Pets vs Service Animals

Service animals are broadly defined in Seattle and include therapy, emotional support, companion animals and more. Fair housing law requires reasonable accommodations and a service animal falls into this category. You can ask for verification of the tenant's disability-related need for the animal from a doctor or other qualified third-party but you cannot ask specifically about the disability. "No pet" policies do not apply, and training of a service animal is not required. You cannot charge the tenant a pet deposit for their service animal or restrict the breed of the tenant's service animal.  A tenant is responsible for the behavior of their service animal and any damage that their service animal causes to the property.

If you have questions or want to file a complaint, contact the Seattle Office for Civil Rights.