prevent this misuse of ESAs. However, since that the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is a federal law, it is still applicable and enforceable in Florida. This law allows owners of ESAs to live with their assistance animals in any housing â including places with a âno-petâ policy.
No. Since federal law protects individuals with ESAs and service animals, a condominium landlord cannot discriminate against those individuals nor deny their reasonable requests for accommodation.
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This means, though, that the accommodation request must be reasonable, and that the animal poses no threat to others or the property.
The process to get an ESA in Florida is rather straightforward â you must have a live consultation with a mental health professional licensed in the state of Florida. If the clinician determines you are eligible for an ESA, they will write you an ESA letter certifying your animal as a legitimate support animal and an important part of your treatment for a mental or emotional health condition.
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For more information on how to get an ESA letter, check out this post.
Nearly any mental or emotional disability can qualify for an ESA. Ultimately, it is up to a licensed mental health professional to decide if an individualâs condition may be benefited from animal companionship.
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Some common disabilities that may be improved by having an ESA include:
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* Anxiety
* Depression
* Post-traumatic stress disorder
* Stress
* Personality disorders
* Schizophrenia
* Phobias
In 2020, a new Florida bill was passed in an attempt to clarify laws surrounding the use of ESAs. It also aimed to prevent the misuse of such assistance animals.
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The law requires that landlords accept individuals with disabilities and their ESAs. They cannot ask you what your diagnosis is. They also cannot require that your ESA have special training. They cannot charge you any extra for having an ESA.
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The new law also clarifies that an ID card, patch, certificate, or other registration isnât enough to prove your companion is, in fact, an ESA. The only way to legitimize an ESA is through a valid ESA letter written by a mental health professional licensed in the state of Florida who has provided care to you at least once.
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The letter must specify that you have a mental or emotional disability for which the animal is necessary to treat your condition or ease your symptoms. The letter also must be on the LMHPâs letterhead and include their license details, the issue date, and state.
While service animals can generally go anywhere in public, support animals donât have the same access and legal protection. ESAs are required by law to be allowed in any residence, regardless of whether that place typically allows pets or not. But only some airlines allow ESAs.
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Other public places, such as hotels, restaurants, and stores, have no obligation to allow your ESA to enter. However, if you ask ahead of time and provide your ESA letter, some places may choose to be accommodating of your ESA.
There is no limit to the amount of emotional support animals you can have in Florida. The longer answer is a bit more nuanced in that each ESA must help you with your disability in some way shape or form. Additionally, your request must be reasonable (i.e. bringing 5 Great Danes into a Florida studio apartment likely won't be reasonable).
An emotional support animal is very similar to a service animal in that they both help relieve symptoms of a mental or emotional disability. However, service animals can be used to help with both physical and mental/emotional disabilities.
Additionally, service animals are held to a different standard of training. At Pettable we can evaluate clients to see if they present with mental or emotional disabilities that would qualify them for a psychiatric service animal (more on this below).
No, a landlord cannot deny an emotional support animal in Florida if you have a valid ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional in your state.
While there is no official âregistrationâ for ESAs, you do need an ESA letter to legitimize your animal as an emotional support companion. Once you obtain a valid ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional, your dog is recognized as an official ESA.
Public places, such as restaurants and stores, have no legal obligation to accommodate your ESA. But, of course, it doesnât hurt to ask, and some places may allow your furry companion to enter if you simply show them your ESA letter.
Anxiety can qualify for an emotional support animal in Florida if it presents as a disability that impairs your life in one or more ways. To find out if your anxiety qualifies for an ESA get in touch with one of our clinicians for a mental health evaluation risk free (if you don't get approved we'll refund you 100%).
No. The FHA protects individuals with disabilities from being discriminated against by housing providers. Because of this, even a landlord who typically charges for pets to be allowed on the premises cannot charge for your to keep your emotional support pets with you.
An emotional support animal is very similar to a psychiatric service animal in that they both help relieve symptoms of a mental or emotional disability. The process for qualifying for an ESA or PSA is exactly the same.
Where they differ is in the standard of training. A Psychiatric Service Animal has training standards that they are required to meet (no formal evaluation is necessary, but the ADA puts out general guidelines) whereas an emotional support animal does not need to meet any behavioral or training standards. A PSA needs to meet the following criteria:
1. Well Mannered In Public - This means they generally need to not bark, chase other dogs, jump on other people, and basically need to behave well when outside of your home.
2. Trained To Perform A Task That Alleviates A Symptom of Your Mental Health Disability - This can be any task as long as it helps impact your mental or emotional disability in some way.
For more information on Psychiatric Service Animals please read our blog article "What Is A Psychiatric Service Animal".
The easiest and quickest way to find out if you qualify for an emotional support animal letter is to connect with a licensed mental health professional online. Telemedicine eliminates the hassle of long lines or needing to go physically in person for an evaluation. Connected with experienced mental health professionals from the comfort of your own home to find out if you qualify for an emotional support animal in Florida.