Free screening
A short questionnaire tells you whether an emotional support animal is likely to be appropriate, and shows Florida's timeline before you commit.
Miami-Dade County · Independent state protection ESA Letter in Miami, FL
ESA Letter in Miami, FL
from a Florida-licensed therapist
About 69.2% of households in Miami rent their home, the highest renter share among Florida's five largest cities. With a median gross rent of $1,758 a month, the right building is hard enough to find without a pet policy ruling it out.
Last reviewed August 31, 2026 · Reviewed by Andrew Patel, LCSW
- Licensed in FLFlorida therapists only
- ~15 minafter approval
- $129 oncepay only if approved
FL Miami · pop. 490K
Rated by our clients on
Getting an ESA Letter in Miami, FL
A legitimate ESA letter is one page from a Florida-licensed mental health professional. It is not a certificate, a registration or an ID card, and in Miami it is used for one thing: asking a housing provider for an exception to its pet policy.
Florida has no statutory waiting period, so a Florida-licensed therapist can evaluate you and, if you qualify, your letter typically arrives by email about 15 minutes after approval. You talk with a therapist, by phone or video, about how your condition affects daily life and what your animal does for you. They decide; you do not buy an outcome.
Florida protects assistance animals in its own law, so HUD's May 2026 enforcement change matters less here than in most states. Miami adds its own layer: Miami-Dade County Code ch. 11A.
490KResidents
Second-largest in Florida · July 2025 Census estimate
69.2%Households that rent
Highest of Florida's five largest cities · ACS 2020–2024
$1,758Median gross rent
Per month, all rentals · ACS 2020–2024
NoneWaiting period
Florida sets no relationship period
Local market
Renting in Miami: What ESA Tenants Should Know
69.2% of Miami households rent, the highest renter share among Florida's five largest cities. Median gross rent is $1,758 a month — the highest median rent of Florida's five largest cities, against $1,465 in Jacksonville.
Pet rules in Miami leases usually arrive as a clause you sign without negotiating. A reasonable accommodation request is the one route that asks the landlord to treat your assistance animal differently from a pet.
Miami sits in Miami-Dade County. County-run housing programs and courts for Miami renters are in Miami-Dade County.
Student renters near Miami Dade College 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 Miami Compares With Florida's Other Large Cities
Miami's renter share is 17.4 points above the 51.8% average for these five cities. Median rent ranges from $1,465 in Jacksonville to $1,758 in Miami, a gap of $293 a month.
| City | Residents | Renter households | Median gross rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | 1,017,689 | 42.4% | $1,465 |
| Miami | 489,812 | 69.2% | $1,758 |
| Tampa | 413,554 | 49.7% | $1,701 |
| Orlando | 333,888 | 60.5% | $1,747 |
| St. Petersburg | 264,033 | 37.2% | $1,663 |
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 Miami?
Therapists do not work from a list of approved diagnoses. They look at how a condition affects your daily life and whether the animal eases it. Common examples among Miami clients:
What the evaluation looks for
- An animal that eases symptoms in a way you can describe
- An honest conversation with a therapist who can also say no
- You live in Florida, so a Florida-licensed therapist can evaluate you
- A condition that limits daily life — sleep, work, school or relationships
- The animal already lives with you or will once the request is approved
What Your ESA Letter Covers in Miami
It helps you
- Get a decision in writing, which you need if you have to escalate
- Ask for pet fees to be waived — Florida law addresses this
- Ask for an individual assessment of your animal instead of a blanket breed or weight rule
- Ask for an exception to a no-pet policy as a reasonable accommodation
It does not
- Need a registry, certificate, ID card or vest — none of those carry legal weight
- Override a lawful denial for a direct threat, substantial damage or an exempt property
- Make your animal fly as a service animal — airlines treat ESAs as pets since 2021
- Give your animal access to stores, restaurants or workplaces — that is a trained service dog right under the ADA
ESA Housing Law in Miami
Three layers apply to a Miami rental. The strongest one that covers you decides your case.
Local
Miami-Dade County Code ch. 11A — Miami-Dade County has its own human rights ordinance that bans housing discrimination, including on the basis of disability, throughout the county, Miami included.
Florida
Fla. Stat. § 760.27 — Florida ESA housing statute — sets what a landlord may ask for. Complaints: Florida Commission on Human Relations.
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 Florida: Florida ESA letter guide · Florida ESA laws
How to Get Your ESA Letter in Miami
Three steps. You are not charged for a letter unless the therapist approves you.
Evaluation with a Florida therapist
A professional licensed in Florida meets you by phone or video. It is a clinical conversation, not a form.
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 Miami Renters Choose Us
A real evaluation
A live appointment with someone who can decline. That is the difference between a letter and a purchased certificate.
Licensed in Florida
Every letter is signed by a therapist licensed where you live, with the license number on the page for your landlord to check.
Fast after approval
Most letters reach your inbox about 15 minutes after the therapist approves you.
Pay only if approved
A card hold confirms the booking. You are charged for a letter only when the therapist issues one.
How to Use Your ESA Letter With a Miami Landlord
1Send a written request
Say you have a disability, that you are asking for an accommodation to the pet policy, and attach your letter. No special form is required.
2Answer only what is fair
Verification of the license is fair; a demand for your medical file is not.
3Keep the paper trail
Save a copy of everything you send and receive, with dates. Paper trails win disputes.
4If you are denied
Ask for the reason in writing, then contact Miami-Dade County Human Rights and Fair Employment Practices or Florida Commission on Human Relations. A HUD complaint has a one-year window.
Template and walkthrough: writing a reasonable accommodation request →
FL letter checklist
What a Valid FL ESA Letter Must Include
Miami property managers see a lot of ESA paperwork. A letter missing any of these is easy to reject.
- A Florida-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 Florida 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 Miami 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 Miami
The same flat price as everywhere in Florida. No subscription, and no charge for a letter unless a Florida-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
Miami ESA Letter FAQ
Is an ESA letter valid in Miami, FL?
Yes. Miami follows Florida 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.
Miami also has its own ordinance (Miami-Dade County Code ch. 11A), which adds a local layer.
How long does it take to get an ESA letter in Miami?
Florida has no statutory waiting period, so a Florida-licensed therapist can evaluate you and, if you qualify, your letter typically arrives by email about 15 minutes after approval.
Can a Miami landlord charge pet rent or a deposit for my ESA?
Florida 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 →
How much does an ESA letter cost in Miami?
$129 for up to two animals and $199 for three or more, paid once. A psychiatric service dog letter is $149. You are not charged for a letter unless the therapist approves you.
I am a student in Miami. Does an ESA letter work in a dorm?
Campus housing at schools like Miami Dade College is generally covered by the Fair Housing Act, but colleges run their own disability-services process with early deadlines. ESAs in college housing →
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.
Can my HOA or condo board in Miami 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 →
Do I have to tell my Miami 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.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Miami city, Florida Population (July 2025 Census estimate); housing figures ACS 2020–2024
- Miami-Dade County Human Rights and Fair Employment Practices Local government
- Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence (HOPE), Inc. Fair housing organization
- 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 Miami ESA Letter Today
A real evaluation with a Florida-licensed therapist. $129 flat for up to two animals, and you pay only if you are approved.