Hotels are often reluctant to allow guests to bring their emotional support animals into their rooms. Is this really necessary, or is it just another way for them to make extra money?
Emotional support animals (ESAs) are animals that provide comfort to their owners. They can include dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, fish, horses, and even miniature ponies.
Some people choose ESAs because they suffer from anxiety or depression. Others simply want to ensure that their pets are safe during travel.
While some hotels are willing to accommodate ESAs, others are not. In fact, some hotels don’t allow ESAs at all. This means that you may have to pay extra for a room that has no pet restrictions.
If your hotel doesn’t accept ESAs, ask if there is any other accommodation available nearby. You might be able to find an alternative with more flexible policies.
Rules In Hotels For Emotional Support Animals
If your hotel does allow ESAs, the rules vary depending on whether you’re staying in a standard room or a suite.
Standard rooms usually require that the animal stays outside the room. Suites typically allow ESAs inside the room as long as they remain under the owner’s control.
If you need to keep your ESA inside the room, you should always ask first. While most hotels will allow this, some won’t. It’s best to avoid these situations by asking ahead of time.
You also shouldn’t leave your ESA unattended in the room. A lot of hotels will allow you to take your dog out for walks around the property.
However, many don’t allow you to do so while your ESA remains in the room. This could lead to problems when you return.
You should never tie up your ESA. Although you might think that this would help prevent the animal from running away, it actually makes things worse.
Animals who are tied up cannot move freely, which can cause stress.
Some hotels will let you use a leash or harness to restrain your ESA. However, others will not. Again, you should check before booking.
Make sure that your ESA is properly trained. Many hotels will only allow trained service animals to enter their premises. If your ESA isn’t trained, you should seek out somewhere else to stay.
Make sure that you know what kind of accommodations you’ll receive. For example, some hotels offer suites with separate living areas.
These types of rooms come with larger beds, private bathrooms, and additional amenities.
Many hotels also offer family-friendly packages. These include special rates for children, free breakfast, and discounts on parking.
When choosing where to stay, consider how much you value your pet. If you love your furry friend, then you probably want to book a hotel that allows ESAs.
Otherwise, you should look for one that offers the services you need without charging you extra for them.
If They Say No, Then They’re Not An Emotional Support Animal Hotel
You can bring your dog or cat anywhere in the world, as long as it is not considered dangerous to other animals or humans.
If you need to travel with your pet, you should check out our guide on traveling with dogs and cats. The ESA application process at CertaPet begins with a quick, free screening test.
You can take it today and see if you may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. It takes just five minutes. If you pass the test, we’ll send you instructions on how to complete your application.
Do Emotional Support Animal Laws Apply To Hotels?
Service Animals are specially trained dogs and cats that help people with disabilities by performing tasks like guiding visually impaired people, alerting deaf people to danger, pulling wheelchairs, calming seizures, reminding blind people when to cross streets, and providing other forms of assistance.
Service animals also provide comfort and companionship. An animal’s ability to provide service depends on its temperament, training, and behavior.
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) allows individuals with physical or mental disabilities to request a reasonable modification to an apartment rental agreement.
Are Emotional Support Animals Allowed In Hotels?
First, we should start out by saying that not all pets are not allowed in hotels, including emotional support animals.
Put more simply, hotels can legally deny your emotional support animal from entering their establishment if it does not fit the criteria of what is considered an emotional support animal.
There are many reasons why hotels may choose to deny access to emotional support animals.
Some hotels will require that the owner of the emotional support animal wear a tag or vest stating that they are an emotional support animal.
Others will allow an emotional support animal to stay in a room provided the animal wears a tag or vest that states its purpose.
Still, others will allow the animal to stay in a specific room, but require that the animal wear a tag or other form of identification stating its purpose.
ESA Laws Vs Hotel Laws
Emotional support animals are becoming increasingly popular due to their ability to calm down stressed-out individuals. However, there are still many establishments that do not allow them.
As a result, people are forced to choose between taking medication or bringing an animal along. While it may seem like a simple choice, it is important to note that emotional support animals are regulated differently than pets.
For instance, emotional support animals are not required to wear identification tags or carry any paperwork.
This means that if you bring your pet into a restaurant, it will be treated just like any other animal.
However, emotional support animals must be registered with the USDA, and they must be trained to behave within certain parameters.
There are also several laws pertaining to emotional support animals.
For example, emotional support animals are prohibited in places of worship, and they are not permitted in federal buildings unless they are certified by the Department of Agriculture.
The Verdict – Can Hotels Charge For Emotional Support Animals?
You might think that if you bring a service animal along, you will be granted access to a hotel room. However, you may be denied entry if the hotel doesn’t allow pets.
You also need to check whether the hotel allows emotional support animals. If you cannot find accommodations that permit pets or ESA, you should leave your furry friend behind.
There are regulations that protect disabled individuals and their ESA. For instance, you shouldn’t be denied housing rights just for bringing your furry friend along.
Finally, you should never be charged extra for bringing your pet along. All you need to show is a medical note confirming that your pet is an ESA.
So, legally, no they cannot charge you for having an emotional support animal, granted they do not cause any damages to the facilities.
Final Thoughts
Hotels are businesses. Therefore, they have every right to set rules regarding what kind of guests they want to attract.
Some hotels don’t allow pets, but others do. The same goes for emotional support animals.
It all depends on the establishment. If you cannot find a place that permits pets or ESA, you can always take your furry friend home. However, you should know that some states prohibit the possession of pets.
The result of that was Bunny - a 5 year old labrador who follows me around everywhere and is trained to detect when I’m about to have an anxiety attack. Through our three years together, Bunny can even sense when I’m feeling just a little bit anxious and work to calm me down.
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