The new law, SB 1084, was a session priority for Florida Realtors® as the continued abuse of online “ESA certificates” created major problems for property managers.

Governor DeSantis signed SB 1084 into law on Wednesday, which seeks to curb growing abuses of emotional support animal (ESA) certificates.

The continued abuse of online ESA certificates was presenting significant problems for many of our members who are also property managers. The cumulative changes in the new law are intended to further legitimize what should be considered reliable information for an ESA and its intended purpose.

The new law does a number of different things such as requiring patients to establish the need for an ESA through a licensed medical practitioner with whom they have an established professional relationship, and creating a civil penalty for the falsification of documentation used to support the need for an ESA. It also gives housing providers the ability to ask for supporting documentation if the disability is not readily apparent as well as letting owners deny an ESA if they believe the animal will cause harm to people or the property of others.

A copy of the final bill analysis can be found here and a copy of the final bill text can be found here.

Source: Florida Realtors®

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