Updated October 2026
ESA housing rights in Texas: what changed in 2026
You will read on other sites that “a landlord can’t deny an emotional support animal.” That is no longer a safe summary. Here is what is true now, and what still gets a request accepted.
What HUD changed
In September 2025 the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development withdrew the 2020 guidance that told housing providers how to handle assistance-animal requests. On May 22, 2026 it issued an enforcement memorandum: HUD’s fair-housing office will now pursue complaints only where the animal has been individually trained to help with a disability. An untrained emotional support animal no longer has HUD enforcement behind it.
What did not change
The Fair Housing Act itself was not amended, and private lawsuits under it are still possible. Texas has its own law: the Texas Fair Housing Act, Property Code Chapter 301, which prohibits disability discrimination in housing and still requires providers to consider reasonable-accommodation requests. Many Texas landlords and property managers continue to accept properly verified letters because an individualised, case-by-case review remains the safe course for them. What has changed is that a weak or unverifiable letter is now easy to refuse.
What a landlord can ask — and cannot
A provider may ask for reliable documentation from a professional who has evaluated you, and may contact that professional to confirm it. A provider may not demand your diagnosis, medical history, or a specific form sworn under penalty of perjury, and may not charge a pet deposit or pet rent for an animal it has accepted as an accommodation. A provider may still act on an animal that is dangerous or causes damage.
What makes a letter survive verification
The clinician’s full name, license type and Texas license number, which a landlord can look up on the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council or Texas Medical Board site.
Clinic letterhead with a phone number and address that reach the clinician.
A statement that the clinician evaluated you and has a professional relationship with you, and the date the evaluation began.
That you have a disability as defined by fair-housing law and that the animal provides support related to it — without listing a diagnosis.
Each animal named separately, with why each one is part of your support.
Nothing a verifier flags as “internet-only”: no registry numbers, ID cards, QR badges, airline or hotel language, or a stack of legal boilerplate.
Every letter an Amu clinician issues is built this way, and landlord verification is included. Your letter names the clinician, their Texas license number and a clinic contact, and the clinician answers a landlord’s or screening service’s verification request within 2 business days at no extra charge.
What to send your landlord
- 1
Ask in writing
Email or submit through the portal your building uses. State that you are requesting a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal under the Fair Housing Act and Texas Property Code Chapter 301, and attach the letter.
- 2
Expect a verification request
Many managers use a screening service (PetScreening, OurPetPolicy, MyPetPolicy). They will email or call the clinician on the letter. With Amu that reply is included and comes within 2 business days — you do not pay extra for it.
- 3
Answer only what is allowed
A housing provider may confirm that the letter is genuine and that you have a disability-related need. They may not ask for your diagnosis, medical records or a demonstration of the animal’s tasks.
- 4
Keep the paper trail
Save every email. If a provider rejects the letter within 60 days and verification does not resolve it, send us the rejection: you get a full refund, no HUD complaint required, and we will tell you which Texas and federal routes remain open to you.
Our guarantee
If a landlord rejects the letter within 60 days of issue and the clinician’s verification does not resolve it, you receive a full refund. You do not have to file a HUD complaint first. Refunds are also available within 30 days of purchase for any reason.
This page is general information about housing law as of October 2026, not legal advice. For a dispute with a specific provider, contact a Texas fair-housing organisation or an attorney. Air travel is governed by separate rules; an ESA letter does not provide airline access.