The Landlord's Guide to Emotional Support Animal Laws in Nashville

In a city known for songwriting and fun nights out, it’s easy to overlook how many people are struggling. Mental health concerns in Nashville, TN are more widespread than most realize, and access to care can be hard to come by. Almost 16% of residents in Davidson County are living with some form of a mental health disorder, yet only half are receiving treatment. 

As mental health resources continue to fall short, more tenants are turning to emotional support animals for relief. If you’re a landlord in Nashville, that means you’ll likely encounter more of these requests. Because ESA requests are protected by law, it’s essential to know how to respond to them. 

This guide will break down the emotional support animal laws in Nashville, including how ESAs are defined, what type of documentation a tenant will need to live with one, and when you're legally allowed to deny them. Handling each case correctly can help you avoid serious legal consequences while also creating a harmonious living environment for your tenants.

Emotional Support Animals: A Definition

An emotional support animal, often called an ESA, is any domesticated animal that helps relieve symptoms of a mental or emotional disability. Unlike service animals, ESAs don’t need to be trained to do specific tasks. Research shows that their presence alone can:

• Lessen feelings of loneliness
• Encourage a healthier, more active lifestyle 
• Curb panic attacks
• Help someone feel more confident during social situations
• Boost oxytocin (the happy hormone) and lower cortisol (the stress hormone)
• Lower blood pressure and heart rate 
• Create more structure and routine in a person’s life

Emotional support animals in Nashville normally assist people with conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and more. Although they can be any type of creature, dogs and cats are the most common. However, you may see requests for rabbits, birds, or even miniature horses as well. Breed or size doesn’t matter as long as a mental health professional confirms the tenant’s needs for the animal as part of a treatment plan.

Mental health disorders are best treated through a combination of approaches, like therapy and medication. Although ESAs are not a replacement for professional support, they can be an effective tool when they’re part of a larger treatment plan. They can also offer extra support for those with limited access to mental health resources. 

For landlords, understanding the purpose and impact of emotional support animals in Nashville is essential. These animals aren’t just pets. For many renters, they are what keeps them going, and legally, they’re protected as part of the tenant’s right to reasonable accommodation.

The Differences Between Service Animals, Pets and Emotional Support Animals

Not all animals are treated the same under the emotional support animal laws in Nashville, meaning landlords need to know how pets, service animals, and ESAs differ. A pet is just that, an animal kept for companionship. You can set your own rules around them, including breed restrictions, pet deposits, monthly fees, or a total no-pet policy.

Service animals are in a different category altogether. These animals, most often dogs, are trained to perform specific tasks that directly relate to a person’s disability. That might include guiding someone who is blind, helping someone who uses a wheelchair, or alerting someone with epilepsy to an oncoming seizure. Because they are task-trained and covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals must be accepted in both public spaces and private housing, no exceptions allowed.

Emotional support animals fall somewhere in between. They are not covered by the ADA because they are not trained to do specific tasks, but they are protected under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). As a landlord, this means you must allow them in your rental property if a tenant provides valid documentation.

Legal Protections for ESAs Under the FHA

Emotional support animals in Nashville are protected under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), which applies to most kinds of rental properties. The FHA makes it illegal to discriminate against tenants with disabilities, including those who rely on ESAs as part of treatment for a mental health disorder. 

When a tenant provides legitimate documentation for an ESA, landlords are required to make a "reasonable accommodation” for it. Unlike pets, emotional support animals in Nashville cannot be restricted based on breed or size, and you are not allowed to charge pet fees or deposits for them. These protections apply at all times, even if the tenant requests an ESA after moving in. 

That said, your investment property may not be covered by the FHA in rare situations. You might be exempt if you fall into one of the following four categories: 

• You own a building with four or fewer units and live in one of them
• You own and rent out three or fewer single-family homes and do not use a broker
• You operate housing for a religious organization and only rent to members of that group
• You manage housing provided by a private club that is not open to the public and is limited to club members

If you fall into one of these categories, you may not be legally required to comply with ESA accommodation requests. Even so, many landlords still choose to handle these situations with fairness and consistency to avoid tenant disputes and preserve their reputation.

