AITAH for telling my friend she can’t bring her emotional support dog to my no-pets apartment?
A Reddit user shares a situation with their friend who has an emotional support dog. Despite the friend’s request to bring the dog over, the Redditor explains that their apartment has a strict no-pets policy, and allowing the dog could lead to serious consequences like eviction.
The friend gets upset, claiming that the Redditor isn’t being supportive of her mental health. Are they wrong for prioritizing their lease agreement over their friend’s needs? Read the full story below…
‘ AITAH for telling my friend she can’t bring her emotional support dog to my no-pets apartment?’
I (21F) live in Tampa, FL, in a small apartment where no pets are allowed according to my lease. My friend, who has been dealing with some anxiety issues, recently got an emotional support dog. She’s been asking if she could come over to hang out with her dog because she feels more comfortable with it around.
I explained that my apartment has a strict no-pets policy, and if my landlord found out, I could face eviction or hefty fines. She argued that emotional support animals aren’t technically “pets” and should be allowed.
I told her I couldn’t risk my housing situation for her to visit with her dog, suggesting we meet outside or at her place instead. She got upset, saying I’m not supportive of her mental health needs.
Now, our mutual friends are saying I’m being inconsiderate and that I should make an exception for her. AITAH for sticking to my apartment rules over her emotional support dog?
Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:
SarcasticAnd − Tell her she’s not being supportive of your housing needs.. NTA
Lyzab77 − **She got upset, saying I’m not supportive of her mental health needs. Now, our mutual friends are saying I’m being inconsiderate and that I should make an exception for her.** Are they all ready to let you come live with them ? No ?. So NTA
Thomaswebster4321 − All pets are emotional support animals. That’s why we get them.
Raeleigh_Graze − ESAs are not the same thing as a service animal and do not always have exceptions. It’s your home, your housing and landlords can be dicks. You’re friend is not being supportive of your boundaries INSIDE your home.
NecroBelch − They are all ok with you risking eviction so she doesnt get her feelings hurt. I’d tell them all to eat s**t. NTA
Responsible_Handle93 − NTA. She’s not being considerate. Also, emotional support animals aren’t legally required to have access (only service dogs who are trained for specific tasks are required to have access) the compromise of going to a dog-friendly place is a good suggestion.
runiechica − Emotional support animals do not count, usually it’s only service animals that do. NTA
Loki_the_Corgi − WTF? NTA! You’re willing to compromise by meeting somewhere this wouldn’t be a problem. ESA are not always covered under the same exception as service animals in leases, because they are different.
If you want to try to suppress the drama, you can easily check with your landlord for clarification, but I sure AF wouldn’t risk the roof over my head for this. I’d seriously question if your friends truly support you at this point.
Wizard_of_Claus − NTA. I get that your friend wants her dog around but that doesn’t change rules. It’s just like how the vast majority of businesses don’t recognize emotional support animals. There’s no reason to risk getting yourself in trouble over it.
JoePKenda − NTA. I get that your friend needs her dog for comfort, but you have to stick to the rules, especially with the risk of eviction. You offered other options to meet, so you’re not being unsupportive.
Do you think the Redditor was right to stick to the apartment rules, or should they have made an exception for their friend’s emotional support dog? How would you handle a similar situation? Share your thoughts below!