An interesting tidbit on Emotional Support Animals...

[Stephanie365]

I tend to do a lot of research. It's in my training and in my DNA. 

On a Facebook group for AirBNB the mention of Emotional Support Animals came up. One respondent said, "You have to go by your states guidelines for ESAs". So, I looked up all 50 states regarding the requirement to accept ESAs.

AirBNB has it wrong.

California does NOT recognize ESAs anywhere EXCEPT the workplace. Not in hotels, museums, restaurants or any other public place. Only the work place and ONLY if it doesn't create a hardship in the work place. 

New York and Federal Law require Service Dogs but NOT emotional support animals to be allowed in public places such as restaurants, museums, taxis, HOTELS and more. 

AirBNB needs to change their policies for these two states.

[Lenore22]

Are you sure? All the training my kids in the retail sector have received in California says they can only ask one question when someone tries to enter a store (public place) with an animal:

"Is this an emotional support animal?"

If they say, "yes," leave them alone.

If Airbnb got this wrong, they aren't the only ones...

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Stephanie365  @Lenore22 

I'm in California and the grocery stores are full of dogs with their people. 

[Gillian166]

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@Lenore22 wrote:

Are you sure?

If Airbnb got this wrong, they aren't the only ones...

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@Lenore22  this is actually very common in our world. If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes a truth.  In Australia it's commonly said that "it's illegal for kids under 13 to go on facebook/social media". There is no such law, and it's based on an American law. There was some legislation being put forward last year looking to make a law about this but I can't find any further details on what happened to it.   

[Stephanie365]

[Hal3292]

Interesting. Here's some info pertaining to West Virginia:

Public Accommodation Laws

The White Cane Law allows those with service animals access to the majority of public accommodations, but it does not allow emotional support animal owners the same opportunity. Therefore, an ESA letter does not protect you and your ESA from not being allowed access to a range of public places, including:

• Restaurants
• Hospitals
• Hotels/Motels
• Parks
• Libraries

[Jenny]

Hi @Stephanie365 

Thanks for letting us know about this.

I've passed your post over to the relevant team to review the details.

Jenny

[Stephanie365]

@Jenny  Can you also pass on the fact that the language under the AirBNB accessibility policy is conflicting and confusing?

[Christine615]

@Jenny @I thought the policy WAS changed to say hosts do not have to accept ESA unless their state requires it. That’s the terms I’d service many of us have quoted on FB pages. (There’s soooo many fake hosts on FB giving information it makes me sad)

[Stephanie365]

Yes, they did change it. AirBNB policy states:

Unless the reservation is a stay in New York or California (USA) or another location where applicable law prohibits it...

The implication of this language is that New York and Cali have laws stating hosts must accept an ESA when in fact New York and Cali do NOT grant ESAs any legal protection. The point of my post was to encourage AirBNB remove the language exempting NY and CA from the policy since there is no law in either state granting special privileges to ESAs.