ESA Letter Verification for Landlords & Property Managers
A ValidESA guide · Updated · General information, not legal or medical advice
In short
Look up a ValidESA letter
What verification confirms, and what it does not
| Check | What you see |
|---|---|
| Status | Valid; replaced by a newer version; not valid (withdrawn); or not found |
| Letter | ESA letter or psychiatric service dog letter, its issue date and version |
| Name | Partly hidden; you can check the full name as written on the letter |
| File | Optional: whether a PDF is exactly the issued file (the file stays on your device) |
| Never shown | Diagnosis, assessment answers, clinical notes or contact details |
| Not covered | The clinician’s license status (check it with the state board) and letters from other services |
How ValidESA letters are issued
- Only after an evaluation by a clinician licensed for the state the tenant is in during the evaluation
- The clinician decides independently; when they don't approve, no letter is issued
- Each letter carries the clinician's name, license type, license number and state
- ValidESA records a verification ID for each issued letter; a corrected letter gets a new ID and the old one reads as replaced
See who evaluates ValidESA requests and how the evaluation works.
What housing providers may and may not ask for
A housing provider may ask for reliable documentation of a disability-related need when the disability or the need is not obvious, and may check that a letter comes from a licensed professional. A diagnosis or full medical records usually aren't needed to evaluate a request, and registry certificates, vests and ID cards carry no legal weight.
HUD's guidance changed, not the law. HUD withdrew its 2020 assistance-animal notice (effective September 2025), and under its May 2026 enforcement guidance HUD says it will pursue animal-related complaints only where the animal is individually trained to do work or perform tasks. The Fair Housing Act and its reasonable-accommodation regulation are unchanged: housing providers must still consider reasonable-accommodation requests and may deny one only in limited situations, such as a direct threat or substantial damage from the specific animal; people can still go to court; and state and local fair housing laws may also protect emotional support animal requests. See emotional support animal laws and can a landlord deny an emotional support animal?
Checking a letter from another service
Our lookup covers ValidESA letters only. For any other letter, check that it has what a reliable letter usually contains and check the clinician's license with the state board. See our ESA letter sample and are online ESA letters legit?
For property managers: a simple process
- Intake: log the request, the date you received it and the date on the letter.
- Verify: for a ValidESA letter, run the lookup above with the tenant's verification ID; for any letter, check the clinician's license.
- Respond: answer in writing, with specific reasons for any concern.
- Record: keep disability-related documents separate from the general tenant file.
If a letter is old, some housing providers ask for a more recent one; tenants can get one through ESA letter renewal.
For tenants
Your verification ID is in your ValidESA customer portal, next to your letter. Share the ID or the verification link with your accommodation request so your landlord can check it. Need a letter? ValidESA ESA letters start at $99, and a letter is issued only if the clinician approves.
ESA Verification: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a ValidESA letter?
Enter the verification ID the tenant gives you in the form on this page, or open the verification link they share. Tenants find the ID in their ValidESA customer portal. For letters from other services, check the clinician’s license with the state licensing board.
What is an ESA verification ID?
A random reference ValidESA records when a letter is issued, in the form VE-XXXX-XXXX. It is shown in the tenant’s customer portal rather than printed on the letter, and it confirms whether that letter was issued through ValidESA and is still current.
What does the verification result show?
Whether the letter is valid, has been replaced by a newer version, is no longer valid, or cannot be found, plus the letter type, issue date and a partly hidden name. You can also check the full name or the PDF file. It never shows health information.
Does verification confirm the clinician’s license?
No. It confirms the letter. The clinician’s name, license type, license number and state are on the letter, and you can check the license with that state’s licensing board.
Can a landlord ask for my diagnosis?
Usually not. When a disability or the need for the animal is not obvious, a housing provider may ask for reliable documentation of the disability-related need, which a letter from a licensed professional normally provides without stating a diagnosis or including medical records. If you are asked for records, a fair housing agency can advise you.
Can a landlord charge pet rent or a pet deposit for an ESA?
There is no single answer. Asking for pet rent, fees or deposits to be waived can be part of a reasonable-accommodation request under the Fair Housing Act. HUD’s 2020 notice, which said those charges generally should not apply to an approved assistance animal, was withdrawn, so check your state and local law and ask for the waiver in writing. Tenants remain responsible for actual damage.
What if a landlord does not accept my letter?
Ask for the reason in writing and read ValidESA’s guide on whether a landlord can deny an emotional support animal. You can also contact your state or local fair housing agency, HUD or a housing attorney.
Does verification cost anything?
No. The verification page is free and needs no account. To prevent misuse, the number of lookups from one connection in a short time is limited.
Related guides
This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. A letter is issued only if a licensed clinician approves it, and no letter can guarantee that a housing provider will approve a request. Laws differ by state. Questions about an order, a cancellation or a refund: contact us or read our Refund & Cancellation terms. See also the Privacy Policy. If you are in crisis in the United States, call or text 988.