How much a letter should say
Answers
Two facts, the licence details, and nothing else. More is not stronger.
What has to be there
- That you have a disability within the meaning of the Fair Housing Act.
- That the animal alleviates one or more symptoms or effects of it.
- The clinician name, credentials, licence type, number, issuing state and expiration.
- A date and a signature.
Why more is worse
A letter naming your diagnosis hands a housing provider information they were never entitled to and cannot be made to forget. It will sit in a management file, be seen by staff who change, and colour how you are treated for the rest of the tenancy. There is no upside: a provider evaluating reliability is looking at the licence, not at the diagnosis.
The thing people get backwards
A long clinical narrative feels more convincing and is not. What makes a letter persuasive is that it is checkable and that it addresses the connection between the disability and the animal. A page of symptoms with no statement of what the animal does is a weak letter however detailed it is.
If a provider asks for more
You can decline, and declining is not a refusal to cooperate. Offer instead to have the clinician confirm authenticity. A provider who insists on a diagnosis is asking for something they are not entitled to, and that is worth putting in writing.
Common questions
- My letter already names my diagnosis. Is that a problem?
- It is not invalid. If you have not sent it yet, ask for a version without. If you have, there is nothing to undo, which is exactly why the rule exists.