Special to The Detroit News
Lansing ― Michigan university housing officials and off-campus landlords are alarmed about the influx of fake certification letters for emotional support animals.
A bill sponsored by Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, would penalize people who sell online certificates and protect landlords from fraudulent claims. Known as the Emotional Support Animal Act, it passed the Michigan House in late September in a 108-0 vote.
Emotional support animals are animals that qualify as a reasonable and necessary accommodation for a person with a disability to use and enjoy a residential property, according to the U.S. Fair Housing Act.
To have one at a university or a rental property, people need documentation from a health care provider explaining the need, said Karlene Lehman, a director for the Okemos-based Property Managers Association of Michigan. But there has been a rise in people getting fake certificates online, she said.
“Now, someone can go online and fill out a survey to get a certificate,” Lehman said. “Even if the person has never seen a doctor or a therapist, they can enter their email address and soon a certificate is in their inbox. But these people are getting duped. People are spending up to $200 on a certificate that a health care provider would not charge for.”
Landlords do not have to accept letters that are not valid under U.S. Housing and Urban Development guidelines, Lehman said. But it’s a fine line between questioning the validity of...
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