Landlord using PetScreening for your ESA? Here’s what holds up.

What makes an ESA letter hold up to review

Reviewers are trained to spot the weak, mass-produced letters. Yours is on solid footing when it has:

• A licensed clinician

  Signed by a mental-health professional licensed in your state, with their license number — not an unlicensed or out-of-state signer.

• A real evaluation

  Based on an actual one-on-one review of your situation, not a questionnaire that auto-generates a PDF.

• Verifiable + reachable

  A verification ID a reviewer can confirm, and a clinician who can answer follow-up questions if they’re asked.

You can confirm an NSAR letter anytime at /verify — the same lookup a landlord or reviewer can use.

ESA letters & PetScreening, answered

What is PetScreening?

PetScreening is a third-party platform many property managers use to process pet and assistance-animal requests. For an emotional support animal, you submit your reasonable-accommodation request and your ESA letter through their portal, and a reviewer checks the documentation against fair-housing guidance before the property makes its decision. NSAR is not affiliated with PetScreening — we're the clinical side that issues the letter you submit.

Will my ESA letter pass a PetScreening review?

A review looks for the things a legitimate letter already has: it's from a mental-health professional licensed in your state, reflects a real evaluation of you, and is verifiable. A letter from a 5-minute mill — unlicensed, or with no real review — is what tends to get flagged. An NSAR letter is signed by a clinician licensed in your state, on their letterhead, with their license number and a verification ID.

Do I have to pay PetScreening's fee?

That's set by PetScreening and the property, not by NSAR, and it's separate from the cost of your letter. Under fair-housing rules a housing provider generally can't charge a fee for the assistance animal itself, but third-party application/review fees are a gray area that varies — if you're unsure, ask the property to clarify what the charge is for.

Can PetScreening deny my emotional support animal?

PetScreening reviews and makes a recommendation; the housing provider makes the actual decision. Since 2026, HUD narrowed federal enforcement, so an ESA letter is supporting documentation for your request — it strengthens your case but can't force acceptance, and your state's law matters. The strongest footing is a genuine letter from a licensed clinician who can respond if the reviewer has follow-up questions.

Is NSAR affiliated with PetScreening?

No. NSAR is an independent provider — a therapist licensed in your state evaluates you and issues your letter. PetScreening is a separate company some landlords use to collect and review that documentation. We just make sure the letter you submit is the legitimate, verifiable kind.