{"id":1623,"date":"2025-07-24T11:57:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T18:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/?p=1623"},"modified":"2025-07-24T13:31:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T20:31:01","slug":"service-animals-esas-vs-insurance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/service-animals-esas-vs-insurance","title":{"rendered":"Service Animals &#038; ESAs vs. Insurance Companies: What Prevails When the Animal Is a Restricted Breed?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As a property management company, one of the most common questions we get from landlords is:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIf my insurance policy restricts certain dog breeds, can I deny a resident\u2019s<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/emotional-support-vs-service-animal-whats-the-difference\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">emotional support animal or service dog<\/a> if it falls under that list?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a critical question, and the answer is one that every landlord needs to understand clearly. On one hand, insurance carriers often impose restrictions on certain dog breeds due to liability concerns. On the other hand, federal housing and disability laws require landlords to make accommodations for residents with disabilities, including those with emotional support animals (ESAs) and service animals.<\/p>\n<p>I will break down the legal obligations, explain how insurance limitations interact with federal law, and outline the steps landlords must take to remain compliant while also protecting themselves and their property.<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1624 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Blog1-300x200.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"515\" height=\"343\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Blog1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Blog1.png 476w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 515px) 100vw, 515px\" \/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Federal law treats these animals i<strong>n a very different manner<\/strong>. Service animals have broader protections, including access to public places and stronger legal enforcement. However, both are protected under the <strong>Fair Housing Act<\/strong> when it comes to rental housing.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Federal Law Overrides Breed Restrictions<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s a pit bull, Rottweiler, or German Shepherd, the <strong>Fair Housing Act<\/strong> prohibits landlords from applying <strong>breed, size, or weight<\/strong> <strong>restrictions<\/strong> to service animals or ESAs. The <strong>Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)<\/strong> and the <strong>Department of Justice (DOJ)<\/strong> are very clear:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><strong>Landlords must evaluate accommodation requests individually and may not rely on<\/strong><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><strong>insurance breed restrictions alone to deny them.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><b>Why Insurers Restrict Certain Breeds<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s no question that dog-related liability is a real financial concern. Here are key stats from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iii.org\/article\/spotlight-on-dog-bite-liability?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Insurance Information Institute<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>22,658 dog bite-related claims<\/strong> were filed with U.S. insurance companies in 2024\u2014a 19% increase from 2023.<\/li>\n<li><strong>$1.57 billion<\/strong> was paid out in 2024, representing a 41% increase from the previous year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The average cost per claim was $69,272,<\/strong> up 18% year over year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Over <strong>4.5 million Americans<\/strong> are bitten by dogs annually, with 800,000 requiring medical care.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These rising numbers explain why many insurance policies list \u201cdangerous breeds.\u201d But even with this data, federal housing and disability law still take priority.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1630 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MUST-DO-text-on-sticky-notes-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MUST-DO-text-on-sticky-notes-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MUST-DO-text-on-sticky-notes-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/MUST-DO-text-on-sticky-notes.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What Landlords Must Do When Faced With a Restricted Breed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If a resident\u2019s ESA or service animal is a restricted breed under your current insurance policy, here\u2019s what you\u2019re legally required to do:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Request written documentation<\/strong> from your insurance carrier showing the policy restriction and any denial of coverage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Obtain quotes from other insurers<\/strong>\u2014show that you explored alternative carriers who might insure the property despite the animal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Document all communications<\/strong>\u2014including dates, names, quotes, and correspondence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Unless you can prove that accommodating the animal would cause an undue financial or administrative burden, you must allow the animal, even if it\u2019s a restricted breed.<\/p>\n<h3><b>New Legal Precedent \u2014 <\/b><b><i>Chhang v. West Coast USA Properties (Feb 2025)<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n<p>In a recent federal case, a landlord denied a resident\u2019s request to keep a pit bull as an ESA, citing the advice of their insurance broker. However, the resident sued for housing discrimination under the FHA.<\/p>\n<p>The court ruled:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Insurance breed restrictions <strong>cannot automatically justify<\/strong> denying an ESA.<\/li>\n<li>The landlord failed to show they had verified the actual policy terms.