The average cost of pet rent can range anywhere from an additional $25 to $100 a month. Of course, this depends on the individual landlord. These costs may be going up; some experts expect an overall increase in rental rates.
Looking for a way around such fees, one man believes he’s found just the hack.
TikToker Kyle Bell (@thekylebell) says it’s easy and cheap to avoid pet rent.
“I just learned this life hack [for] when you’re signing a new apartment,” Bell begins.
“If you have a pet, they make you spend like $500 on a pet deposit when you move in,” he continues. “[This] is a really easy way to completely avoid that.”
The post has been watched roughly 600,000 times and liked over 20,000 times.
What did he discover?
Bells says the trick is simple: register your pet as a service animal.
“You go online, it’s like 60 bucks per pet, and it takes a few minutes, and you can get an ESA letter,” Bell says.
An ESA (Emotional Support Animal) letter verifies a person needs a support animal to treat a mental health condition. These are provided by licensed mental health professionals and must be signed to assure authenticity.
“Just means you don’t have to pay that deposit, don’t have to pay that pet rent. It’s such a great life hack,” Bell concludes.
But, is it true?
For the most part, Bell is correct. The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits discrimination against tenants in their homes. This means that individuals with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations, including service and emotional support animals.
Under the FHA, even if a lease prohibits or restricts pets, landlords are required to allow tenants to have assistance animals. This animal can be a cat, dog, or other type of companion, and is not required to be trained.
Landlords can be investigated for discrimination if they fail to comply with the FHA.
Commenters were quick to point out the finer points of the law. For example, landlords can charge a security deposit. And it is more complicated to get one registered as a full-fledged service animal, as you must have a disability.
“It’s not a service animal, it’s an emotional support animal letter from a doctor/therapist,” one commenter said.
Does the hack work?
Many commenters weighed in with their own experiences.
“Got my dog registered 3 years ago for $100, have been using the same document since. Best $100 ever spent,” one viewer shared.
“My apt ‘doesn’t accept any pets,’ but I just asked for their Emotional Support Animal form, had my GP fill it out using anxiety as the reason, and the apt can’t deny it. Not charged either,” another added.
Other viewers jokingly said they’d found another weigh to avoid the fees: lie.
“I just don’t tell them I have a pet,” one viewer shared.
How do you do it?
People agreed that getting a pet certified as an emotional support animal simply requires a letter from a mental health professional.
“If you have a therapist you can just ask them to give you an ESA letter. Legit paid nothing to register my pet,” one explained.
Many also shared knowledge about ways to get an ESA letter online. There are myriad websites that offer this service. Some promise the letter within 24 hours.
As with anything online, it is possible to get scammed. You should make sure the therapist is licensed in your jurisdiction and the letter complies with all legal requirements.
@thekylebell Lifehack: no pet rent
♬ original sound – BellPark
The Daily Dot reached out to Kyle Bell (@thekylebell) via TikTok direct message for comment.
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