For most rental properties in Nashville, however, these exemptions won’t apply. That means if a tenant makes a qualified request and provides the right documents, you must allow the ESA under the emotional support animal laws in Nashville and follow all the other requirements laid out in the FHA.

How to Validate an Emotional Support Animal

You're within your rights to request documentation before allowing emotional support animals in Nashville into your rental property. However, it's important to be careful about what you ask for and how you go about the process. Tenants are not required to share their medical records or disclose the specific diagnosis behind their request. Instead, what the law allows you to request is a letter from a licensed mental health provider that confirms the tenant’s need for an ESA. 

According to the emotional support animal laws in Nashville, this letter must come from a professional who is qualified to treat mental or emotional conditions and who has an established relationship with the tenant. Acceptable providers include psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed therapists, counselors, or primary care doctors who are involved in the tenant’s mental health care.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued guidance for verifying ESA letters, including a warning for landlords to be cautious about certificates or letters that come from online-only websites. If a tenant provides a letter from one of these services, you have the right to question whether it meets legal standards. Remember, the tenant may not know any better and could be a victim of a scam. HUD advises landlords to verify that the provider is licensed, practicing in the appropriate state, and actually working with the tenant.

If a letter looks suspicious or is missing key details, you can take reasonable steps to confirm the provider’s license or contact information. Just be sure not to request personal medical records or ask for the tenant’s diagnosis. Done correctly, this process allows you to respect your tenant’s privacy while also making sure the request is protected under the FHA.

Emotional Support Animal Housing Letter Checklist

To be valid under the emotional support animal laws in Nashville, an ESA letter should contain several key details, including: 

• The letter should be printed on the provider’s official letterhead.
• It needs to clearly state that the tenant has a mental or emotional disability recognized by the DSM-5.
• A confirmation that the animal helps relieve symptoms of that disability.
• The provider’s license number, contact information, and signature.
• It must be dated within the last year. 

These help confirm the legitimacy of the request while protecting both the tenant and the landlord. 

Can Landlords Deny Emotional Support Animals in Nashville?

Most requests for emotional support animals in Nashville must be approved if the tenant meets the legal requirements. Still, there are some rare situations in which a landlord may be able to say no. These exceptions are narrow and should only be used when backed up by specific, factual evidence. Simply not caring for animals, being allergic, or feeling worried about a past experience with them isn’t reason enough to reject an ESA. Before denying a request, consider whether you have enough evidence, as making the wrong decision could land you in legal trouble and sour the relationship with your tenant. 

How to Legally Reject Emotional Support Animals in Nashville

While the emotional support animal laws in Nashville law strongly protects tenants with disabilities, it also recognizes that not every situation is reasonable or safe. That’s why it makes room to reject certain requests. You may legally deny emotional support animals in Nashville only if: 

• The tenant doesn’t provide the right documents from a licensed provider.
• The animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of other tenants.
• The animal has a documented history of causing significant property damage.
• The animal isn’t housebroken or its behavior creates ongoing disruption.
• The request would cause undue financial or administrative burden on your business. 
• The request would fundamentally alter the nature of your business.
• The animal is not considered a typical household pet, like certain wild or exotic species. 

In these cases, it’s crucial that your reasoning is well-documented and shows that the decision is based on actual concerns, not discriminatory practices. Being transparent with your tenants and treating them fairly can make the process easier on both of you, showing that you’re a landlord who wants to do the right thing. 

Staying Compliant with Emotional Support Animal Laws in Nashville

Avoiding lawsuits isn’t the only reason you’ll want to understand the emotional support animal laws in Nashville. Staying informed will also help you be a responsible, informed housing provider in a city where mental health challenges are all too common. As a landlord, knowing when the FHA applies, how to review documentation, and what situations qualify for a denial will help you respond to requests appropriately. Most ESA requests can be handled relatively easily through open dialogue with the tenant and a careful review of the emotional support animal laws in Nashville. 

Still, not every landlord has the time to handle these requests, and many find it too stressful. If that’s you, consider partnering with a property management company like Evernest. Reach out today to see how our local team can take over the legalities, including everything from verifying documentation to legally turning a request down. Treating emotional support animals in Nashville the right way fosters a welcoming and inclusive rental environment for your tenants and ensures your business can thrive for years to come.