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Arapahoe County, Adams County and Douglas County · Independent state protection ESA Letter in Aurora, CO
ESA Letter in Aurora, CO
from a Colorado-licensed therapist
Aurora in Arapahoe County, Adams County and Douglas County is home to about 410,053 people, the third-largest population in Colorado. 37.6% of households rent, and median gross rent sits at $1,835 — the highest median rent of Colorado's five largest cities.
Last reviewed August 31, 2026 · Reviewed by Andrew Patel, LCSW
- Licensed in COColorado therapists only
- ~15 minafter approval
- $129 oncepay only if approved
CO Aurora · pop. 410K
Rated by our clients on
Getting an ESA Letter in Aurora, CO
What an Aurora landlord actually needs from you is short: reliable confirmation, from someone licensed in Colorado, that you have a disability and that your animal helps with it. That is all an ESA letter is — and a properly written one says nothing more.
Colorado has no statutory waiting period, so a Colorado-licensed therapist can evaluate you and, if you qualify, your letter typically arrives by email about 15 minutes after approval. It is a clinical conversation rather than a form, and approval is not guaranteed — which is exactly why an Aurora property manager can rely on it.
Colorado protects assistance animals in its own law, so HUD's May 2026 enforcement change matters less here than in most states.
410KResidents
Third-largest in Colorado · July 2025 Census estimate
37.6%Households that rent
5th of Colorado's five largest cities · ACS 2020–2024
$1,835Median gross rent
Per month, all rentals · ACS 2020–2024
NoneWaiting period
Colorado sets no relationship period
Local market
Renting in Aurora: What ESA Tenants Should Know
37.6% of Aurora households rent, the lowest renter share among Colorado's five largest cities. Median gross rent is $1,835 a month — the highest median rent of Colorado's five largest cities, against $1,831 in Denver.
In a market like this, management companies tend to standardize pet rules across their buildings. The rule you meet at one property is often the rule at the next, which is why knowing how to request an accommodation matters more than finding a pet-friendly unit.
Aurora sits in Arapahoe County, Adams County and Douglas County. Because the city spans more than one county, check which county your building is in if you ever need a county-level agency.
Student renters near University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Community College of Aurora should know that campus housing runs its own accommodation process with its own deadlines. How college housing handles ESAs →
Figures: Census Bureau, July 2025 Census estimate and American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates.
How Aurora Compares With Colorado's Other Large Cities
Aurora's renter share is 6 points below the 43.6% average for these five cities. Median rent ranges from $1,648 in Colorado Springs to $1,835 in Aurora, a gap of $187 a month.
| City | Residents | Renter households | Median gross rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 740,613 | 51.2% | $1,831 |
| Colorado Springs | 494,743 | 39.1% | $1,648 |
| Aurora | 410,053 | 37.6% | $1,835 |
| Fort Collins | 171,500 | 48.4% | $1,690 |
| Lakewood | 156,927 | 41.9% | $1,806 |
Population: Census Bureau, July 2025 estimates. Renter share and rent: American Community Survey 2020–2024.
Who qualifies
Who May Qualify for an ESA Letter in Aurora?
There is no official list of qualifying conditions. The test is whether a mental or emotional condition substantially limits a major life activity, and whether your animal helps with it. These come up most often:
What the evaluation looks for
- You are 18 or older, or a parent or guardian takes part
- No prior diagnosis required; many people are assessed for the first time
- The animal already lives with you or will once the request is approved
- A condition that limits daily life — sleep, work, school or relationships
- You live in Colorado, so a Colorado-licensed therapist can evaluate you
Your ESA Letter in Aurora: Its Reach and Its Limits
It helps you
- Make the request before or after you move in — during an application counts
- Keep your diagnosis private while still showing a verified need
- Ask for pet fees to be waived — Colorado law addresses this
- Get a decision in writing, which you need if you have to escalate
It does not
- Give your animal access to stores, restaurants or workplaces — that is a trained service dog right under the ADA
- Make your animal fly as a service animal — airlines treat ESAs as pets since 2021
- Override a lawful denial for a direct threat, substantial damage or an exempt property
- Need a registry, certificate, ID card or vest — none of those carry legal weight
ESA Housing Law in Aurora
Three layers apply to an Aurora rental. The strongest one that covers you decides your case.
Local
Our review did not confirm a Aurora or county fair housing ordinance covering disability, so this page relies on Colorado and federal law. If one applies to your building, it can only add protection.
Colorado
C.R.S. § 24-34-502 — Colorado Fair Housing Act — reasonable accommodation duty. Complaints: Colorado Civil Rights Division.
Federal
The Fair Housing Act still requires landlords to consider accommodation requests. Since May 22, 2026, HUD itself pursues complaints only for individually trained animals; your private right to sue is unchanged. What changed →
More on Colorado: Colorado ESA letter guide · Colorado ESA laws
How to Get Your ESA Letter in Aurora
Three steps. You are not charged for a letter unless the therapist approves you.
Evaluation with a Colorado therapist
You speak with a Colorado-licensed therapist about your symptoms and what your animal does for you.
Your letter, ready to send
Once approved you receive the letter by email, usually about 15 minutes later, written for housing use and ready to send with your accommodation request.
Why Aurora Renters Choose Us
Written for 2026
Our guidance reflects HUD's May 2026 change and Colorado's own rules, so you are not working from outdated advice.
Private by default
Your letter confirms a need without naming a diagnosis, and your clinical information is handled under HIPAA.
Flat pricing
$129 for up to two animals. No subscription, no renewal auto-charge, no add-on "registration."
No registries, ever
We do not sell certificates, vests or ID cards, because they carry no legal weight and can weaken your request.
