Pets

DO Consider Accommodation Requests for Assistance Animals - DON’T Refuse to Make Any Exception to Pet Policies

It’s particularly challenging to handle requests for assistance animals by residents who’ve been caught violating your pet policies. The longer the resident has been breaking the rules, the more you may wonder whether he’s unfairly trying to pass off his pet as an assistance animal.

However reasonable your suspicions, it’s necessary to set them aside and handle the request as a request for a reasonable accommodation.

Phil Querin Q&A: Pet Violations

 

Question: We are trying to send an eviction notice to a tenant who will not keep their pet inside; it is consistently defecating in a neighbor’s yard. I am confused about which MHCO form to use. I don’t wish to levy a fine[1] as they have already received a citation from the city. The 30-Day eviction for continuing violations (No. 43 seems to be the closest form, but the instructions specifically say it is not to be used for a violation involving a pet. Can you clarify how to send an eviction for this issue? 

 

[1] ORS 90.302 allows fines for the violation of a written pet agreement or of a rule relating to pets in a facility.

 

Phil Querin Q&A: Resident Violates Rules with Multiple Pets

Question: It has recently come to our attention that a tenant is in violation of our two-pet policy, as she has admitted that she has 4 small dogs living in her home.  When we speak with her through her door, the smell of dog urine is overwhelming. We have mailed her a letter explaining that this is rules violation and asked that she remove two of the pets by a certain date.  Our letter warned that if she failed to comply, she would be sent a 30-Day Notice to Vacate. 

 

She stated she would keep the two extra dogs and claim them as service animal. This week she gave us a letter from her nurse practitioner stating she needed the pets for a medical condition. What are our options? We would like to serve her a 30 Day Notice to Vacate for Cause (violating our 2 pet policy). However, she has been speaking with advocacy groups that tell her we have no right to make her get rid of the two “service animals.” 

 

We feel that it is our responsibility as landlords to consistently enforce our community rules, but also don't want to get dragged into costly litigation just to lose in the end due to federal regulations of some kind. 

 

Pets, Service and Comfort Animals--They're Different Under the Americans with Disability Act and Fair Housing Amendment Act?

 

"Pets" are not service or comfort animals under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA). Community residents or prospective residents claiming a disability and desiring to keep a certain "pet" in contravention of a community's "no pet" or "pet restrictive" policy or rules will generally assert, however, that under either or both ADA or FHAA the community must alter its policy or rule to allow a pet as a reasonable accommodation. Evaluating whether an animal is truly a pet or qualifies as a service or support animal requiring a reasonable accommodation can be complex and confusing and should be undertaken seriously, methodically and objectively with the community's counsel. A wrong guess could be costly. Thus, in all cases where either ADA or FHAA may apply, to avoid possible ADA violations the ADA service animal test1 should be applied first. This is because if the animal qualifies under ADA as a service animal it must be permitted to accompany the disabled resident in all areas where persons are normally allowed to go. If the animal does not meet the ADA service animal test, community management must then evaluate a reasonable accommodation request under FHAA statutes and regulations.

 

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