<\/li>\n<li>The case was allowed to proceed, reinforcing the resident\u2019s right to be reasonably accommodated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Key takeaway<\/strong>: Even insurance brokers can be held accountable for misrepresenting policy terms. Landlords must <strong>validate everything in writing<\/strong> before taking action.<\/p>\n<p><strong style=\"color: #4d97e0; font-size: clamp(28px, 2.7vw, 30px);\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1631 aligncenter\" style=\"color: #404040; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 300;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Dog-wearing-service-dog-vest--300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Dog-wearing-service-dog-vest--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Dog-wearing-service-dog-vest--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Dog-wearing-service-dog-vest-.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What About Service Animals and Insurance Conflicts?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If the animal is a <strong>service dog<\/strong>, the legal protections are even stronger.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><strong>An insurance company generally cannot deny coverage simply because the service<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>animal is a restricted breed.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Under the A<strong>mericans with Disabilities Act (ADA)<\/strong> and the FHA, service animals must be accommodated without regard to breed or size restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>As a landlord:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You <strong>must allow<\/strong> the service animal, regardless of insurance policy restrictions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>If your insurer refuses to cover your property because of the breed, you are still required to:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li>Get the denial in writing,<\/li>\n<li>Seek quotes from other providers,<\/li>\n<li>Document all efforts to secure compliant insurance coverage.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Only if you can show that <strong>no reasonable insurance option is available<\/strong> may you potentially deny the request, and even then, this is a high legal bar to meet.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1629 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Man-with-question-mark-symbol--300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Man-with-question-mark-symbol--300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Man-with-question-mark-symbol--768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Man-with-question-mark-symbol-.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What You Can Do<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>To stay protected and compliant:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Require <strong>valid documentation<\/strong> for ESAs and a verbal or written explanation of a service animal\u2019s function (only if the disability is not obvious).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Require <strong>renter\u2019s insurance<\/strong> with animal liability coverage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Use a <strong>written ESA\/service animal agreement<\/strong> outlining behavior expectations, cleaning, and care standards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Monitor animal behavior and <strong>document any issues<\/strong> (e.g., aggression, damage, nuisance).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1625 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Blog2-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"379\" height=\"379\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Blog2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Blog2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Blog2.png 348w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 379px) 100vw, 379px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Your Action Plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>1. Review your current insurance policy\u2019s breed restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>2. Ensure that any denial of coverage is in writing.<\/p>\n<p>3. Proactively identify insurers who accommodate restricted-breed ESAs\/service animals.<\/p>\n<p>4. Set up an internal process to evaluate and document ESA and service animal requests.<\/p>\n<p>5. Consult us before taking any action that may result in denial\u2014we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Final Word<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Federal law is clear: <strong>Disability accommodations take precedence over insurance policy restrictions.<\/strong> As a landlord, the best protection comes from:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Understanding the law,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Documenting every step,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>And treating each case individually,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Use a third-party company, such as <a href=\"http:\/\/Petscreening.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Petscreening.com<\/a>, to verify the legitimacy of an ESA or service animal. There's so much fraud that it\u2019s difficult for the landlord to determine if the documents are authentic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Don't let misinformation or assumptions expose you to liability. With our team by your side, you\u2019ll stay compliant and confident. Contact us today for expert guidance and peace of mind\u2014because when it comes to fair housing, getting it right matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a property management company, one of the most common questions we get from landlords is: \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u201cIf my insurance policy restricts certain dog breeds, can I deny a resident\u2019s \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 emotional support animal or service dog if it falls under that list?\u201d It\u2019s a critical question, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1627,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,16,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-landlord-education","category-property-ownership","category-resident-education"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.managementone.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}