I have a somewhat aggressive applicant who claims her Pocket Bully is an ESA. From what I'm reading a pocket bully is a variant of a Pit Bull and she submitted a unsigned letter on plain paper from a NJ MD that says he's been treating her for depression but when I google the guy, he's actually a cardiologist LOL. This is obviously a dumb fake that I'm tempted to call her out on. Actually, this is fraud and there's an ESA fraud statute in PA. She's submitted an application via Turbotenant. How would you handle the denial?

Fake ESA letter isa pretty thin branch to hang a rejection on. I suggest that you find something else as legal grounds to reject. Make that double since you say that she is aggressive.

A doctor would not send an ESA letter on plain paper and unsigned, so the letter is very probably a fake. However, be aware that the mental health care provider that issues the letter is not required to be a medical doctor. He can be a counselor, or a priest, or the guy who sells crystals to cleanse your aura on the internet, or anyone else that is doing anything to treat a patient for mental health.

A cardiologist might vaguely be possible for an ESA letter. If he is treating for a heart condition and high blood pressure and the patient claims they can't get there blood pressure down because of stress and mental agitation, then he might prescribe petting a dog to lower the stress level.

Me, I am not sure it would fly, but I don't want o argue it in court, either.

About calling her out... it is my policy to never ever tell any tenant any of the tricks that landlords use to weed out fakers and losers.

Good catch, Sherlock.

"If you tell her it is her phony looking letter, all you are doing to teaching her to get a better letter for next time"

I was reminded just the other week ago about not giving people specifics to argue against. I need to keep it vague-- unless you're responding to something specific in her credit report.

In my refresher lesson, I had an elderly woman from a violent druggy family. She was fleeing domestic violence. Her income was just under acceptable for my smallest room. But her criminal history was actually pretty clean. I was torn between letting in someone so marginal, because I didn't have anything solid to reject her on, and not wanting to tar someone with a certain brush just because of their kin, and doing a good deed, vs letting in someone who had so much drama surrounding them, and knowing that my good deed would most certainly come back to bite me.

Then I pulled her public information from the local pd. She had a charge for possession of meth within the last couple of years, complete with a description of her trying to divert attention and throw a couple of baggies of meth away into the bushes. Ok, that simplifies my decision a lot. So I gave her my usual "I'm sorry I cannot approve your application at this time" line. She asked why. I could have stuck to the insufficient income line, but I didn't want her reapplying with extra funds from one of her better-off children. So I told her because of the meth incident, hoping she'd go away.

Of course not. She argued it-- it shouldn't be held against her because charges were dropped and she was never prosecuted.

People react to conflict differently. Some people disappear. Some people argue.

Remember my post "ESA judge"

Send her that link for the video and let judge Judy do the talking and also tell her you are reporting it the authorities. And then do so.

If we don't put a stop to this then who is?

The law was created as most LL's wanted but now seem to be afraid to use it. Why?

If you have another reason to DQ then I would do that.

But I would also send an inquiry to someone in the know, asking if this would be considered legit or ESA fraud.

Who knows, maybe it will land on the desk of a new guy that wants to make a name for himself and he goes after her.

Then you have the court case to use as a reason for the next fake ESA DQ.

Last two places I filled, both last month, had cats. They didn't blink at the registration fee and the animal rents.

Beware your tenant didn’t get the office clerk at the director’s office to create the letter. If the signature is legible, the doctor probably didn’t sign it

A lot of so called ESA owners smoke. So far (knock on wood) smoking is NOT a protected class. I catch them with the following question:

Do you smoke:

1. inside and outside

2. outside only

3. don't smoke

Most smokers answer #2. Which is pretty much an impossibility where we live (harsh winters). I state that prohibitive insurance premiums don't allow for smoking anywhere on the premises. Then ghost.