October 19, 2017

We helped a couple keep their cat, Wilson[1], on the basis that the cat is an Emotional Support Animal.

This case was a little different, only because the unit wasn’t Rent Stabilized. That exposed the family to the vulnerability that their rent could later go way up, allegedly based on market conditions and not on landlord’s resentment over the ESA letter I was sending. Moreover, the tenant was provided the apartment as part of her compensation package for her job with a large corporation, making the situation even more delicate. 

The lesson here is that in such cases it’s important to keep the tone of an ESA letter positive, as opposed to confrontational, and let the landlord know that the tenant takes his or her responsibilities as a member of the building community seriously. The person just really needs the animal, because of a duly diagnosed disability, in order to use and enjoy the unit, and one little cat is a reasonable accommodation for that disability.

Respectfully submitted,

Michelle Itkowitz

[1] All feline names were changed to protect the innocent.