Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
A blind applicant with a guide dog applies at a no-pets building that charges a $500 pet deposit. The landlord must:
Answer: A. Assistance animals are not pets: the no-pet rule yields as a reasonable accommodation and no pet deposit/fee may be charged. The need here is obvious, so no inquiry/documentation is appropriate; the tenant still pays for actual damage.
Question 2 of 5
An assistance animal for a disabled resident is treated as:
Answer: A. Assistance/service animals are accommodations, not pets — pet bans and pet fees don't apply to them.
Question 3 of 5
Allowing a tenant with a disability to keep a service animal despite a 'no pets' policy is a:
Answer: A. Fair housing law requires reasonable accommodations in rules/policies (like waiving a no-pets rule for a service/assistance animal) for people with disabilities.
Question 4 of 5
A tenant with a disability requests permission to use an assistance animal in a no-pets building. The landlord should:
Answer: B. An assistance animal is treated as a reasonable accommodation, not a pet, so the no-pets rule and pet deposits generally do not apply.
Question 5 of 5
A tenant with a disability asks the landlord to waive a strict no-pets policy so the tenant can keep a service animal. Granting this request is an example of a:
Answer: C. A reasonable accommodation is a change in rules, policies, or services so a disabled person can use a dwelling; waiving a no-pets policy for a service or assistance animal is the classic example.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
What you need to know
The housing provider may ask only two things when the disability isn't obvious: is the animal needed because of a disability, and what disability-related task or support does it provide — never diagnosis details or medical records, though reliable documentation (e.g., a therapist's letter) may be requested for non-obvious needs. Deny only for concrete threats or damage the specific animal poses, not species stereotypes. The tenant remains liable for actual damage the animal causes. Contrast the ADA (public places): only trained dogs (and some miniature horses) qualify there.
Assistance Animals — The Full Rules: FAQs
Is Assistance Animals — The Full Rules on the real estate exam?
Yes. Fair Housing & Ethics is a scored domain on the real estate licensing exam, and this topic appears in the national portion.
Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes — every page on Cinna RE's resource library is free to read, print and share. The app adds practice questions, mock exams and a readiness score.