How to Use Your ESA Letter With an Aurora Landlord
1Send a written request
Email or hand your landlord a short request: you have a disability-related need for your animal and are asking for an exception to the pet rule. Attach the letter.
2Answer only what is fair
Verification of the license is fair; a demand for your medical file is not.
3Keep the paper trail
Dates, emails, the lease clause and any reply. If this turns into a complaint, the record is the case.
4If you are denied
Ask for the reason in writing, then contact Denver Metro Fair Housing Center or Colorado Civil Rights Division. A HUD complaint has a one-year window.
Template and walkthrough: writing a reasonable accommodation request →
CO letter checklist
What a Valid CO ESA Letter Must Include
These are the things an Aurora leasing office checks first. Miss one and the request stalls.
- A Colorado-licensed therapist's signature
Out-of-state signatures are the most common reason letters fail.
- License number, type and issuing state
Managers check it against the Colorado licensing board.
- A statement of disability-related need
That you have a disability and the animal helps with it — never the diagnosis.
- A current date
Most landlords treat a letter older than 12 months as stale.
- No registry certificate attached
A purchased certificate undermines an otherwise good letter.
Psychiatric service dogs
Need a PSD Letter in Aurora Instead?
A psychiatric service dog is trained to do specific work, such as grounding you during a flashback or guiding you out of a crowd. If that describes your dog, a PSD letter records those tasks, and trained animals are what HUD still enforces for after May 2026.
ESA letter · $129
- Housing accommodation request
- Any species that helps
- No training needed
PSD letter · $149
- Housing request for a trained dog
- Public access comes from the training (ADA)
- Records the dog's tasks
Pricing
ESA Letter Cost in Aurora
The same flat price as everywhere in Colorado. No subscription, and no charge for a letter unless a Colorado-licensed therapist approves you.
Most people start here
ESA Letter
$129
One-time · no subscription
- Signed by a therapist licensed in your state
- Covers up to 2 emotional support animals
- Formatted for landlords, property managers and HOAs
- Free rewrite if your landlord asks for a different format
ESA Letter · 3+ Animals
$199
One-time · no subscription
- Every animal named on one letter
- Signed by a therapist licensed in your state
- Useful when a building caps the number of pets
- Free rewrite if your landlord asks for a different format
PSD Letter
$149
One-time · no subscription
- Confirms a disability and a need for task-trained work
- Useful for housing, employers and school disability offices
- Covers up to 2 dogs
- Not an ADA certificate — see the note below
PSD Letter · Up to 3 Dogs
$229
One-time · no subscription
- Every dog named on one letter
- Confirms a disability and a need for task-trained work
- Covers up to 3 dogs
- Not an ADA certificate — see the note below
About the PSD letter: it is documentation from a licensed therapist, not a certificate or an ID. Under the ADA, public access comes from your dog being individually trained to do work or tasks for your disability. Businesses are allowed to ask only two questions and are not allowed to require paperwork. Nobody can sell you access rights — anyone who says otherwise is selling a novelty.
You are charged only after a therapist approves you. We may place a temporary authorization hold on your card beforehand to confirm it is valid; a hold is not a charge and is released if you are not approved.
100% refund if your landlord denies your ESA. If your housing provider refuses the accommodation after you submit a letter we issued, we refund what you paid in full. Full terms, including what a claim needs, on our refund policy page.
Questions
Aurora ESA Letter FAQ
Is an ESA letter valid in Aurora, CO?
Yes. Aurora follows Colorado and federal fair housing law, and both recognize a letter from a licensed therapist as support for an accommodation request. What it will not do is work in stores, on planes or as a registration.
How long does it take to get an ESA letter in Aurora?
Colorado has no statutory waiting period, so a Colorado-licensed therapist can evaluate you and, if you qualify, your letter typically arrives by email about 15 minutes after approval.
Can an Aurora landlord charge pet rent or a deposit for my ESA?
Colorado law addresses assistance animals independently of HUD, so ask in writing for fees to be waived and cite the state rule if you are charged. Damage is always chargeable. How fees work now →
Can my HOA or condo board in Aurora refuse my ESA?
An association is a housing provider, so it has to consider the request instead of pointing at its own rules. It can still deny on the usual narrow grounds. Requests to HOAs and condo boards →
Can one letter cover more than one animal?
Yes, if the therapist finds that each animal helps with your disability. The $129 letter covers up to two animals; $199 covers three or more.
Do I need a Colorado therapist, or can anyone write my letter?
Use a therapist licensed in Colorado. Telehealth crosses state lines but licensure does not, and an out-of-state signature is the most common reason a letter gets rejected.
Do I have to tell my Aurora landlord my diagnosis?
No. A landlord may verify that you have a disability-related need for the animal. They are not entitled to your diagnosis or your medical records, and a good letter does not include either.
Can my Aurora landlord deny my emotional support animal?
They must consider the request, but may deny it for a direct threat, substantial damage, undue burden, an exempt property or documentation that is not credible. Ask for any denial in writing. Denver Metro Fair Housing Center can help you respond. If you are denied →
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Aurora city, Colorado Population (July 2025 Census estimate); housing figures ACS 2020–2024
- Denver Metro Fair Housing Center Fair housing organization
- aurora.municipal.codes Consulted for local law and agencies
- aurora.municipal.codes Consulted for local law and agencies
- archives.hud.gov Consulted for local law and agencies
- archives.hud.gov Consulted for local law and agencies
- hud.gov Consulted for local law and agencies
Get Your Aurora ESA Letter Today
A real evaluation with a Colorado-licensed therapist. $129 flat for up to two animals, and you pay only if you are approved.