Florida ESA Letter: What the Law Actually Requires

What a legitimate ESA letter is

An ESA letter (emotional support animal letter) is a clinical document issued by a licensed health professional after evaluating a disability-related need. Under the Fair Housing Act and Florida Statute 760.27, that letter is the documentation landlords may request, not a registry ID, certificate, or vest.

It is sometimes called an assistance animal letter in housing contexts. It is not the same as a therapy animal letter or a training certificate. Evaluations here are by Yudelmy Castaneda Sanchez, APRN. Approval is never guaranteed.

Is there official ESA certification or registration?

No. There is no official government ESA certification, registry, or registration in the United States. Florida law treats online certificates and registries as insufficient on their own.

Only a letter from a licensed clinician with personal knowledge of the patient’s need carries real weight for housing accommodations.

What Florida requires (Statute 760.27)

Since 2020, Florida has its own rules on emotional support animals in housing. They work alongside the Fair Housing Act and were written to reduce mass-produced letters. Official ESA Letter follows both frames: Fair Housing for reasonable accommodation, and Fla. Stat. §760.27 for reliable clinician paperwork.

• A landlord may request reliable information of disability and disability-related need when it is not apparent. An internet registration, ID, or vest alone is not enough.
• The letter should come from a licensed professional with personal knowledge of the clinical situation, here, Yudelmy Castaneda Sanchez, APRN, not a mass-mail certificate mill.
• They generally cannot demand the specific diagnosis, severity, or full medical records, and may not charge extra compensation (pet rent/deposit) for a documented assistance animal. You still owe actual damage.

Why most cheap letters fail in Florida

• They do not name a Florida-licensed clinician or allow license verification.
• Approval is automatic or form-only, with no real clinical judgment.
• Many are actually registries or certificates, which Florida law explicitly says are not enough on their own.

ESA housing letter vs therapy animal letter

An ESA housing letter documents a disability-related need for an animal in a dwelling. A therapy animal letter typically refers to animals trained for facility visits or public access. Our letters are exclusively for housing reasonable accommodations.

Statewide Florida service

Official ESA Letter serves Florida residents statewide through clinical evaluation with Yudelmy Castaneda Sanchez, APRN, a Florida-licensed professional. Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and the rest of the state.

Who can write the letter in Florida

Fla. Stat. § 760.27 asks for a Florida-licensed health practitioner with personal knowledge of the disability-related need, not a registry, ID, or vest. Official ESA Letter evaluations are by one named clinician: Yudelmy Castaneda Sanchez, APRN9355049, NPI 1730630799. Statewide telehealth. Not a Miami office. Not a second clinic per city. Approval is never automatic.

A property manager who needs the license on the letter can open /verify.

What /verify gives a property manager

/verify is the public license check for the named APRN on the letter. APRN9355049 and NPI 1730630799, so a landlord or HOA can confirm the clinician without a login. It is not a registry lookup and not a government seal. The letter remains English housing paperwork under Fair Housing and § 760.27.

Verify license and NPI →

What $149 buys, and does not buy

$149 buys a clinical housing evaluation for the first animal. If the clinician approves, an English PDF for the landlord. If she does not approve, a full refund. $99 is the first renewal. $49 is each extra animal.

• It does not buy a guaranteed landlord or HOA outcome. A later “no” is not a refund.
• It does not buy a registry, ID, vest, or airline cabin letter. Housing only.
• It does not buy a second clinic in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, or Fort Lauderdale. Same APRN statewide.

Housing, not airlines

Documentation is oriented to housing accommodations under Fair Housing and Florida rules. Most U.S. airlines no longer accept ESA letters for cabin travel; we do not market airline products.

Pet deposits and pet rent

With a valid ESA letter and a reasonable accommodation request, landlords generally cannot charge a pet deposit or pet rent for an emotional support animal. You remain responsible for actual damage caused by the animal.

Full guide: what landlords can ask →

Sample ESA letter format

We publish a redacted sample letter format (emotional support dog letter sample) that shows the structure landlords expect: clinician credentials (Yudelmy Castaneda Sanchez, APRN), named animals, and housing-only purpose. The sample is not authorization. A real letter exists only after clinical review.

View sample format →