Published September 01, 2026 · Oregon

Sample Oregon ESA Accommodation Request Letter for Landlords (2026 Template)

An emotional support animal letter only does its job when the paperwork around it is handled correctly. In Oregon, that means a letter issued by a licensed mental health professional, delivered to your housing provider through a clear, written reasonable accommodation request. This guide walks through exactly how to structure an Oregon ESA letter to landlord correspondence, includes an ESA accommodation letter template Oregon renters can adapt, and shows you an ESA request letter sample Oregon tenants have used successfully when asking a property manager to waive a no-pets or pet-fee policy.

None of this replaces individualized clinical judgment. A licensed clinician evaluates each client and determines, on a case-by-case basis, whether an emotional support animal may be therapeutically appropriate, there is no template that substitutes for that evaluation.

What Oregon Law Actually Requires

Assistance animals, including emotional support animals, are addressed at both the federal and state level. Federally, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's FHEO-2020-01 notice on assessing reasonable accommodation requests under the Fair Housing Act sets the framework most Oregon landlords and property managers already follow: a housing provider must grant a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal when the request comes from a person with a disability and the animal may alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of that disability.

Oregon layers its own protections on top of the FHA through ORS 659A.143, the state's assistance animal statute, enforced by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) Civil Rights Division. Because statutory language and enforcement guidance can be updated, tenants navigating a dispute should confirm current requirements with a Oregon-licensed attorney rather than relying solely on any article, including this one.

Unlike a handful of other states, Oregon does not currently impose a minimum length-of-relationship requirement before a clinician can issue an ESA letter. That said, an established clinical relationship, even a brief one focused on a genuine evaluation, produces a more defensible letter than a rushed, transactional one.

For a deeper walkthrough of how the federal Fair Housing Act interacts with Oregon's rules, see our guide to the Oregon ESA housing letter and the FHA.

Materials You'll Need

• A completed evaluation with a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) licensed in Oregon, typically an LCSW, LPC, psychologist, psychiatrist, or another qualified provider
• An ESA letter on the clinician's letterhead, including license type, license number, and jurisdiction
• A copy of your current lease or rental agreement
• Any written pet policy, no-pets clause, or pet-fee schedule from your property
• Your landlord's reasonable accommodation request form, if the property provides one
• A cover letter (template below) submitting the request formally and in writing
• A folder or email thread to keep dated copies of everything you send and receive

Step-by-Step: Requesting Your Accommodation

1. Step 1: Complete a clinical evaluation

   Before any letter is drafted, a licensed Oregon clinician will talk with you about your history and current needs. Many people who experience anxiety, depression, PTSD, or similar conditions find that a support animal is therapeutically helpful, but a legitimate provider determines this individually rather than issuing letters automatically. Be wary of any service that promises a letter before an evaluation even begins.

2. Step 2: Confirm the letter meets HUD's content standards

   A compliant ESA letter generally identifies the clinician's license and contact information, confirms a client relationship exists, states that the client has a disability under the FHA (without disclosing the specific diagnosis, which is not required), and states that the animal may alleviate one or more symptoms of that disability. Avoid any letter that references an "ESA registry," "ESA certification," or a national database, HUD has repeatedly confirmed that no such registry exists and that registries are not required or recognized under fair housing law.

3. Step 3: Review your lease and property's pet policy

   Read your lease's pet clause and any addenda carefully. If your building lists a strict no-pets policy, our guide on how no-pets policies interact with ESA requests in Oregon explains why a documented reasonable accommodation request generally overrides a blanket policy for a qualifying assistance animal, and what a housing provider can and cannot ask for in return.

4. Step 4: Draft your written accommodation request

   Submit your request in writing, email is acceptable, but keep a dated copy. Below is a sample structure many Oregon renters have adapted. Replace the bracketed sections with your own information; do not copy the placeholder text as-is.

   [Date]

   [Landlord or Property Manager Name]
   [Property Address]

   Re: Request for Reasonable Accommodation, Assistance Animal

   Dear [Landlord/Property Manager Name],

   I am a tenant at [unit/address] and I am writing to request a reasonable accommodation under the federal Fair Housing Act and Oregon's fair housing protections for persons with disabilities (ORS 659A.143). I have a disability, and my licensed mental health professional has determined that an emotional support animal may help alleviate one or more symptoms of that disability.

   Enclosed is a letter from [Clinician Name], [License Type and Number], confirming this recommendation. I am requesting a waiver of the property's no-pets policy and any associated pet fee for my [type of animal], as emotional support animals are not considered pets under fair housing guidance and HUD's FHEO-2020-01 notice.

   I am happy to provide any additional documentation permitted under the Fair Housing Act to support this request. Please let me know if you require anything further, or if you have questions about how to process this accommodation.

   Sincerely,
   [Your Name]
   [Contact Information]

5. Step 5: Attach the clinician's letter and submit

   Send your cover letter and the clinician's ESA letter together, ideally by email with read receipt or certified mail, and keep copies of everything. Note the date you sent it, Oregon housing providers are expected to respond within a reasonable timeframe, though "reasonable" is assessed case by case rather than tied to a fixed number of days.

6. Step 6: Respond to legitimate follow-up requests only

   A landlord may, in limited circumstances, ask for more information if your disability or disability-related need is not obvious or already documented, but under HUD guidance, they generally cannot demand your specific diagnosis, medical records, or proof of ESA "registration" or "certification," because those do not exist as legal requirements. If a request feels overly invasive, that is a good moment to consult an Oregon-licensed attorney before responding further.

7. Step 7: Know your options if the request is denied

   Sometimes accommodation requests are denied, delayed, or met with unreasonable conditions. If that happens, our guide on what to do when an ESA letter is denied in Oregon and how to appeal walks through the next steps, including filing a complaint with BOLI's Civil Rights Division or HUD, and when it makes sense to bring in legal counsel.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

What to Expect

Many Oregon tenants who follow this process find that a clearly documented, properly sourced request moves through their property management company without significant friction, particularly when the letter is complete and the cover request cites the correct statutes. That said, outcomes vary by property, by housing provider, and by the specifics of each situation, a licensed clinician and, where needed, a licensed attorney are the right resources for anything beyond general information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my ESA letter need to be renewed every year?

Many clinicians recommend periodic renewal so the letter reflects a current evaluation, though Oregon does not set a single statewide renewal interval. Ask your clinician what cadence they recommend for your situation.

Can my landlord charge a pet deposit for my ESA?

Under HUD guidance, assistance animals are not considered pets, so standard pet fees and deposits generally should not apply, though a landlord may still hold a tenant responsible for actual damage the animal causes. A local legal aid office or an Oregon-licensed attorney can clarify how this applies to your lease.

What if my building has a strict weight or breed restriction?

Breed and size restrictions typically do not apply to a qualifying assistance animal under fair housing law, though extreme cases (such as an animal that poses a direct threat) are evaluated individually. See our related guide on no-pets policies and ESA requests in Oregon for more detail.

Disclaimer

This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, mental-health, or legal advice. Whether an emotional support animal may be appropriate for you is a clinical determination made by a licensed mental health professional after an individualized evaluation. For questions about your specific housing situation, disputes with a landlord, or how Oregon and federal fair housing law apply to your circumstances, please consult a Oregon-licensed attorney or your local legal aid office.