Pet or ESA or Service Animal? California’s New Emotional Support Animal Law

Join Us for Another Fascinating Presentation by Well-Known Multifamily Property Management Expert, Patti Widget

Have you ever found yourself in a situation when your lease agreement specifically prohibits “pets” but your tenant claims that their animal is necessary as an emotional support animal (ESA)? Recent changes in California law with the passage of Assembly Bill 462 include several changes that limit false representations made by tenants regarding the alleged need for living with ESAs by addressing “head-on” rampant ESA falsification which had previously allowed tenants a reasonable accommodation and to keep an animal despite language in the rental agreement to the contrary.

If you ever have been faced with a tenant who claims they have an ESA to circumvent your “no pets” policy at your property and found yourself faced with dealing with the “pet vs. service animal” dilemma, very often inadvertent mistakes can be very costly and time consuming.

Join us for this webinar where we are again discussing some of the many perils of “land-lording” with Patti Widget.  Patti will be covering the very important and often asked about issue: what to do when you are faced with a service animal vs. emotional support animal vs. pet?  How do you know “what is what” and “what to do?”  Whether you’re managing a rental property yourself or if you’ve hired a property manager to handle things on your behalf, we will teach you strategies that will keep your rental business running smoothly.

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) versus “Pets” is a major issue for housing providers and major area of confusion.  Under the Fair Housing Act, it’s illegal to prohibit a resident from keeping an emotional support animal and you may not charge an extra deposit or rent.  Pets may be handled differently.  Do you know the difference?  Airlines are now “cracking down,” but can you? NOW, there is some recourse and protections under new state law for falsification of ESAs.

During this webinar, we will cover the following:

• What are the changes in the law concerning ESAs?
• When can you charge additional pet fees? How about for an emotional support animal?  Can you require that a tenant get liability coverage for an emotional support animal?
• What is in a pet addendum? Does the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles offer a free pet addendum?
• What do you do if your insurance policy restricts certain dog breeds or animal types?
• Understanding requests for reasonable accommodation. Does such a request include service animals?
• What exactly is an “ESA?” (Emotional Support Animal) – How is that different from an assistance animal? Is an ESA the same as a pet?
• Why does Patti always say to think of animals like wheelchairs? Hear what Patti has to say about that!
• What if I have a no pet policy? What about renter’s insurance?  Is that necessary when a tenant has a pet?

This will be a live, interactive, online learning session.  Live Q&A will take place throughout the online seminar.  Please join us for what will surely be an extremely informative and entertaining presentation by our property management expert, Patti Widget, founder of Widget’s Way.

Please log in to register.  If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact Events Manager Diana Alcaraz via email at .  For faster service, please have your membership number ready.  We look forward to seeing you.  Please stay diligent and be healthy!

WARNING:  THE INFORMATION PROVIDED DURING THIS WEBINAR IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. ABSOLUTELY NO LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE IS BEING GIVEN DURING THIS WEBINAR.  BEAR IN MIND THAT EVERY SITUATION IS UNIQUE, AND THE LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT ANY TIME.  SO, BEFORE ACTING, BE SURE TO OBTAIN TAX AND/OR LEGAL ADVICE FROM A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL.

About Our . . .

Panelist(s):

Patti Widget, Founder & Property Management Expert, Widget's Way

Patti “Widget” has nearly 25 years of experience as a regional property manager.  Patti teaches a wide range of classes on property management topics; she is a keynote speaker on property management and housing issues and has published numerous articles for apartment associations. Patti is a repeat guest speaker at UCLA. She also holds various certifications in the industry related to her field, such as a CA licensed Real Estate Broker, CCRM, lead based paint certified renovator from the EPA, Fair Housing and more.

Moderator: 

Daniel Yukelson, Executive Director, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles

Daniel Yukelson is currently the Executive Director of The Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA).  As Certified Public Accountant, Yukelson began his career at Ernst & Young, the global accounting firm, and since then had served in senior financial roles principally as Chief Financial Officer for various public, private and start-up companies.  Prior to joining AAGLA, Yukelson served for 12 years as Chief Financial Officer for Premiere Radio Networks, now a subsidiary of I-Heart Media, and then 3 years as Chief Financial Officer for Oasis West Realty, the owner of the Beverly Hilton and Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills where he was involved with the development and construction of the Waldorf.  Yukelson also served for 6 years as a Planning Commissioner and for 3 years as a Public Works Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills.

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

Title Sponsor:  Kay Properties and Investments

Kay Properties and Investments, LLC is a national Delaware Statutory Trust (DST) investment firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C. Kay Properties team members collectively have over 114 years of real estate experience, are licensed in all 50 states, and have participated in over $21 Billion of DST real estate.  Their clients have the ability to participate in private, exclusively available, off-market DST properties as well as those presented to the wider DST marketplace; with the exception of those that fail our due-diligence process.

Title Sponsor: Scott Properties Group

Scott Properties Group, Inc. is a proactive property management firm specializing in multifamily apartment buildings, single-family residences, retail shopping centers, office buildings, mixed-use, and industrial properties all over the Greater Los Angeles Area.  Scott Properties believes that property management is the understanding of lots of moving parts, the strengths and weaknesses of the property, the goals of ownership, the needs of the tenants, the relationships with vendors and the ethics in which you deal with your brokerage community.  Call Scott Properties today to get a free property analysis at (424) 272-6439 or visit them online!

Title Sponsor: SNS Law Group

At SNS Law Group, LLP, we value our clients and ensure to provide quality legal services in real estate law. The attorneys at SNS Law Group have handled hundreds of real estate litigation cases and have recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. Our real estate lawyers specialize in several different types of real estate conflicts, including eviction actions, landlord-tenant disputes, breach of commercial leases, purchase and sale agreements, investor fraud, construction claims, and more. SNS Law Group is attentive to our client's needs and we leverage our expertise and knowledge to analyze the specific details of your case and provide you with a comprehensive plan to achieve the best results. For more information, contact Edrin Shamtob, Senior Attorney, of SNS Law Group LLP at (424) 220-2052 or visit their website!

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