ESA Letters for Massachusetts Residents

ESA Laws in Massachusetts

According to the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), Massachusetts residents can live just about anywhere with their emotional support animal (or other assistance animal). These laws state that any housing provider must make reasonable accommodation for a current or potential tenant to live with their assistance animal, as long as they can provide a valid ESA letter. This is the case even if the landlord typically has a no-pets policy. They also cannot impose any additional fees or breed or weight restrictions on the individual. 

Travel laws concerning emotional support animals have undergone some recent changes. With updates to the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), emotional support animals are no longer required to be accepted in the cabin of a flight (though service animals still have this protection). If you'd like to fly with your emotional support animal, check with the airline ahead of time and see if they might accommodate them. If not, you can have your support animal fly with you in the cabin in a carrier, as any regular pet would, or you might consider having them trained as a psychiatric service animal. 

Massachusetts state law and federal law do not specify any requirement for employers to allow employees to bring their emotional support animals to work. While they must admit trained service dogs, when it comes to ESAs, the decision is at the discretion of the employer. Bring your ESA letter and ask your HR department if they might choose to accommodate you. 

While service animals must be admitted in virtually all public places, emotional support animals do not share these rights. You can always bring along your ESA letter and ask an establishment if they will recognize emotional support animals and allow you to enter with yours. Otherwise, it may be best to leave your emotional support animal at home or stick to places that are already pet-friendly.