What Can Three Cats Do That One Cat Can’t? The Multifamily Professionals Guide to Managing Assistance Animal Requests

Consider this: the Fair Housing Act was enacted 57 years ago and was amended 37 years ago to include disability as a nationally protected class, yet complaints alleging discrimination due to disability have accounted for almost or more than HALF of all Fair Housing complaints for the past seven years! And the majority of those complaints are about “Assistive Animals”: what are they, what can we ask, what can we say, and how do we evaluate a request from someone who wants one (or more!)

HUD released a detailed, plain-language guidance document in 2020 that walks us step by step through the why, what, and how-to of all things assistive animals (you’ll get a copy of it with the slides). Unfortunately, it appears many multifamily professionals either haven’t read it or they just don’t follow it.  Adding to the confusion is the proliferation of internet-based “pay to play” assistance animal credential sites often make identifying and verifying authentic assistance animals a very messy process!

This session will review the requirements for compliance with the current FHA requirements for evaluating requests for a reasonable accommodation involving animals, including who is eligible, definitions of the important terms and phrases you’ll encounter, how to assess the request and the fine points of approving and denying requests.

Join us for a very fast-paced, very fact-filled session on all things assistance animals and the answer to the question, “What can three cats do that one cat can’t?”

Webinar Objectives

• Examine the difference between assistive animals and pets
• Learn what kind of accommodation we may need to approve.
• Learn how to differentiate between a service animal and a support animal.
• Learn what questions and inquiries may be made regarding the disability and the animal.
• Learn what types of verification and documentation may be required by the manager/owner.
• Learn what animals may and may not be allowed as service and/or support animals.
• Learn how to manage requests for multiple animals.

Webinar Highlights

• A review of our compliance obligations and requirements
• Define the types of Assistive Animals
• The distinction of household animals vs. exotic animals
• Learn the definitions of words and phrases used when addressing disability-related issues
• Are accommodations and modification “special treatment”? 
• How to manage and assess the accommodation request
• Review what questions we can ask?
• How to evaluate requests for multiple animals
• The who, what, and when of requiring verification documentation
• What is exactly does HUD mean by “reliable sources”?
• Summary of Best Practices

Who Should Attend

All on-site and multi-site personnel including Regional/Area Managers, Community Managers, Leasing Managers/Professionals; Maintenance Managers/Supervisors; Training and HR Professionals.