Virginia Assistance-Animal Accommodation Request and Decision Packet
VIRGINIA ASSISTANCE-ANIMAL ACCOMMODATION REQUEST AND DECISION PACKET
VIRGINIA RULES
Va. Code § 36-96.3:1 bars a pet fee, pet deposit, or additional rent for an assistance animal, while preserving responsibility for physical damage on the same basis applicable to residents with pets. If disability or need is readily apparent or known, the statute limits additional verification. Otherwise, reliable documentation may be requested, including from a person with a qualifying therapeutic relationship.
Section 36-96.3:2 requires case-by-case review and a good-faith interactive process when burden or fundamental alteration may be at issue. An assistance animal may work, assist, perform tasks or services, or provide emotional support alleviating identified symptoms or effects of an existing disability. A threat finding must concern the requested animal, may not rest solely on breed, size, or type, and must account for another reasonable accommodation.
REQUEST
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Tenant / applicant | [________________________________] |
| Housing provider / property | [________________________________] |
| Request date | [__/__/____] |
| Animal / species | [________________________________] |
| Requested policy or fee change | [________________________________] |
Animal role: ☐ Trained work/tasks/services ☐ Emotional support alleviating identified effects ☐ Unclear
☐ Disability is readily apparent or known
☐ Disability-related need is readily apparent or known
Disability-related limitation, without diagnosis: [________________________________]
Why the accommodation may be necessary: [________________________________]
Reliable source and therapeutic relationship, if documentation is needed: [________________________________]
Requester signature: ______________________________ Date: [__/__/____]
PROVIDER REVIEW AND DECISION
☐ Verification limited under § 36-96.3:1(B)
☐ Reliable documentation and therapeutic relationship evaluated if needed
☐ No pet fee, deposit, or additional rent imposed
☐ Good-faith interactive process offered when required
☐ Any threat finding is animal-specific, not solely breed-, size-, or type-based
Decision: ☐ Approve ☐ Effective alternative ☐ Request limited information ☐ Deny ☐ Counsel review
Reasons and authority: [____________________________________________________________]
SOURCES AND REFERENCES
About this template
- Last updated
- July 26, 2026
- Citations checked
- July 26, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- Virginia
- Category
- Landlord & Tenant
Legal authority
- Va. Code §§ 36-96.3:1, 36-96.3:2 (assistance animals and interactive process)
- 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B); 24 C.F.R. § 100.204
Landlord-tenant paperwork governs who can stay in a property, on what terms, and what happens when something goes wrong. Leases, notices to quit, security deposit demands, and habitability complaints all have state and often city-specific requirements for timing, content, and service. Getting the paperwork right is what makes an eviction actually succeed or a security deposit actually come back, because judges regularly dismiss cases over small procedural mistakes.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on July 26, 2026.
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